12 MARCH 6-12, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | designing my own things and things that are for people like me is another way of increas- ing the connection between people and their clothing,” Grant says. “And if you love your clothing and love the way it fi ts, you’re more likely to keep it and want to maintain it.” Many of Wallace’s creations also center on a celebration of being queer, and moving to Denver opened that world up for her. She was making queer pieces when she fi rst started upcycling in Indiana, but it was very toned down. “As soon as I moved here, I hopped straight into the queer culture in Denver, and it was more accepting and very out there,” she recalls. “So I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t really have any limits. I can make shirts that say crazy things.’ I got to be more experimental. My progress from Indiana to here has been insane, and every week I think of more crazy queer sayings to put on shirts.” The response to her clothing designs has been amazing, Wallace adds, and she’s had many repeat customers specifi cally seeking out her pieces. “They’ll get sets, pants or shirts that match,” she says. “I have one person who’s a teacher, and she has seven of my ties that I created, and she’ll do outfi ts with all the ties throughout the week. It’s been incredible.” Since it started in 2023, the Clothing Cycle has seen a lot of support, too, as well as people interested in learning more about it, Robertson says, adding that people are always surprised that they can swap clothes for free or pay what they can if they don’t bring clothes to trade. Meanwhile, Kennedy stocks her store with donated clothes and pieces left from clothing swaps, and pretty much every item is priced at $15 to equalize the value of the clothes. She does not turn away (or throw away) donations, saving clothes that need extra TLC to give to local upcyclers and art workshops, like a recent vagina-art event that used damaged fabric scraps, lace and beads. Her space is meant to foster connection, especially between women. “I feel like the disconnect between women mirrors the dis- connect we have with nature, and that’s at the root of pretty much all of our societal is- sues — feeling apart from one another, apart from nature,” she says. Events like the Clothing Cycle’s pop-up swaps and Grant’s Stitch ‘n’ Bitch also help foster connection. “You’re able to see where the clothes came from,” Robertson says. “It’s really cool for someone to get something off a rack and then someone else to be like, ‘Oh, that was mine. I’m so happy that it has a new home.’” At Stitch ‘n’ Bitch events, Grant says, everyone ends up helping each other: “I’ll teach someone something, go help someone else, and then the person I just taught is teach- ing someone else that same stitch or skill. And I’m like, ‘Yes, build the community power! More mending.’” The events not only strengthen connec- tion between people but bridge the discon- nect between people and their clothes. “It’s quite surprising how little I fi nd that people know about the fashion industry and the harms of the fashion industry,” Robertson says. “People don’t take the time to think about where the items they consume come from, and all the work and resources that go into that as well. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to teach people.” There is not a single piece of clothing that was not made at least in part by human hands, Grant adds: “Humans have to actually operate the sewing machine, they have to cut the fabric pieces, hand-sew on embel- lishments. There are knitting machines, but crochet cannot be replicated by a machine, it’s always handmade. ...Teaching people how their clothes are made and how to maintain them reduces that alienation of labor, reduces the disconnect between the people who are making the clothes you wear and the people who are wearing the clothes.” After all, humans have been making clothes for thousands of years, and we’re only about two generations removed from homemade clothing. “There’s also a saying that it takes two generations to make a tradi- tion, that it only takes telling your children and then your children telling their children a story to create a tradition or culture,” Grant says. “I think it’s important to look at the ways we’ve been maintaining our clothing up until plastic and fast fashion overtook the industry, and enjoy the act of spending time with clothes you want to keep instead of discarding them as soon as they’re not perfect. We need to care about keeping what we already have and that the most sustain- able things are the things we already have.” Hearing about people who intentionally don’t repeat outfi ts, Grant felt their soul as- cend through the heavens and loop around into hell, they recall. “It’s okay to wear your clothes more than once,” Grant advises. “If you like something, then it’s good if you wear it until it needs to be mended. To be loved is to be changed, and if you love your clothing, then it’s okay to change it. Your body will change. It’s okay to change your clothes with it.” Environmental issues are big and over- whelming, but individuals and communities do have power in the choices they make. “Learning how clothing is constructed, learning how to fi x clothing, even if you don’t necessarily repair it yourself, puts a lot of power back into your hands to not be taken advan- tage of by fast-fashion companies that want you to buy new clothes every month,” Grant concludes “Everyone has the power to care about what their clothes look like and make things that are unique to themselves. Even just being aware of how and why you might want to mend an article of clothing is going to change the way you look at your clothing, and it’s going to give you a deeper connection with your wardrobe and your fashion and make you feel more empowered and a lot more stylish and content in your own form.” Email the author at kristen.fi ore@westword. A Stitch ‘n’ Bitch gathering at Seventh Circle Music Collective. Culture continued from page 10 Interested in Upcycling? The most sustainable thing is what you al- ready have. For people wanting to be more sus- tainable with their fashion or get into upcycling, Grant advises taking a look at your wardrobe. If you have something you’ve been holding onto because you love it but don’t wear it anymore, don’t be afraid to make it into something new, or cut it up and attach it to something else. Attend a visible mending workshop or watch YouTube videos to learn how. The ideaLAB in the Denver Central Li- brary has a sewing machine that is free to use. ReCreative, a used art-supply store in the Art District on Santa Fe, sells affordable sewing supplies and materials and offers workshops. “You can even trace clothing you already have and make patterns and duplicate the same sweatshirt, if you have a sweatshirt that you really like,” Grant says. “The intentionality in caring about what you wear and caring about what looks good on you and the willingness to get your hands a little dirty and cut things up is a big way to approach sustainability.” If you’re afraid to try it yourself, commis- sion a clothing upcycler. “If you have a piece that you like but aren’t wearing it much, there are always people who can add things onto it,” Wallace says. “You can put something on a piece that changes the vibe.” Still want new clothes? Buy secondhand or go to a clothing swap. If you need an outfi t for a particular occasion, you don’t neces- sarily have to go out and buy a new one. You might be able to borrow one from a friend, Kennedy recommends. She also advises taking care of the clothes you already have: wash clothes inside out and with cold water. Find Aliyah Wallace’s clothes at Sinner’s Hair + Nails (1872 South Broadway), Roostercat Coffee House (1045 Lincoln Street), Fairy Hair Forever (1111 North Broadway) and on her Instagram, @ awexclusives. Learn more about Bucky Grant’s art and Stitch ‘n Bitch events at suprsaturatd. com. Learn more about The Clothing Cycle at linkpop.com/theclothingcycle. Learn more about Solstice: Style & Stretch on Instagram @ solsticestylestretch, and more about Artists In Sync at linktr.ee/Artistsinsync. People model Aliyah Wallace’s upcycled clothing. BILLIE WARNOCK, @HEAVYLIGHT___ BUCKY GRANT
