Fall 2024

Reimagining Fashion Through Art, Justice & Collective Action

Held over three days in October 2024, the Slow Fashion Festival transformed Riches Art Gallery, a venue in Austin, Texas, into a vibrant hub for ethical fashion, community dialogue, and creative exchange.

The festival brought together over 30 artists, designers, and cultural workers through panels, workshops, and interactive exhibits that explored the intersections of sustainability, identity, and justice in the fashion world. With a strong focus on inclusion, circularity, and grassroots collaboration, the event created space for both education and action—offering accessible resources, amplifying underrepresented voices, and modeling what a regenerative fashion future can look like.

education fuels action!

community over competition!

education fuels action! community over competition!

Justice & Collective Action:

Empowering the Movement of Fashion’s Future

Our 2024 festival featured a full lineup of interactive workshops, advisory sessions, and expert-led conversations designed to equip our community with real tools, fresh knowledge, and creative inspiration.

From practical business advice to deeply personal conversations about justice, identity, and sustainability, each program was rooted in accessibility and collective empowerment. We brought together artists, organizers, entrepreneurs, and sustainability leaders to spark dialogue, share resources, and help attendees take actionable steps toward building a more just and sustainable fashion future—together.

  • This intimate panel and interactive workshop explored what it really takes to build a collaborative team rooted in the values of slow fashion. Hosted as part of the 2024 Slow Fashion Festival, the session featured:

    Saige Thomas, award-winning fashion photographer, President of the Texas Fashion Industry Initiative, and co-founder of Texas Fashion Week,
    Adam Robinson, analog photographer documenting Austin’s slow fashion and rave communities,
    Yanett Heredia, Mexican curve model, dancer, and inclusivity advocate,

    Moderated by Leah Bury of SFF, the conversation dug into the real dynamics of building creative teams that are values-aligned, inclusive, and transparent.

    The panelists shared insights on balancing technical skill with shared purpose, the importance of storytelling through collaboration, and how the slow fashion space creates room for deeper, more meaningful relationships across creative roles. They discussed transparency in work environments, the role of representation in modeling, and how emerging creators can build teams from within their own communities.

    Following the discussion, Leah led a Reciprocity Ring Workshop, where participants exchanged offers and needs to help identify potential collaborators and community resources. This session grounded the festival’s collaborative spirit, emphasizing that the answers we seek often already exist within our networks—we just have to ask.

  • This powerful conversation unpacked the meaning of adaptive fashion and why it matters far beyond the disability community. Designer Marta Elena, advocate and maker Vanessa O’Rourke, and model Ciarra Birley discussed how clothing can be a tool for dignity, self-expression, and agency when it's designed with real access in mind. From language shifts like “low support needs” to the emotional impact of internalized ableism, panelists emphasized that disability is not a distant issue—it's part of our shared human experience. They explored the challenges of holding major brands accountable, the liberating potential of secondhand and slow fashion, and how community-led solutions often go further than corporate campaigns. A major takeaway? Adaptive fashion isn’t a trend—it’s a necessity, and it benefits everyone.

  • Sponsored by KEEN Footwear

    This energizing conversation, moderated by Lauren Bates of Swap Omaha, brought together an inspiring lineup of community-focused leaders who are driving sustainability through collective action. Maya Halabi of Future Front Texas, Molly Ellsworth from the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability, Diandra Marizet of Intersectional Environmentalist, and Kirsten Blackburn from KEEN shared their insights on the power of localized, inclusive efforts to address climate challenges. From government initiatives and grassroots organizing to corporate responsibility and intersectional advocacy, each panelist emphasized that building a sustainable future requires collaboration, care, and community-rooted solutions. The session served as a reminder that environmental stewardship must be shared, ongoing, and accessible to all.

  • With buzzwords like “sustainable,” “organic,” and “green” everywhere, it’s hard to know what’s genuine. Moderated by Tania Roa, this panel with Sam Lauron, Catira Vargas, and Bernadette Noll unpacked how brands communicate sustainability and shared tips for consumers to spot real eco-friendly practices—from materials to packaging—helping everyone shop smarter and support truly sustainable fashion.Moderated by Tania Roa

  • Performance wardrobes are often worn once and discarded to keep artists looking fresh—a costly and unsustainable cycle, especially for smaller artists. Moderated by Hannah Varnell, this panel featuring Arya Tomanovic, Alayna Suber, and Ivy Chiu explores how the entertainment industry can break this cycle and create sustainable, creative wardrobe solutions that keep styles fresh without waste.

  • This panel, moderated by Reza Cristián Co-Founder of SFF, explores systemic environmental injustice through the lens of slow fashion and its deep cultural roots. Panelists Kyla Gaganam, Anne Drane, and Kasi Nayles highlight how traditional garments from cultures beyond the Global North embody sustainable practices and rich narratives, offering a powerful challenge to the exploitative, fast fashion industry.

The 1-Hour Incubator

Hosted by the Central Texas Fashion Coalition (CTFC), this live problem-solving session became one of our most impactful offerings for emerging and established slow fashion professionals. Participants presented real-world challenges or big ideas to a panel of experts—Melissa Pierce, Kasi Martin, Marcella Bechtel, Mary McLennan, and Chelsey Korman—receiving free, real-time consulting on everything from scaling sustainably to ethical sourcing. Designed as a no-gatekeeping, community-centered space, the Incubator emphasized peer learning and collective growth—ensuring every attendee walked away with clarity, encouragement, and actionable next steps.

Dress Up:

Dressing the pART Exhibition

Co-Curated by SFF + RichesArt Gallery
This group art show opened on Day 1 of the festival and redefined fashion as a vehicle for expression and resistance. With contributions from local artists across multiple media—including textile, painting, and photography—the exhibit celebrated storytelling, ethical creation, and identity through dress.

Thank you to our Fall 2024 Gallerists!

Adam Robinson – Amanda Witucki – Ava Bergen – DaProphet – Darius Carter – Elysia Perkins – Isabelle Milford – Jenn – Neha Muppala – Polly Morwood – Sabrina Dennis – Scenic the Phoenix – Seespriya Jakowlew-Dahlhaus – Shauntes Thornton – Stitchin Spoonie – Dylan / Picklefig Photo – Steven Martinez – Corinne Loperfido – Maggie Lyon – Sade Lawson – Chris Tobar – Avery Daniels

Reciprocity Ring

Workshop

Led by Leah Bury, Co-Founder, SFF
This interactive, community-building session helped attendees identify what they needed and what they could offer in return. Through a simple, impactful exercise, participants created immediate pathways to collaboration, sparking relationships that extended beyond the festival weekend.

The Maker’s Market

Our curated outdoor market celebrated the region’s most thoughtful makers and small businesses. Featuring handmade apparel, accessories, home goods, and artwork, the Market offered attendees the chance to shop ethically and meet the people behind their purchases.

Thank you to our Fall 2024 Vendors!

SM Recycled Goods – Slow Forge Co. – KNOWN SUPPLY – Leslie Hernandez + Julian Vazquez – Hayden Wentworth – Mochi.iced – Wholegrayn – SPARK Magazine – qmrk – ORIGEN MAYA – Awari Studio – Prior Waste/EkoAngel – Corinne Loperfido – Camille Lee – Hannah Wydro – Billy Fairley

Fireside Chats:

Reframing Sustainability

This thoughtful conversation explored how sustainability is not just about materials—it's about people. Moderated in an intimate, fireside-style format, this session featured changemakers whose work actively bridges fashion, justice, and community care. Together, we unpacked what it means to lead with values in business, how to remain accountable to your community, and why local storytelling is crucial to environmental justice.

Speakers included:

  • Christa Marie Clark – Founder of Material Union, textile artist and educator focusing on zero-waste design and healing through making

  • Alexandra Komara – Co-founder of Space Swap, a creative reuse initiative and swap-based community hub

  • Mia Johns – Director at Dress for Success Austin, advocating for economic independence for women through professional development and clothing access

  • Carmen Llanes Pulido – 2024 Austin Mayoral Candidate, longtime organizer, and environmental justice advocate

  • Ashley Sondon – Sustainability Coordinator at Goodwill Central Texas, promoting circular fashion and workforce development through reuse economies

This session grounded sustainability in real life—where labor, equity, and creativity intersect.

The Living Closet

Hosted by GOODGroupATX
Our on-site clothing swap invited attendees to circulate pre-loved fashion. With personalized touches like vintage stylist picks, heartfelt love notes tucked into garments, and surprise donations, the Living Closet turned secondhand shopping into a joyful, community-powered experience.

Photos by Madison Dee & Jacob Gonzalaz

Upcycled & Unapologetic

This year’s fashion show was a bold and beautiful display of sustainable fashion, queer creativity, and self-expression. Designers transformed thrifted, deadstock, and reclaimed materials into wearable art.

Themes of gender fluidity, body inclusivity, and cultural storytelling ran throughout the collections, with looks that ranged from romantic and nostalgic to streetwear-inspired and futuristic. Color, texture, and silhouette were used not just for aesthetics, but to spark conversation and challenge convention.

From reimagined drag wear to deconstructed vintage, every piece told a story rooted in care for the planet and celebration of identity. Together, the show made a powerful statement: fashion can be both revolutionary and regenerative.

  • I’m Ketan Wyatt and my brand is Sticky Gold. Sticky Gold is a sustainable club and street wear company with the lgbtq community as inspiration at the heart. At Sticky Gold, fashion is more than fabric, it’s a statement, a celebration and a movement. My brand was born from the desire for representation and authenticity, empowering the queer community with designs as bold and unapologetic as those who wear them.

    I started by designing for drag performers, but my passion grew into a small business dedicated to creating unique, empowering clothing. Sticky Gold challenges norms, embraces identity, and tells stories through every piece.

    Sticky Gold is also committed to sustainability, using eco-friendly materials and ethical practices, ensuring my designs not only look good but do good. When you wear sticky gold, you’re not just making a fashion statement; you’re declaring that you stand for something greater, something golden.

  • Sleep, Never is a revolt to fast fashion.

    Founded in 2015 by sustainable clothesmaker Aaron Torres, Sleep, Never alchemizes pre-existing materials into elevated apparel and couture. Focused on quality, fit, and inclusivity, Sleep, Never expertly crafts timeless high-quality clothing for every body type, identity, and occasion.

  • I am a sustainable fashion designer, bringing a splash of color to the fashion industry using recycled textiles and retro prints. I plan to keep things weird here in Austin and continue to create one-of-a-kind pieces, all made with love.

    Inspired by Mother Earth, this collection explores the beauty found in the unruliness of nature. Using recycled textiles and upcycled clothes, this collection grew from discarded waste and bloomed into natural beauty. This is a renewal of slow fashion and shows the future of both sustainable and modest fashion.

    Re:Birth is a collaborative collection from the creative minds of Sora Ahmad and Elly Abels.

  • Welcome to the wasteland! Handmade and upcycled pieces using thrifted and locally sourced materials.

  • SwankKi Tailor & Threads is a Design House focused on apparel sustainability and upcycling. My designs and service combine style and activism in a way today’s ready to wear and retail stores could never. I love to build on ideas to re-imagine, repair or alter garments from their original state. While basic tailoring, mending and altering can be completed; projects based around refurbishing, repairing and upcycling are preferred. I specialize in handmade custom apparel designed to embody, enlighten, and empower underrepresented groups as well as challenge social norms, because people often don’t want to hear what your clothes are telling them. My ever-expanding skill set as a stylist, tailor and designer has positioned me as a one-stop shop and resource for my local queer community. I feel pride especially serving those who identify as gender diverse, non-binary, gender-fluid, gender-nonconforming and/or LGBTQ+.

  • PHBE GB is a slow fashion label focused on using upcycled and dead stock materials to create playful fashion that celebrates and empowers the wearer. I use color and texture to convey emotion and inspire personal expression through clothing.

  • Sour Kandy is an Austin based clothing brand, founded in 2022 by designer and multi-media artist Keagan Pace. Each Sour Kandy collection tells its own story, showcased through processes such as screen printing, sewing and sustainable fabric sourcing, Sour Kandy is a portfolio of Pace’s creative vision. Sour Kandy’s approach to design pulls influence from Pace’s own Texan heritage and culture, personal identity and past experiences.

  • Brandy Lee is the creative head at Big Sister Studio, a fashion design and sewing studio. She is a fashion designer, advanced seamstress and clothing maker specializing in one-a-kind pieces using unwanted, recycled, and reclaimed textiles and clothing. It is her mission to mitigate the environmental waste from our textile industry by creating beautiful, quality clothing.
    As a textile artist her work is characterized by vibrant colors and rich textures. She allows the different fabrics to guide the outcome of each piece. While many pieces are crafted from upcycled and recycled materials, the manipulation techniques often transform them into something entirely new and unrecognizable, providing a fresh perspective for the wearer or viewer. She explores the combination of theatre, costume, music, and performance. She is well known for her unrelenting attention to craftsmanship and detail and her designs bring a passionate perspective on the intersection of fashion, art, and life. She handcrafts everything in her studio located in Fayetteville, Arkansas

  • Reema is a Houston-based startup that rescues high-quality, end-of-life textiles headed for the landfill and carefully curates them for reuse. By offering sustainable fabrics to designers, upcyclers, and creatives, Reema enables the creation of distinctive, eco-conscious collections. We are not just a method of sourcing textiles; we're empowering designers to fulfill their creative visions though sustainable design, slow fashion, and contribution to a circular economy—proving that creativity and sustainability can coexist.

  • Honey+Fatale is design centered around femininity and the outward expression of the unfading beauty of the inner self.
    As a designer I gravitate towards romantic silhouettes and textiles usually sourced 2nd hand or deadstock. I like to practice couture techniques every chance I get and mainly focus on creating
    one of a kind designs for individual clients.

86 Models walked in this show!

Noelle Lewis - Gabriella Gorecki - Romina - Grace - abigail jewel mikel - Alyson Vong - Divya - Keelin Saunders - Davin - Elisa Hernandez - Mya Galan - LaClea - Vineeth - Violet - Naajah - Jazmine Cortez - Edie Alfaro - Ixchel Vásquez-Castañeda - Precious Unique - Nadia - Isis Destiny - Zoë Sibrenne - kass hernandez - Sachi - Divya Donapalli - Anna Christ - Amani - Samira - Abby Frye - Ash Keenum - Joy Williams - Yaritzell Campos - Ethen - Kyla Ramon - Leenoir - Meryl Jiang - Angelica Blaze - Sophia Nance - Kamdin - Paloma Ramirez - Ci - izzy - Cierra - Máel - Timothy Sousivong - Jesse Guerrero - Stella Nshuti - FrankiMarz - Bobby Pudriido - Gothess Jasmine - Gabriela Belmont - B. nasssty - Coach - Mazikeen Jones - Chryssha Guidry - Rimsha Syed - Annie Kim - Jasmine Marshall - Andi Klunt - Chad Franklin - Khammila Shimray - Maya-Maria Willis - Domenic Gipson - Gabrielle Groberio - Nate Masso - Sunni Scott - Sean Baxter - Bertiny Dorismond - Jack Rabid - Mutha Goose - Jualdo Vielma - Louisianna Purchase - Edie Elsì - Banshee Rose - Cassidy Edison - Quintine Freeman - Gwyneth Burgos - Zina - Misha Pahl - Jackie Villegas - Adrianah Lee - Tess Ellen Davis - Abigail Jewel - Tatum Brooke - Jordan Moser - Teya Saadeh

Fall 2024 Look Book

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Fall 2024 Look Book ~

Photos by Jacob Gonzalez / @colorsxj

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Photos by Jacob Gonzalez / @colorsxj ~

Fall 2024 Look Book

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Fall 2024 Look Book ~

Madison Dee / @madison._.dee

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Madison Dee / @madison._.dee ~

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