Students in New Mexico State University’s Fashion Merchandising and Design program are ready to rock their 2025 sustainable fashion designs on the runway for their fifth annual fashion show.
The event will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in the heart of NMSU’s Las Cruces campus, the Aggie Lounge at Corbett Center Student Union.
“Our annual Sustainability Fashion Show brings together our design and merchandising students in so many ways,” said Kelley Cleary Coffeen, associate professor in Fashion Merchandising and Design and co-adviser of Aggie Fashion Club. “Our event team and marketing team plan and promote the event, while our designers, directed by Insook Ahn, focus on the creative side. This year, we are adding a ‘styled’ collection with upcycled pieces to reflect the value of repurposing clothing."
This year's theme is Bohemian Jungle: Bringing Together Elements of Nature, Culture and Fashion. As usual, students have recycled, repurposed and utilized different sustainable materials for this year's show.
Andrea Cano Vidal, a student majoring in fashion design and minoring in marketing, shared this is her last year participating in the fashion show, and she wanted to fully express her creativity with her design.
“What inspired me for my design initially was some fabric I was gifted at a coffee shop,” Cano Vidal said. “They were giving away burlap sacks that had initially been used to ship their coffee beans. Then we were told about our theme for this year's fashion show: Bohemian Jungle. It just clicked immediately. I think this year is by far my best work yet, and I'm looking forward to showcasing my designs to everyone at the show!”
Another fashion merchandising and design student, Aidan Sever, shared he’s ecstatic to show off his design this year as well.
“My design is inspired by the attire that someone who competes in fencing would wear,” Sever said. “I am repurposing multiple second-hand skirts made out of polyester and velvet to make a jacket and a skirt.”
Students shared that participating in an event like the fashion show is extremely important to them, and they take pride in repurposing materials that would otherwise go to waste or be harmful to the environment.
“Our industry is one of the leading industries that has contributed to pollution and waste,” Cano Vidal said. “It has harmed the environment in many ways and as someone who values and cares for our planet, being able to be a part of the sustainability movement is something incredible. Our fashion show really draws attention to the importance and versatility of what sustainable fashion truly is. Anything can be used to make clothing. Some of my peers have used trash bags, paper and magazines in the past for their designs, and it really drives the message home that fashion goes beyond the concept of just fabric.”
“It makes me feel good knowing that I am repurposing unused garments and creating art,” Sever added. “It is important for me to be a part of the ongoing sustainability movement as someone who wants to enter the high fashion industry. There is a large stigma around how wasteful the fashion industry is, and anything I can do to help, even if it's small, makes me happy. Not just individuals who are interested in fashion need to be conscious about their consumer choices.”
Additionally, there will be several fashion events held by the Aggie Fashion Club during the week of April 18, and the events will be announced on Instagram @nmsufashion.
Entry to the fashion show is free to the public. There will be numerous activities available, including social media stations, live music, free flowers, all focused-on sustainability and the environment.
For more information, contact Cleary Coffeen at kcoffeen@nmsu.edu or Insook Ahn at iahn@nmsu.edu.