Stevenson Fashion Design Majors Receive Summer Grant to Explore Sustainable Fashion
Two Stevenson Fashion Design majors鈥攋unior Richard Carranza and senior Emily Pickett鈥攈ave received the Stevenson Student Scholarly and Creative Works Summer Grants. The grants will allow the two students to continue to work on their projects this summer under the mentorship of Professor Leslie Simpson and Min Cheung, Artist-in-Residence in Fashion Design.
鈥淏oth fashion design students want to develop textiles and garments with a focus on sustainability,鈥� said Professor Simpson. 鈥淭hey want to bring awareness to the fashion industry and consumers that there are eco-friendly alternatives in apparel.鈥�
A New Line of Bamboo Fiber T-Shirts
Richard Carranza鈥檚 goal is to produce a line of originally designed, T-shirts made of 100% bamboo fiber. The grant will enable him to buy fabric, construct the T-shirts, take photos for a marketing campaign, and host a pop-up event to release his shirts.
鈥淲hen I got the email, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders at first, and then came the excitement of envisioning the process and outcome possibilities of my project,鈥� Richard said. 鈥淭he grant will give me the opportunity to work with a local manufacturer to produce these shirts after developing the sample myself. We will be producing about 100 of these, which is the most garments I will ever have had produced in one release. My products are usually very limited so this will help me make the release more available to a wider audience.鈥�
Richard鈥檚 line of T-shirts will be made from a natural bamboo jersey knit fabric. Bamboo is abundant, fast-growing, and uses requires less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than other commonly-used fabrics, which makes it a more sustainable option.
Richard has entrepreneurial aspirations. After graduating, he plans to establish a design studio and community maker’s space in the Baltimore area focused on slow fashion using sustainable methods.
鈥淚 hope to use my degree to get a corporate job designing and developing clothing and similar products. I also plan to rent a studio so I can form a team and work on my own design house and projects.鈥�
Developing a Sustainable New Material
Emily Pickett is a senior Fashion Design major with a minor in Fashion Merchandising. Her goal is to continue to explore and refine the development of a sustainable biomaterial fabric made from a bacterial mat known as a SCOBY that鈥檚 also a byproduct of kombucha production. She plans to use this material鈥斺�淪COBY leather鈥濃�攖o create a wearable garment and accessory.
鈥淲hen I learned I got the grant I was really excited,鈥� Emily said. 鈥淚 was already experimenting with SCOBY leather on my own time and had applied as a shot in the dark. Vegan leather is traditionally made from polyurethane or plastic which are arguably worse for the environment than regular leather. Since SCOBY is a regenerative and biodegradable material, and uses less water and other resources, it鈥檚 a more sustainable material.鈥�
The grant will enable Emily to buy new materials and equipment, and use lab space to develop the textile. She plans to document the entire process, present samples of the leather, accessory and garments on campus to faculty and students and submit the project at a design competition in 2025.
鈥淔ashion is one of the most polluting industries,鈥� Emily said. 鈥淒r. Simpson has a real passion for sustainability, I鈥檓 excited to continue this project and work alongside her this summer.鈥� For more news from Stevenson鈥檚 Fashion Design program, follow the program on and . For the latest news from around campus, follow 果冻传媒直播 on and .