Good Sammy Fremantle was vibing harder than usual last week with The Studio School hosting ReFashion, an in-store event which shined a spotlight on sustainable youth fashion.
The inaugural event, held as part of Youth Week WA, included live music from young local musicians and racks of clothes handpicked by students to showcase the latest teen trends. A style station was set up, with different mood boards provided for those seeking style inspiration, and stylists were on-hand to help shoppers coordinate their looks. The event attracted plenty of Gen Z shoppers and was attended by City of Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardringe, former Mayor and local Greens member Dr Brad Pettitt and Good Sammy CEO Kane Blackman, who had a go of being styled in some funky thrifted threads.
Year 12 Studio School student, Avalean Buck, came up with the idea for the ReFashion event. With the help of her teacher, she successfully applied for a grant through the Department of Communities. A dedicated op shopper and Good Sammy volunteer, Avalean wanted to create an event that would promote the benefits of op shopping to the younger generation and encourage more sustainable shopping habits.
It was important that the youth-curated racks had the standard Good Sammy pricing and were affordable for young shoppers. “Even though people turn to fast fashion because it’s cheap, teens are becoming more aware of the environmental impacts”, Avalean says. “There’s now a resurgence of Gen Zs who go op shopping to search for vintage and unique clothing pieces that are affordable and better for the environment. It’s amazing, actually.”
The youth-curated racks were stocked with everything that’s hot in teen fashion right now: baggy jeans and shorts, cargo pants and skirts, oversized sweaters and jackets, jersey shirts, pleated and A-line skirts, graphic tees, delicate tops and chunky shoes. Sheer fabrics are in, along with bright prints, stripes, tartan, plaid, gingham and lace. Fashion from the 90s and early 2000s has clearly made a comeback, with many Gen Zs taking style inspiration from popular aesthetics of those eras, like grunge, skater, streetwear, academia, gender-bending and Y2K. Musician Olivia Rodrigo is a popular Gen Z style icon, as is Billie Eilish and media personality Emma Chamberlain.
The students’ selection of mood boards allowed shoppers to choose an icon or look that appealed to them, and scour the racks themselves for similar items, or have a personal stylist help them. We asked Avalean and stylist Ami Azman to put together three different looks from the youth fashion racks which represent current trends young people are loving right now. Here’s what they came back with.
Look 1:
Ami: This look is inspired by Olivia Rodrigo and we’ve taken elements from her feminine rock look, like the tartan and the cool winter palette, and made it our own. This dress is really well-made and so versatile. It can be worn with sneakers, boots or sandals and with a T-shirt, turtleneck or nothing underneath. We’ve paired it with an oversized sweater, which looks cool tied across one shoulder like this, and this cute little black bag. It’s just a nice feminine look. It’s really important that we shop for versatile pieces that can be worn multiple ways with other items from our wardrobe and take us through the seasons. The quality of fabric is important too, because you want something that’s breathable and durable. Fast fashion doesn’t last, but you can find so many great quality pieces in op shops, like this dress. It ticks all the boxes.
To shop Olivia Rodrigo’s look at Good Sammy, look out for:
- Clothes in the cool winter colour palette: violet, lavender, navy, icy pink, and spruce green
- Prints like tartan, plaid and camo
- Lace up combat boots
- Converse sneakers
- Pleated mini skirts
- Oversized sweaters and vests
- Feminine midi dresses and skirts
Look 2:
Avalean:
This outfit is very 90s grunge and we were going for a bit of a dark Courtney Love vibe. The purple and red in the scarf adds a bit of colour and the white in the top goes with the underlay of the skirt and makes it stand out a bit. There’s also a cool clash of fabric textures going on, with the delicate lace and fishnet and the layered silver jewellery. This is a fun look to try out because you just layer different pieces to see what looks good together. You’ll be surprised by which pieces go with which. Like, some people wouldn’t think that lace up school shoes and socks would go with a grungy outfit, but somehow it just works.
To shop the 90s grunge look at Good Sammy, look out for:
- Colours in the goth or emo colour palette: black, grey, white, deep purple, burgundy and khaki green.
- Striped prints
- Chunky boots and sneakers
- Converse sneakers
- Graphic tees with motifs like skulls and stars
- Fabrics like lace, fishnet or mesh
- Silver chains
- Baggy black jeans, shorts and cargo pants
- Studded belts
Look 3:
Ami: This outfit is Emma Chamberlain-inspired and it’s more of a preppy youth look, incorporating menswear. We have an oversized men’s polo with a gingham skirt, which are two very versatile pieces that can be worn separately or together. You can pair the polo with some cool jeans or cargo pants, and the A-line skirt is just a classic wardrobe staple that can be worn with sandals or sneakers in summer, or stockings and boots in winter. You can easily throw an oversized jacket over the top as the weather gets cooler, so it’s really an outfit for all seasons.
To shop Emma Chamberlain’s preppy look at Good Sammy, look out for:
- Colours in the autumn colour palette: navy, cornflower blue, terracotta, bronze, chocolate, teal, cream and beige.
- Ditsy floral prints, stripes, plaid and gingham
- Loafers and brogues (worn with socks)
- Oversized men’s shirts, sweaters, vests and trousers
- Short and long-sleeved polo shirts
- Pleated or A-line mini skirts
- Baguette bags
- Small sunglasses
Look 4:
Kate: I was feeling so inspired by the ReFashion event, that I ended up putting together my own outfit.
I was a teenager in the early noughties and my style very much fit the Y2K aesthetic, so I simply imagined what I would’ve worn back in high school. Noughties fashion was all about baggy pants and tiny tops that showed of your midriff, no matter what time of year. These distressed baggy jeans would’ve been a wardrobe staple for me. They’re trendy and comfortable and can be worn year-round by changing the top to match the seasons. The blue goes with everything and the rips add a cool touch. As it’s autumn, I paired the jeans with a lime green turtleneck, chunky white sneakers and a studded belt, the must-have accessory of the time. I finished the look with a hot pink baguette bag, hoop earrings and small sunglasses. So, would Gen Z’s wear it? According to Ami, they absolutely would!
To shop the Y2K look at Good Sammy, look out for:
- Bright colours, like lime or neon green, hot pink, blue violet and cobalt blue
- Baggy jeans and cargo pants
- Chunky sneakers and platform mules
- Midriff top, halter tops and boob tubes
- Studded or rhinestone belts
- Anything embellished with diamantes
- Baguette bags
- Small and tinted sunglasses
- Mini cargo denim pleated skirts
If you didn’t make it to the ReFashion event, don’t worry; you haven’t missed out on scoring yourself some fresh picks. The event was such a success that the youth fashion racks will remain at Good Sammy Fremantle for the foreseeable future. Students from the Studio School have volunteered to visit the store weekly to replenish the racks and dress the mannequins.
So, what are you waiting for? Remove the Shein app from your phone, and head down to Good Sammy Fremantle today. We guarantee that you, or the teen in your life, will walk out looking like a true style icon.
