If there is a growing consciousness away from self-absorption and toward an understanding of our fates as shared, events like Up-Cycle are one way this transformation can actually be carried out and lived. With hands-on sustainable sewing lessons, live screen printing, informational talks and more (wine will be served), it will be a day to learn the ins and outs of textile up-cycling — extending the life of clothing material, and decreasing consumption and waste.
Up-Cycle’s partners are the vintage clothing retailer Goodwill Bluebox, the West Palm Beach co-working space 1909, and a local collective called Kärnl Moon that is focused on the wellbeing of underserved South Floridians. “Our intention is to educate and empower the community with tools and new skills to up-cycle their own clothing items at home, or to start buying up-cycled clothes,” the collective tells PureHoney in a written statement.
Goodwill Industries is known worldwide for storefronts that collect and resell donated and vintage clothing, and provide jobs and job training in their communities. It was Gulfstream Goodwill in West Palm Beach that invented the wildly popular Goodwill Bluebox — veritable “mystery boxes” of donated apparel, 10-12 items per box, assembled by gender, size and type, and sold online for $19.99.
Since Bluebox debuted in 2019, the brainchild of Gulfstream Goodwill Director of E-Commerce Jacob Adair, the parcels have been selling out in minutes after each week’s re-stock. Bluebox is fast becoming a brand, also selling salvaged vintage and curated clothes, including recycled tees with new screen printing, beyond the box.
“The mission is to reduce textile waste by digging through our salvage piles before they get sent out as a textile export or go to a landfill,” Gulfstream Goodwill Digital Commerce Manager Joshua Simkowitz tells PureHoney. Bluebox proceeds are distributed to nonprofit causes that Goodwill regularly supports.
“People have the power to change the narrative when it comes to the fashion industry by changing their buying habits,” the Kärnl Moon statement adds. Up-Cycle is putting that power into people’s hands to build a more interesting and livable world.
Up-Cycle is 4-8pm Saturday, March 28 at the co-working space 1909 in West Palm Beach. Admission is free. goodwillbluebox.com ~ Freddie Zandt
