Kat’s closet deep dives: The sustainable wardrobe of Catherine Sarca ’24

“Kat’s closet deep dives” is a sequence of interviews with Stanford college students about their private model, the place they discover inspiration, their views on campus trend tendencies and their ideas on the way forward for trend and sustainability. 

On this first installment, Kathryn “Kat” Zheng ’24 sat down with Catherine Sarca ’24 to debate her classic sustainable wardrobe and experiences working at New York Style Week (NYFW) and designing garments for FashionX’s current runway.

This interview has been flippantly edited for readability.

The Stanford Each day [TSD]: How would you describe your model in a couple of phrases? 

Catherine Sarca [CS]: Sustainable, snug and classic. 

TSD: How did you turn out to be fascinated about trend? 

CS: I turned fascinated about making garments basically as a result of I used to look at lots of “Say Sure to the Gown” and “Challenge Runway,” and I ended up drawing designs in sketchbooks and all that. What I really like about trend particularly is simply the artistic expression, and you’ll inform loads about an individual from what they put on.

TSD: The place would you say you often store? 

CS: Loads of thrift shops. Or, really, I store at lots of on-line thrift shops — Thredup, The RealReal. And I’ve additionally lately been actually moving into Hire the Runway. I believe I get lots of inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram, so I attempt to be as aware as I can when it comes to what I’m getting for my closet and seeing if I’m really going to put on this or if it’s one thing that’s simply going to be in my closet for some time.

TSD: Are there any particular manufacturers you actually like? 

CS: I actually like Concept and Vince — quite simple, clear seems. There are additionally excessive trend manufacturers that I attempt to mannequin my takes care of. I actually like a number of the seems from Miu Miu and Prada, in addition to Saks Potts and Cecilie Bahnsen. I like lots of Copenhagen and Denmark-based manufacturers which are very sustainable. 

TSD: What are a few of your favourite items in your closet? 

CS: My favourite items in my closet are all thrifted. There’s a selected gown that I received in Dublin — it’s a tiered blue gown from a classic store that often focuses on costumes, however that they had some actually cool Fifties attire, and I believe that’s my favourite piece. I even have a extremely cool clear shirt from City Outfitters that’s secondhand, and you’ll positively layer it on prime of lots of issues. I additionally love my Comme des Garcons Converse, as a result of even in case you’re carrying a quite simple outfit, they at all times elevate it a bit. 

TSD: What are some particulars that you simply search for whenever you store? 

CS: I actually search for high quality and one thing that could possibly be long-lasting, in order that’s why I like procuring at secondhand shops. And I actually like taking part in with textures and knits and all of that, so I believe I at all times search for that too. Once I go to the thrift retailer, I type of simply transfer my hand across the rack and really feel the garments. After which I’ll choose one thing up, and I’ll see, oh, possibly it’s one thing that I can rework or upcycle, as a result of that’s at all times one thing I believe you are able to do with garments too.

TSD: You labored at New York Style Week this previous summer time — what was that like? 

CS: It was very chaotic however enjoyable, and I received to see what it’s actually wish to be backstage. I labored for this designer referred to as Bach Mai and I used to be in a position to go within the weekend earlier than his present and see how fittings work with fashions and methods to do ending touches on a gown that we have been engaged on for his finale. It was all a team-based like effort — it’s not simply Bach Mai by himself. You’ve his assistant designers, the people who find themselves working backstage, the make-up, the hair — it’s everybody attempting to ship out the fashions of their greatest seems and actually convey to life what Bach Mai and his assistant designers have envisioned. It was actually cool to satisfy him and the opposite individuals who have been working backstage, and I hand-sewed a number of the flowers on his finale gown.

TSD: You’re additionally engaged on a few of your individual items proper now for the FashionX Runway present. What’s that like, and what impressed you? 

CS: It’s actually been a really thrilling expertise bringing my seems to life. I’ve been creating my stitching expertise extra this 12 months by means of working on the costume store and upcycling stuff alone, which has actually been a whirlwind of a journey. Each seems I made a decision to showcase are skirt and prime units. I actually loved taking part in round with the recycled materials — one of many materials is a inexperienced mustard material that I received from the costume store. They’d a Nineteen Twenties costume gown, they usually have been giving a bunch of stuff away, however I actually noticed one thing in it, so I completely reworked it right into a set. The opposite material I used is from a white linen skirt that I received in Dublin, however I wasn’t carrying it as a lot, so I assumed it might be a extremely cool material to mess around with. I dyed it with black beans so it got here out to be this actually cool purple tie-dye shade. 

I used to be impressed by florals and actually ensuring that I used to be utilizing sustainable materials and never shopping for new supplies, as a result of there’s a lot that may be upcycled — outdated items that possibly want some love and simply want some creativity to rework them into one thing new. 

TSD: What position do you suppose trend performs in your day-to-day life?

CS: It’s one thing all of us have in widespread, proper? All of us select one thing to put on day by day. I believe typically whenever you consider trend, individuals suppose it’s a bit bit frivolous, however there’s so many facets to trend when it comes to self-expression, or in relation to trend as a enterprise or making the business extra sustainable. In my private life, I believe it’s positively a type of self-expression — and possibly I do gown a bit bit extra comfortably or in activewear typically, however I’m nonetheless placing garments on. On the finish of the day, it’s one thing that somebody designed and somebody put in an effort to design. Style is one thing I positively wish to pursue, whether or not it’s on the enterprise aspect, in sustainability or by really designing the garments.

TSD: How do you want to decorate? 

CS: I preserve it actually easy. I’ve one ring that I put on actually virtually day by day — it’s this enamel ring. I put on lots of gold jewellery. I’ve this preliminary necklace that I received for my birthday from my mother, after which I used to have one other necklace that I layered with it that was only a easy gold necklace with this cubic zirconia flower attraction. However then that chain broke, so I simply put the charms collectively, and that’s a necklace I put on virtually day by day. 

TSD: What are your least favourite and favourite tendencies proper now?

CS: Least favourite: I heard that the thin jean is coming again, and I don’t essentially like that. I actually like outsized denim. And favourite pattern: I believe I actually do just like the reemergence of ballet flats and these easy, candy silhouettes. I’ve seen lots of rosettes on the runway, and there’s additionally been lots of purple on the runway lately. I actually like these cool, daring colours paired with ballet flats.

TSD: What would you say the model profile of this campus is? 

CS: I really feel like there’s such a spread. As a result of it’s wintertime, I really feel like I’ve seen lots of actually cool sweaters — particularly Honest Isle sweaters. After which I see some actually cool patterns in knitwear — greens and blues and all that. I really feel prefer it positively is dependent upon individuals’s character. However I positively, positively see an total laid-back look, which is completely comprehensible — we’re in California. 

TSD: Final query — what recommendation would you give to somebody who’s attempting to buy extra sustainably?

CS: Undoubtedly strive trying on-line — I’m an avid person of ThredUp. In the event you’re in search of a brand new prime from City, I’m fairly positive you’re going to search out one thing much like that model, both on Thredup or Poshmark or Depop. There’s additionally a extremely cool Chrome extension that I take advantage of loads — I believe it’s referred to as Altering Room. In the event you’re in search of a selected merchandise on-line, it exhibits you recommendations on secondhand websites like Thredup or Poshmark. 

And it’s at all times good to only go to the thrift retailer. Sure, it would take some time, however I really feel prefer it’s the way in which to go, particularly with quick trend and all the pieces.

Editor’s word: To appoint your self or a good friend to be interviewed within the subsequent version of Kat’s Closet Deep Dives, fill out this Google Kind: https://varieties.gle/JTziRfFU1s9hxiLi7