Berkeley College Fashion Students Will Bring Sustainable Designs Center Stage as Part of the Westfield Good Festival
Monday, April 29, 2024
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CENTER STAGE AS PART OF THE WESTFIELD GOOD FESTIVAL
Photo Caption: Students enrolled in the Fashion Merchandising and Management program at Berkeley College will present “Reimagined Remnants: A Sustainable Fashion Showcase” as part of the Westfield Good Festival, to be held at Westfield Garden State Plaza on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Pictured (L to R) are designs by Berkeley College students Nikki Liu, Kelvin Morocho, and Chaiim Barber.
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Berkeley College Fashion students will bring their sustainable designs to one of the largest shopping malls in the nation as part of the Westfield Good Festival, hosted by Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ, on Saturday, May 11, 2024. The Westfield Good Festival, first held in Europe last year, aims to inspire and support consumers who want to live more sustainably and give back to their communities.
As part of the Westfield Good Festival, students enrolled in the Fashion Merchandising and Management program at Berkeley College will present “Reimagined Remnants: A Sustainable Fashion Showcase.” Each student developed a distinctive brand inspired by their personal passion for sustainability. Garments and handbags have been reimagined from dead stock fabric, fabric mill headers, and design room waste.
Additionally, Chuks Collins, the designer-in-residence at Berkeley College in New York City, will contribute two garments to the showcase that utilize sustainable elements such as cut-free technology and material made from recycled plastic bottles.
“Our Berkeley College students are excited to be part of the environmentally responsible future of fashion,” said Andrea Kennedy, Lead Faculty, Fashion Merchandising and Management, Berkeley College Larry L. Luing School of Business®. “These students are sustainable thinkers who want to enter the fashion industry and change fashion practices for the better. The Westfield Good Festival experience is about merging higher education, industry processes, and students’ innovative ideas. I am also excited because we are teaching our students through immersive, project-based, experiential learning in this project, and that is for what Berkeley College is known.”
Nearly 30 students and professors also collaborated to create “Threaded Tales: Student Stories from the Fashion Room Floor,” an art installation of patchwork fabric from design room waste that will hang from the ceiling crossbars at the mall.
Photo Caption: Nearly 30 students and professors collaborated to create “Threaded Tales: Student Stories from the Fashion Room Floor,” an art installation of patchwork fabric from design room waste. Pictured with Berkeley College staff are students Meri Faraj, Glorya Grah, Simone Ljung, Essence Scott, Aisha Sebastian, and Christa Williams.
Arianna Santiago of Jersey City, NJ, is the creator of Tortuga Clothing Co., a beach-inspired brand. Her showcase collection features a three-piece outfit that is entirely sustainably made.
Santiago hopes to work in public relations in the fashion industry, using her platform to promote sustainable fashion, designers, and creators. “I believe the time for change is now, but change cannot be made without inspiring collective action first,” Santiago said.
Photo Caption: Berkeley College student Arianna Santiago of Jersey City, NJ, is the creator of Tortuga Clothing Co., a beach-inspired brand that will be part of the Westfield Good Festival, to be held at Westfield Garden State Plaza on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
Read More: The Westfield Good Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Level 1 near Pandora. Click here to learn more about The Westfield Good Festival.
The Westfield Good Festival will also feature the Denim Revival Experience, where guests who donate a pair of old jeans to The Blue Jeans Go Green™ program can have a second pair of denim transformed by artist Nick Sizemore and fashion designer Darcy Barber of Craft Night NYC.
Guests can discover sustainable and eco-friendly products and practices from Westfield Garden State Plaza shops, and children can join the creation of a Community Art Project made from LEGO bricks. Live entertainment will be provided throughout the day.
“The Westfield Good Festival was created to inspire individuals while mobilizing communities to engage in sustainability efforts,” said Wesley Rebisz, Senior General Manager, Westfield Garden State Plaza. “Through a variety of actionable and immersive experiences, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from well-known retailers and beloved brands about the positive steps they are making in the environmental transition to create a better planet for future generations. We are delighted to launch an event that will be a catalyst for positive change.”
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers Continuing Education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in New York City and in Newark, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 3,500 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, for 11 consecutive years. Berkeley College is also ranked among the Best Regional Colleges/Universities in the North in the 2023-2024 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges survey. The website address is https://BerkeleyCollege.edu.
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