Food to Fashion Showcase

By: Sheridan C. Watkins

This year, Winston-Salem Fashion Week (WSFW) captivated audiences from September 12th until September 25th. As always, it was a chance for countless designers, models, and attendees to soak up all the energy exchanged after a challenging year of planning and preparing for spectacular fashion showcases. During WSFW, attendees had many opportunities to explore and learn more about the fashion world, from specific brand runway shows to a clothing swap promoting sustainability. 

Laura Carisa Gardea, Founder of Acadia Southside Food Forest, was inspired by the growing success of WSFW and recognized a connection between fashion and the environment that prompted her to use her foundation to shed light on sustainable fashion. “We don’t always think about where [fashion] comes from,” Gardea said. “The soil is where it all intersects; all the fibers we use [in sustainable fashion] emerge from the same soil we use to grow food.” The mulberry silkworm is responsible for over 95 percent of all the silk produced worldwide and is produced as the worm eats mulberry leaves. Hibiscus is commonly associated with tea but can also be used as a dye for clothing. These are just a few examples Gardea mentioned, as there are numerous ways to incorporate the environment beneficially into fashion.

With the approval of Nikita Wallace, founder of WSFW, Gardea presented her fashion showcase concept, “Food to Fashion,” on September 22nd to all who could attend during the action-packed fashion week. Clothing provided by Rosebud Vintage, Elevated Weirdo, and Heart on the Floor walked the runway with complementary jewelry and accessories supplied by Perennial Peaces and Sea-Inspired Humanitarian Jewelry. All the designers involved had a unique approach to sustainable fashion that uplifts their businesses. Sheridan Watkins, the owner of Perennial Peaces, repurposes felt and various textile scraps to create elegant and fun jewelry, while Susan BB Schabaker, owner of Sea-Inspired Humanitarian Jewelry, incorporates environmental products like seashells in her line that sparks awareness of homelessness and ocean clean-up efforts. Savannah Yount of Rosebud Vintage, Toby Hilliard of Elevated Weirdo, and Lillie and Amanda of Heart on the Floor, all support sustainability by extending the life of fashion in their local vintage clothing stores. “I always grew up buying vintage and formed my own style. I love the nature and garden aspect of this showcase because I know how much waste and destruction goes into the fast fashion industry,” Hilliard said. 

Styles that make you think about where it all comes from. According to Gardea, the greatest effort in this showcase was to make fashion the “mouthpiece” that brings attention to the sustainable and compostable materials that support renewable energy. The runway was even made using bamboo and will be used again to support plants in the Food Forest. 

“I’m very into sustainable fashion! It’s a good way to see artists come together, and you get to be unique. When you shop sustainably, it’s less likely someone’s outfit will look exactly like yours,” said artist and model Flower In Bloom. 

We celebrated the end of the showcase with wine, hors d’oeuvres, music, and vendors. Attendees could walk around, meet the models and designers, and shop right off the runway. 

“I really like the way the vintage is wrapped into the handcrafted pieces, and it’s really neat how they put the outfits together. Sustainability is so important in the fashion industry because clothing is one of the most disposed items, so it reduces consumption,” said Jan Robinson, an attendee of the showcase. 

Acadia Southside Food Forest was founded in 2017 by Gardea. After graduating from UNCSA in 2016 and Wake Forest University in 2018, she applied for a grant through the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County. She showed her business model to one of her professors, who took an interest in the project. Acadia Southside Food Forest is located at 133 West Acadia Ave. in Winston-Salem and has a food library for the public to replenish and grab necessary foods.