The newly established City College Fashion Club is making waves among students who are passionate about style and sustainability.

The idea was born after club President Kassie Tui and Vice President Hayes Philips were inspired by the uniquely expressive nature of fashion around Santa Barbara and realized that students needed an outlet for their creativity. 

“We were walking around campus and saw so many people with amazing style and [thought], ‘We need a place for these people,’” Philips said. “These people need to be seen and represented on campus.” 

With over 60 members at their first meeting on Oct. 9 and nearly 200 signatures from interested students at club day, they have gained traction with community members of all ages. 

“The engagement has been really good so far, I didn’t expect us to be this well received,” Tui said. “But the fact that we have been is a blessing.”

Philips said that students expressed concerns about inclusivity during club day. Many of fashion’s misconceptions include the idea that it’s only for the wealthy, superficial, or limited to trends and designer brands. This can steer people away from its liberating quality, but the club wants to counter these stigmas by instilling clear principles. 

“We were just trying to figure out what kind of club we wanted to be because you can say fashion, but what does that even mean,” Tui said. “Once we figured out the three main pillars of the club we [realized] this was an actual thing we could get up and running.”

Sustainability, creativity, and cultural impact are the club’s foundations, and they’re woven into every aspect of its activities, from thrifting materials to organizing community service events. 

With six board members leading various departments including graphic design, outreach, editorial work, media management, marketing, and finance, the club is designed to engage with members at all skill levels.

Thanah Anderson, fashion club outreach director, had the same idea for the club earlier this semester and was in the process of creating it before realizing Tui had already solidified her vision. Now she handles networking. 

“I’ll organize events, reach out to local businesses, and organizations, and [connect] with students who might be interested in collaborating with us,” Anderson said. “We pretty much just want to represent our club to the community.”

Since the club wants to promote circular fashion, all materials will be sourced from local businesses. Including any resources needed for events or meetings. In the future, the club aims to host clothing drives for women’s and children’s shelters, engage in the sustainability festival, and participate in any community service involving clothing swaps. 

All merchandise will showcase their original logo screen printed onto thrifted shirts, tote bags, and more. Proceeds will support fundraising in making these ambitious events possible. 

In addition to supporting the community, the club aims to educate members on how it influences and is influenced by cultural movements, societal values, and personal narratives. 

“I want to show how fashion is a conglomerate of cultures, ethnicities, races, everything that makes a community,” Phillips said. “In our last meeting, I did a presentation on the new Met Gala theme for the next coming year, which is centered around [18th century to present] Black fashion. So just highlighting how modern-day fashion stems from cultures in the past.”

In their meetings, they’ll host workshops that teach essential fashion skills like sewing, screen printing, digital design, and more. By teaching these skills, the club aims to prepare students for fashion shows and zines showcasing eco-conscious creative outfits designed by them.

“Whether or not you’re into fashion, it’s definitely a combination of so many different art forms,” Phillips said. “So there’s an avenue that we offer in which [students are] interested in. It’s just about getting in there and seeing what suits you, we will help you with the rest.” 

The Fashion Club meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in the Earth and Biological Science building room 301 on East Campus. Their next meeting will take place on Nov. 6.