Ashley-Grace Dureke has always had a passion for clothing and thrifting.
When she was younger, her mom taught her how to sew by hand so that she could make clothes for her American Girl doll. Over time, she learned how to crochet, knit and mend her clothes.
Now, as the president of Re-Wear It at UW–Madison, Dureke is teaching students and campus community members about sustainable fashion practices.
“At Re-Wear It, our main goal is to educate about conscious consumerism and to make it more accessible to the average college student,” Dureke said.
Initially starting as a pandemic project, RWI has since evolved into a student organization with biweekly clothing swaps and sustainable fashion workshops. The next RWI clothing swap is from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday at 221 North Park St., Room 1108, and it’s part of UW–Madison’s Earth Week activities.
RWI also calculates their impact through water saved, waste diverted, and money saved. Through clothing swaps, RWI has saved over $10,000 and diverted over 1,000 pounds of waste.
Read more: https://news.wisc.edu/re-wear-it-teaching-sustainable-fashion-practices-one-clothing-swap-at-a-time/