Local youths learn sewing, upcycling skills

Olivia Slosiarek was struggling to sew a collar on the bodice of a dress. “Why did you choose a supercomplicated dress?” Stina Andersen asked her young student with a smile. Slosiarek’s answer was thoughtful: She explained that something about the below-the-knee dress, depicted on a 1980s McCall’s pattern she found in Andersen’s classroom, appealed to […]

Local businesses aim to make clothing more sustainabl­e

Industry studies show consumers are growing tired of fast, disposable fashion. In addition to a greater awareness of where clothes come from and the impact of their production, a new interest in extending the life of clothing or reusing materials to create new garments is fueling a resurgence of sewing skills in this region and around the country.

Smart bets web extra: Seelie Court Masquerade

It’s time to break out the old leather-studded collar and golden tiara. New Mountain Asheville will host Seelie Court Masquerade, a two-night “multi-sensory fantasy event featuring two rooms of music, fashion, theater and dance,” according to a press release, and all attendees are strongly encouraged to dress their faerie best. Masqueraders will enjoy various live […]

Sustainabl­e style

Fashion contains, within its definition, a nod to newness and immediacy. But it’s also based in custom and convention, and in industry. The hillside community known as Chicken Hill — a grouping of homes, a clubhouse, a church — lodged the workers (and their families) employed at the C. E. Graham Manufacturing Company’s cotton mill […]