It’s that time of year again: prom season. The excitement of wearing a brand-new outfit on your special day is all you’re thinking about – but how will you ever repurpose it? As it turns out, there’s a number of ways to reuse old homecoming and prom dresses, shoes and suits, and Westerville North High School has already come up with an inclusive way to do so.
WNHS’s Young Feminist Club (YFC) created the Style Studio, a clothing network for students and community members to obtain free formal wear for special occasions.
How it all began
Sandhya Kannan
WNHS Spanish teacher Beth Henman took charge of the Young Feminist Club when she realized how many students wanted to discuss feminist topics.
“Students came and wanted to talk about feminist issues or women’s rights. It’s something I’m passionate about, so I thought, ‘Sure, I’ll add another club to the mix,’” Henman says.
The YFC has been around for longer than Henman can remember, but its goal to promote gender inclusivity has never changed. The club focuses on several projects, such as period drives, undergarment drives for women’s shelters and awareness activities to teach about issues relevant to today’s adolescents.
The Style Studio began as one of the YFC’s projects when Henman realized how much formal attire students bought and never wore again. She knew these pieces of clothing could be passed on and shared amongst members in the community.
“You wear them for one dance, and then they sit in the closet and you don’t wear them over again,” Henman says. “The idea (for Style Studio) is kids will be willing to turn over some of their formal wear, not just for Westerville North, but for anyone in the community.”
Sandhya Kannan
Racking up
Starting with collecting shoes, Henman spread the word by posting announcements to the Westerville Family Facebook Group, calling attention to the school’s clothing drives.
Community members and peers began donating more apparel, and Henman soon realized they would need a designated area for the Style Studio to store the clothes and allow students to access them.
“(In the early stages of the Style Studio it) was just a few dresses. But then, we got with the secretary (of WNHS) and she said, ‘I can create a space for you, because this is going to grow bigger and bigger,’” Henman says.
Today, the Style Studio has its own room at WNHS, with a designated changing area, numerous racks filled with all styles and sizes of dresses and suits, and collections of shoes lining the walls.
“We tell people to take whatever they want, and whatever they need. If it keeps it out of landfills, that’s a great idea,” Henman says.
Finding meaning
Sandhya Kannan
Jordan (left) and Henman present the Style Studio logo.
When forming the Style Studio and adopting her role as the YFC advisor, Henman began with a simple mission to empower and engage the community – something she tries to remember when planning meetings or activities for the club.
“Whatever we do, I try to think, ‘Am I, and are we empowering and engaging the school, community or ourselves?’” she says.
With members from all high school grade levels, discussions among the club vary greatly, including topics such as current events and feminism-specific issues. The students strive for calm and organized discussions that allow everyone’s voice to be heard.
Sophomore Mizuki Jordan, a member of the YFC, says the club is an outlet for her to speak on issues students don’t normally get to discuss. Jordan likes that the club focuses on Women’s History Month and domestic awareness issues, while also being a free space for her peers to come together and share their experiences.
Sandhya Kannan
Photos of past proms from WNHS teachers decorate the Style Studio.
“It’s nice to have a place where I can talk about the things I worry about in the world,” Jordan says.
Through the Style Studio, students also have the opportunity to express themselves through fashion without having to pay large amounts of money for dresses or shoes they may wear only once. The club is a resource open to community members as well.
“It’s nice to create that sense of community where anyone can come, get what they need, and be together in that intimate environment to look their best for whatever event they have coming up,” Jordan says.
Goals for the future
The YFC and Style Studio’s attendance varies among grades at the high school, but the club’s diversity in its members influences students to join and take part in the discussions.
“I think we could do more to promote it more. I would love to make sure we get all grades represented,” Henman says.
She also hopes the Style Studio will one day grow beyond Westerville so more members in the Columbus community can benefit from the donated attire.
“I don’t think it needs to be specific to Westerville North. If other kids want to donate, that’s fine. If other kids want to come for items, that’s fine too,” Henman says.
Sandhya Kannan is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
