Humber College students landed some gently used clothing they can wear to work or job interviews and countless garments were saved from ending up at the landfill thanks to the 2022 Eco Closet event.
The event, which took place on November 22 at North Campus, was organized and run by Fashion Arts and Business students.
About 1,000 students came out to the event that offered up work clothes and professional attire at discounted prices. Those looking for a blazer would have paid just $12 while most items were priced between $5 and $10.
“We really wanted to give Humber students an opportunity to find work clothes at reasonable prices,” said Yasmin Gomes, a second-year Fashion Arts and Business student who served as project manager for the event.
“A lot of people on campus have internships or jobs but can’t afford to buy new professional clothes and there are people out there who have closets full of clothes they never wear,” added Avery Romanelli, who’s also in the Fashion Arts and Business program and was a team leader for the event. “Most of us students are on a budget or working part-time jobs.”
Donation boxes were set up at North and Lakeshore campuses in the weeks leading up to the event for people to drop off clothing for the event. They received thousands of pieces of clothing.
More than $1,900 was raised from the event and was donated to Youth Without Shelter, a charity offering shelter and support for youth facing homelessness in the GTA. Unsold garments were also donated to the organization.
Fashion Arts and Business student Chandelle King, who oversaw social media coverage for the event, liked the sustainable aspect of Eco Closet. Clothes that would have wound up in the garbage found new life and some unsold pieces were used by the Office of Sustainability to mend other items.
There was also upcycling – taking one piece of clothing and merging it with another to create an entirely new garment – at the event.
“We wouldn’t have been able to put this on without the Humber community’s support and donations,” said King.
The event was supported by IGNITE and the Office of Sustainability.