What Happens When a Community Shows Up for the Planet

Published by Priscila Teixeira 

What does sustainability look like when it steps out from behind a screen and into a room?

It looks like a library lobby on a Saturday afternoon in April. Tables lined up side by side — plants, electronics, textiles, food, repair. Neighbors who care about the same things. A child pressing their face close to a student project they cannot quite believe was made by a kid their own age.

That is what The Fashion Community experienced on April 11 during the UA Sustainability Fair at the Upper Arlington Tremont Library.

A Room Full of People Who Give a Damn

The Upper Arlington Sustainability Fair brought together an extraordinary group of organizations, all anchored in one shared belief: that caring for the planet is not a niche interest. It is a way of life. It is a community value.

From plant care to electronics recycling, from textile stewardship to zero-waste living, the room was alive with the kind of energy that only happens when passionate people are given a table and an audience. The guests who walked through that lobby weren't just curious — they were ready. They asked real questions. They leaned in. They wanted to understand, and to act.

Our Sustainable Fashion Designer Kendall and I had the honor of being part of it.

What Was on Our Table

We came with a small but intentional display — each element chosen to open a door to a different part of what we do.

Student projects from Columbus Fashion Academy's educational programming sat front and center — upcycled pieces made entirely from pre-loved and deadstock materials by elementary-age fashion artists and our instructors. The response, again and again, was the same: people would look at a piece, look at us, and say some version of "A child made this?" Yes. A child made this. That moment of disbelief turning into delight is one of our favorite things in the world, and it never gets old.

Beside them stood a dress form wearing a handmade vintage dress that belonged to Susan Lee — a piece from her personal collection, now part of our archive. Susan's dress was there not just as a beautiful object, but as an invitation to a conversation: we accept vintage clothing and accessories as donations, give them careful new life through the The Archive aka our charity shop, and use the proceeds to fund our mission. Every garment donated is a garment saved from a landfill and a contribution to the work we do with children and families across Central Ohio.

We also shared information about Mend in Public — one of The Fashion Community's flagship community efforts, where we travel across Central Ohio, from art galleries to schools to libraries, teaching people to repair, alter, and extend the life of the clothes they already own. 

One Year

The Upper Arlington Sustainability Fair marked exactly one year since we first met Susan Lee. She was a UA resident. A neighbor. Someone who had spent a lifetime caring deeply about making things by hand — a maker, a keeper of beautiful objects, a person whose love for fabric and craft was written into everything she owned. She found us at this fair one year ago, and from that day she became a faithful, beloved presence at every Mend in Public event The Fashion Community held.

She passed away last November. And she left us her fabrics, her handmade clothes, her sewing supplies, her craft materials. .

Standing in that same library lobby, with her dress on the display form beside us, one year later — there is no better feeling than gratitude. And a quiet commitment to carry her forward in everything we make.

A New Friend With a Gift to Give

One of the things we love most about events like this is that you never know who is going to walk through the door.

This year, we met someone new — a community member who had been holding onto several bolts of upholstery fabric for months, hoping to find an organization that could put them to good use. She had been waiting for the right people. She found us.

We exchanged contacts. A few days later, our CEO Priscila drove to her home and picked up the fabric in person.

The Fashion Community connects through a conversation at a table, a handshake, and a follow-through. Those bolts of fabric will become something. A student project. A workshop material. A garment that someone will wear and love. The story continues.

Old Friends, Deep Roots

Events like the UA Sustainability Fair are also a homecoming of sorts.

We were so happy to reconnect with Tabi, who runs Organizing Pending — a longtime supporter of The Fashion Community and Columbus Fashion Academy whose family's children were part of our school programs years ago, back in their elementary school days. Watching the people who believed in us early continue to show up, season after season, is one of the quiet joys of this work.

There is something about a community that remembers where it came from. That stays. That keeps showing up. We do not take that for granted for a single moment.

Thank You, Tremont Library

We have said it before and we will keep saying it: we love the library.

Not just as a space though the Tremont Library is warm, welcoming, and exactly the kind of place that makes people feel safe enough to stop and talk. We love what the library represents: free access to education, open doors to all people, the radical idea that knowledge and community belong to everyone.

The Upper Arlington Tremont Library has welcomed The Fashion Community back year after year, and we are deeply grateful for that partnership. Hosting us means hosting a conversation about sustainability, circular fashion, textile waste, youth empowerment and the creative power of children — and doing it for free, for anyone who walks in.

Thank you for making space for us. We will keep showing up.

What We're Building Together

Every event like this one is a reminder of why The Fashion Community exists.

Not to be the loudest voice in the room. Not to have the biggest table or the most dramatic display. But to be present, consistent, and genuinely connected — to meet people where they are, have real conversations, and leave each room a little more informed, a little more inspired, and a little more in love with the idea that what we choose to do with our clothes actually matters.

We bring Columbus Fashion Academy's educational philosophy into every community space we enter: curiosity over consumption, creativity over waste, connection over convenience. And we believe with our whole hearts that those values belong in libraries, in schools, in galleries, and in every neighborhood in Central Ohio.

If you missed us at the UA Sustainability Fair — come find us. Our next Mend in Public event is Saturday April 18th from 2-4pm at the Pickerington Main Library.

Visit talkingfashion.net to learn more about upcoming events, donate vintage clothing, or enroll your child in Columbus Fashion Academy's programs.

About the Author

Priscila Teixeira is an award-winning community leader, passionate educator, fashion artist, and public speaker, dedicated to empowering people through creativity and fostering meaningful change. She is the Founder and CEO of Columbus Fashion Academy, a local social enterprise transforming lives through sustainable fashion, and the Founder and Executive Director of The Fashion Community, a nonprofit human services agency committed to caring for all people through innovative programs and initiatives that cultivate creativity. With a postgraduate degree in Fashion Business and Communications, graduating cum laude, Priscila has earned recognition for her work across Brazil, Cuba, and the United States, spanning roles in major corporations to small businesses. Passionate about human rights, justice, equality, inclusion, fairness, and artistic freedom; she believes adults, parents, educators, and community leaders have a responsibility to guide and support children and youth. She believes our community must lead and inspire by example, showing care for people and the planet. Through her work, Priscila blends artistry and advocacy to inspire others and create a more sustainable and equitable world.

References

1. United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Textiles: Material-Specific Data." https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/textiles-material-specific-data
2. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. "A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion's Future." https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy

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