Young People from Western Sydney are Free to Fashion!
28 Aug 2024
Over the course of the year, Story Factory has been collaborating with local not-for-profit The Social Outfit, to run a special project entitled Free to Fashion, a writing, textiles and art-based program for young women from Birrong Girls and Bossley Park high schools.
Throughout the school year, students were guided to explore the concept of ‘fashioning’ as it related to clothing, culture and self-expression.
Out of their hard work emerged two unique prints, and a publication of their writing and artwork, also entitled Free to Fashion, which explores their personal connections to the world of fashion.
In writing workshops run by Story Factory Storytellers, young women were invited to bring in special garments and to share stories about them with their peers. Students reflected on why these garments were important to them, capturing their connections to culture and family history.
Using collage, students then created a ‘lookbook’, a curated selection of imagery to use as inspiration for their creative writing on fashion and styling.
After taking time to explore and write about their personal experiences with fashion, the young women participated in art-making workshops at The Social Outfit.
Sydney artists Issy Parker, Chatcha Promchan and Sonya Price-Kelly led these workshops, exploring the use of oil pastels, collage, pattern making and hand-building and sculptural techniques to create 3D forms in clay.
Students then guided a process of photographing each form to capture varied positions, angles and interpretations of their sculptural forms. These were then turned into two fabric designs, which became a one-of-a-kind garment.
Their forthcoming publication, Free to Fashion, is due to be launched at Carriageworks at the end of September, as part of The Social Outfit’s tenth birthday celebrations.
Featuring personal reflections, collaborative poems and vignettes, the publication is a treasure trove of storytelling, musings and memories.
In it, the young women who participated in this program celebrate their individuality, demonstrate their strong connection to culture and imagine their futures. We can’t wait to share the final publication with you in the coming weeks!