The 2nd Annual Re-Fashion Showdown Competition
The Office of Sustainability and the UNCW Library MakerStudio are proud to present the second annual Re-Fashion Showdown! This friendly competition is a celebration of student creativity and sustainability. Participants take existing items and upcycle them into new wearable items. This event is part of UNCW Fashion Week!
For example: your favorite old hoodie could be upcycled and transformed into an iconic blazer!
>>>SIGN UP HERE<<<
What is the Re-Fashion Showdown?
Students are invited to take old fabric, clothing, or other items and upcycle them into exciting new wearable fashions. Document your upcycling process with before and after photos. Submit your documentation online and bring your finished wearable to the MakerStudio. Entries will be open Feb 23-April 6. Judges will convene to determine the winners for cash prizes. The final showdown event exhibits your creations and announces the winners on April 10th from 2-4PM in Discovery Hall 1070.
Upcycling? Re-Fashion?
In the spirit of Sustainability, students can take existing, worn down, and/or secondhand items and breathe new life into them. Giving items/materials a second chance keeps them out of the landfill. Crafting or sewing items also helps build valuable skills and continue sustainable practices.
🆓 Consider checking out the Seahawk Swap Shop for secondhand items and clothing, all for free!
🧵 Find Hand Sewing materials or use a sewing machine at the MakerStudio in Discovery Hall 1065. Get access and learn to use our sewing machines here.
What do you mean document?
The judges would like to see the transformative process of your creation. From old items to a new wearable fashion, documenting your process helps the world appreciate your hard work twice as much as seeing the final product. Use a combination of photos and text, or video to describe your process. Files accepted are before and after photos, and optional process documentation is allowed to be submitted as links (like a OneDrive link or website).
Entry Period
Students will have between February 23rd and April 6th to submit their entries through an online form. The final sewn product must be submitted to the MakerStudio during this time as well in a bag or box with your full name and UNCW email on an attached label or note.
Judging and Final Showdown
UNCW Faculty and Staff will convene between April 6th and 10th to determine the winners. Judges will decide winners based on the Re-Fashion Showdown rubric.
The Final Showdown is a public event where all (even nonparticipants) can attend and celebrate the creativity of the entrants.
The Final Showdown will exhibit the completed entries in Discovery Hall 1070 between 2 and 4pm on April 10th. Winners will be announced at this event. Light refreshments will be provided for all attendees!
🏆 Prizes will be $75 to the winner and $25 for the runner-up.
>>>SIGN UP HERE<<<
Last year's animated advertisement is pictured below (when we called it the Upcycling Contest) shows the process of a garment being transformed into something new.
Image description: A blue background with light colored text advertising the 2025 Upcycling Contest. A circle frame on the left side of the image shows photos of the process of old items being upcycled: A sketch, pattern and cutting fabric, sewing the fabric on a machine, and the finished piece (a jean jacket with a striped hoodie, sleeve, and body extensions).
