Express your unique style and upgrade your wardrobe in a more sustainable way by following one creative strategy: Support local and independent fashion designers. Not only will this add a touch of exclusivity and art to your wardrobe, but it will also contribute to the sustainable fashion movement in Charleston, which has a blossoming scene.
“We have lost sight of how much value clothing has,” local fashion designer Brandon Alston said. “We buy new sneakers and don’t often appreciate the fact that maybe 15 people worked for so many hours, underpaid, to make that for us. That value is forgotten … I started reworking thrifted clothes to change people’s perception of clothing.”
Fresh Prince Fits
offers upcycled menswear pieces
Alston, also known by his brand name Fresh Prince Fits, makes one-of-a-kind menswear pieces from thrifted materials. Alston, who is also an actor, graduates this month from the College of Charleston as a costume design major. He learned in the costume department how clothes can tell stories, he said. And that kind of personalized approach to fashion is exactly what he wants to emulate with Fresh Prince Fits. For example, someone will approach Alston for a custom rework, and he’ll turn a cherished family blanket into a funky jacket.
“When you have a favorite piece, an item with sentimental value, it’s always such a sad moment to me when it gets a stain, or it rips, and you feel like you have to get rid of it because it’s no longer usable,” he said. “It’s really not — we just live in a culture that doesn’t value the work that goes into those items. So my reworking and upcycling, it’s asking, ‘How can I save these items and breathe new life into them?”’ Instagram: @fresh.prince.fits
A Plus
drafts fantastical designs
Andrea Tuton, the designer behind the brand A Plus, also likes to tell stories with her clothes. She studied fashion design in New York and Milan, but is mostly self-taught.
“Clothing is so close to us; it’s like a second skin,” she said in an interview at her sunny design studio on James Island. “I find that it’s important to be able to play dress up sometimes and see yourself in whatever light you may need. I’m inspired by the idea of fantasy and reality bleeding together.”
Working as a designer in Charleston’s emerging fashion scene comes with unique challenges and rewards, she said.
“I’m not following a blueprint — being an independent designer in Charleston feels like being in the depths of the unknown. I have to teach myself how to do what I want and make it up as I go.”
The piece she’s most known for around town is the “cathedral dress,” a translucent, geometrical garment which started out as a custom dress made for a client (as many of her pieces do). She presented the garment hanging from the ceiling at Redux Contemporary Art Center as a part of last year’s Gap Gallery Piccolo Spoleto show, an effort to show how fashion designs like hers are functional art objects.
“The cathedral dress came from love for the architecture of cathedrals, the mood of the ‘30s and ‘40s, magic, and a feeling of sovereignty that comes from the power in all things gentle, serene and heavenly,” she said. “I love to make garments that quietly, slyly wield power.” The slogan for her brand encapsulates this idea: “for the slayer and the slain.”
Tuton will present what she called an archive of her brand over the last few years at the next Eco Runways fashion show on May 4 (read on to learn more.) And in 2025, her work will be on view in the Charleston Museum’s exciting Fashion Reimagined exhibition, where local designers are invited to make new fashion pieces inspired by the Museum’s archives. Instagram: @aplus__________
Cassie’s Shop
makes size-inclusive, patchwork pieces
Cassie O’Toole studied fashion design in Philadelphia before relocating to Charleston in 2019, where she developed her brand “Cassie’s Shop.” She uses scrap fabrics to create whimsical patchwork clothes, made in a wide range of sizes, O’Toole said, because often plus sizes are left out of the fashion conversation.
“I never want someone to leave my booth at a market and be like, there was no size for me,” she said. “And that doesn’t happen, because I make my clothes with that in mind.”
She’s found Charleston to be a supportive place for her work.
“When I moved here, I didn’t know if my stuff was going to do well. It’s the total opposite — I feel like I moved just in the time where it’s becoming such a movement in Charleston” where more artsy, sustainable fashion feels really “in,” she said.
She’s participated in the Holy City Vintage Market, among others, but mostly sells through her social media thanks to one of her TikTok videos going viral when Bill Murray made a huge order from her store.
“I want my clothes to bring out your playful side and make you feel good. I always say, like, you better be ready for compliments because people are going to talk to you. People are going to want to know what you’re wearing.” @cassies_shop
Local designs on the catwalk:
Eco Runways, Gullah Gala
Charleston isn’t historically known for its runway shows outside of the annual Charleston Fashion Week, founded by Ayoka Lucas in 2007. But there are two new event producers who are changing the landscape: Eco Runways, founded in 2022 by Ari Elevati with a focus on sustainable fashion; and The Gullah Gala, Charleston’s “only celebration of couture,” also founded in 2022 by Devin Smalls of Highest in the Room Entertainment.
Both events offer fashion shows this month: Eco Runways at Society Hall on Meeting Street, May 9, and Gullah Gala on May 18 at the International African American Museum. Tickets are still available for both on eventbrite.
Smalls, the designer behind the local brand RèJuvón, said he organized the Gullah Gala to highlight Black designers and bring people together to celebrate Charleston’s vibrant culture. The first Gullah Gala, held in April 2022, featured 20 Black-owned businesses and 12 designers. This year, the event will showcase makers from Morocco, Mississippi and Germany but mostly Charleston.
It’s inspired by the infamous Met Gala, so if you plan to attend, “dress extra,” Smalls said. There will be a red carpet, photo ops, artistic performances, local influencer appearances and more.
“The fashion scene in Charleston is on the rise but it’s not talked about as much,” Smalls said. “We haven’t had that staple fashion event here in Charleston consistently to bring the attention needed to the designers here. With this platform, I hope to change that.”
The May 9 Eco Runways show is another great opportunity to catch a runway show, this one focused on sustainable brands, also called “slow fashion.” The lineup includes A Plus, RBL Swim, MadebyLndz, Thrifter Sister Co, Brooke Wilder and more.
“There is no reason why you can’t be fabulous and sustainable,” ECO Runways founder Elevati said. “Eco Runways is a testament to that.”
More Charleston indie designers
Skylar Scott Designs is a resort wear brand offering a range of playful prints and flattering silhouettes. “Every item is designed for throwing on after a long day spent in the sun.” Instagram: @skylarscottdesigns
Vincent James is a local brand designed and run by Heather Sullivan. The brand offers elevated, ethically produced designs using natural fabrics. Instagram: @vincentjamesdesigns
The Brooke Wilder Atelier based in West Ashley describes its aesthetic as “natural, dramatic and romantic, with a splash of whimsical stardust.” It utilizes natural, repurposed, deadstock, and eco-conscious fabrics and natural, non toxic dyes. Instagram: @brookewilder_
Stoop Wear by Wyatt Asbury offers custom painted pants, reversible quilt wear jackets and more. Instagram: @stoop.wear
Isaac LeFave handcrafts sustainable surf and skate clothes through his fashion brand Define Notion. Instagram: @definenotion
Who else is making moves in the local fashion scene? Email chloe@charlestoncitypaper.com
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