What is the future of fashion? To answer that question, we would have to look at many factors including social attitudes, globalism and, most importantly, new up-and-coming designers who can interpret the changes happening in the world every day while reflect those ideas in their fashions. I recently attended the “Transcend” fashion show, put on by Mount Mary University and held in downtown Milwaukee at the Turner Hall Ballroom. It’s always interesting to see what student designers have up their sleeves. (Pun intended!) What’s exciting about seeing their work on the runway is that it all came from the same place—an idea. Just like I always say about utilizing the resources of your local Goodwill store to polish your own style, fashion always starts with new and fresh ideas. 

For the Mount Mary students, inspiration came from many places, some from other parts of the world like medieval times in Europe, some from science fiction fantasy, and some grounded in the reality of their own lives. One young designer, Anna Mercado, used flesh-toned fabric she pieced together to symbolize her wish for unity and harmony in the world. To me, Mercado’s statement was both genuine and from the heart. She also mentioned that she had repurposed items she found while thrift shopping at places like Goodwill so, of course, I really appreciated that.

Week after week, I encourage all our readers to get excited about what they wear, and how it represents their personal style and story. That’s why a Goodwill shopping trip can be just the ticket to unlock some new ideas that you may have about how you want to face the world on a daily basis. When you purchase or donate to Goodwill, both you and your community benefit, and we thank you for supporting our mission!