Academy at Charlemont students are turning trash into treasure, transforming donated garments and long-forgotten closet finds into runway-ready looks.
Over the past few months, Charlemont students have been exploring the fashion industry, learning about fast fashion, circular economies, and how clothes can be reused and upcycled in preparation for their upcoming fashion show and clothing swap fundraiser with the Academy Parents Council. On May 14 at 6:30 p.m., visitors can see student-designed, upcycled looks take to the runway. The event includes a clothing fundraiser, where all proceeds benefit the school’s studio block program.
“The Academy Parents Council was coming up with ideas for fundraisers and we came up with the idea of a tag sale, and I had the idea to add a fashion show,” said Star Atkeson, a member of the parents council who has been teaching the Runway Realness class. “I pitched it to the school as a studio block, because APC events don’t always see huge turnouts, but we hoped collaborating with the school we could make it a bigger event.”
At the academy, studio blocks are visual and performing arts classes offered to students on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with class subjects ranging from rock and roll to Islamic geometric design. The Runway Realness course was designed to teach students about circular economies in fashion and how clothing can be upcycled into new looks. They have also been working with Turners Falls designer Richie Richardson to see how fashion shows are developed, and how looks can be put together and styled.
“I’m the only boutique fashion designer in Franklin County,” Richardson said. “Star worked with me as a model in Fashion Week and asked me to come as a guest instructor and share some of my knowledge and experience with these incredible students.”
Atkeson added that while not all students in the class plan to wear their looks and walk the runway themselves, she is hoping to teach them all a runway catwalk, which she said is good for improving posture.
“My secret aim is to teach them the catwalk for strength and mobility,” Atkeson said. “I want to teach them cooperative principles and different business models … We’re aiming for the sky and seeing where we’re landing.”
Over the course of the semester, the Academy has been accepting donations of clean, used clothing, which students have been learning to mend, alter and style.
“I’ve always been into fashion, but this program taught me about the process of putting outfits together, instead of just intuition,” student CJ Blum said. “I’m inspired by a lot of the fashion from the 90s, and I hope to end up with at least one or two looks that reflect that.”
In April, part of the students’ studies included going through the closet of donations and selecting outfits to wear for a mock runway walk. Richardson showed students how models line up, strut their stuff and pose.
Atkeson said she hopes students will continue to refine their fashion skills leading up to the event, using the experience to strengthen bonds with peers across grade levels and community members involved in the production.
“I participate in [Richie Richardson’s] runway shows, and I realized community can really be built by being in a runway show,” Atkeson said. “There’s all these strangers, then all of a sudden, you’re standing in line, and you’re strutting down the runway and then you’re friends with these people you would have never talked to.”
The Runway Realness block has a handful of students not enrolled in the class signed up to serve as models for the show, but Atkeson is hoping to get some teachers and parents signed up as well. She also noted that she was impressed by how students picked out outfits for each other and were willing to model and walk with them.
Although developing looks for a show and modeling them can be nerve-racking, Atkeson said the students have been excited and willing to try.
“I’m pretty impressed with their bravery,” she said. “Shyness is normal. Even the top models will tell you they still get butterflies.”
For more information, contact Atkeson satkeson@charlemont.org.
