Rose Hill Farm Supports Recycling and Green Living with Fashion Show
The collaboration of local sustainable fashion designers and brands came together at Rose Hill Farm, Red Hook on Sept. 22 when the farm held the creative and inspiring Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Show.
Participating designers and organizations included a student-design collective from Marist College, Hannah Ross of Hanoux in Hudson, Faith Delozier of Faithfully Yours in Port Ewen, Annie McCurdy of So Vicki and Kaitlyn Murray owner of La Vie Après L’amour in Kingston.
After hours of preparation such as leading the public to the show, decorating the runway and dressing the models, the show finally began.
At sunset, models walked down the grass aisles of Rose Hill Farm as the audience watched the show in awe. Pieces within the show ranged from simple dresses, quilted and knitted jackets, sheer shrugs and reworked, patchwork skirts.
Including the work of Kaitlyn Murray, the founder and CEO of La Vie Après L’amour, a clothing store located in Kingston. Growing up in a small town in the Hudson Valley, Murray eventually moved to New York City to pursue a career after she attended college at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
When describing her company and its overall mission Murray explains, “Each piece of clothing has been given a new life after being loved. The heart behind the company is to divert clothing and textiles from landfill and create a collection using a production cycle.”
With the focus and theme of sustainable clothing and accessories within the fashion show, Murray embodies just that. Using natural resources to produce fabrics and energy and water to create the variety of garments.
Local vendors and vintage vendors ran booths, selling many sustainable products such as boots, hats, jewelry and accessories. This allowed for an interactive experience with the audience as guests were able to shop before and after the show.
When discussing her career and the ways in which she has met her vision, Murray believes her brand captures the true meaning of sustainability.
“With my passion for sustainability, I took my experience as a merchandiser, buyer and manager and wanted to start an upcycled clothing company. I found ways to combat the millions of tons of clothing that go into landfills each year.”
She adds, “All of our clothes have been pre-loved, and our mission is to use each part of the garment to create something new.”
With the dedication to demonstrate a creative and well-balanced show, volunteers were recruited to help out with the preparation. Volunteers were greeting guests as they drove in and decorating the runway with leaves and flowers.
Volunteer Marika Shively, 21, addresses her experience working at the fashion show and how sustainability was demonstrated in her eyes.
Shively states, “I think the venue solidified the whole theme of sustainability because you can use nature and the surroundings, instead of trying to show sustainability in an artificial way like in a warehouse. The venue was held outside so it was more authentic and really nice to be in nature.”
Shively has a passion for sustainability in fashion and wants to help out the community in the many ways she can such as volunteering at fashion shows.
“I really enjoyed helping out, I was greeting guests as they drove into the orchard and many were very excited and eager to see the show and the beautiful grass fields,” Shively adds.
The Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Show successfully embodied the vision to display sustainability within clothing and brands, ultimately bringing awareness to the fashion industry’s impact on our environment.
