Redress Raleigh 2009

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In the summer 2008, three women, Mor Aframian, Beth Stewart and Jamie Powell, met over lunch with the idea of planning an environmentally conscious fashion show. Of the three, Beth Stewart, had met organizers of a New York eco-fashion show (EGB – NY Chapter’s Annual Project Earth Day) and was inspired to bring a similar concept to Raleigh. After the first meeting, all realized that they shared the same vision for what the show would be. Planning began that day.

The Redress Raleigh inaugural event came to life in the Spring of 2009. It was part of the Hillsborough Street Renaissance Festival, an arts & music gathering created to highlight and celebrate the street’s change to a more pedestrian and vehicle friendly thoroughfare.  The show, initially scheduled to be outdoors, was forced inside by cold and rain, requiring an emergency change in venue. Despite the weather, attendees waited in long lines for seats to see local designers and models showcasing cutting edge and eco-friendly fashion. Not long before the show began, the replacement venue, a night club, was filled to capacity.

The designers utilized a number of different materials and processes for the eco-friendly theme:

  • discarded fabric from industrial and other sources
  • vintage costume jewelry
  • natural dyes
  • items obtained from thrift stores
  • tee shirts, ties, and other items pilfered from friends and relatives

Of the 18 fashion lines displayed, nearly all of the designers and design teams were students, most from North Carolina State University. The one exception was the Revamp line from show co-producer, Jamie Powell.

The show generated a lot of interest in eco-fashion and sustainable design in Raleigh and raised more funds than expected. Planning for a larger event in 2010 is underway.