Buying clothing can harm the environment, with fast fashion being the second-largest consumer of water and responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions. However, fashion is a staple for all college students, wherever they might be; it is a way to help express themselves. So, where can students get clothing sustainably?
At Haskell Indian Nations University in Stadium Union, Student Aiyanna Tanuyan, American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL), and Fashion Runway Club collaborated to put on “Stylin and Sustainability,” a thrifting and fashion event held on April 3-4. There were all kinds of clothing students could choose from, from casual wear to business attire, as well as accessories and shoes. Students were also encouraged to show off their thrifted items in the fashion show to win prizes. The event aims to promote sustainability by encouraging the reuse of clothing and fostering campus collaboration.
The idea came about when Tanuyan would walk through the dorms on Haskell campus and see all the clothing in the lobbies, on what the students called the “free table,” where they could put items they no longer wanted. She would grab these clothes left behind and collaborate with Freda Gipp, a business professor at Haskell, who hosts Thrift Thursday in Blue Eagle. Nearly every month, each semester, students were free to grab whatever clothing they wanted.
Tanuyan wanted to do something bigger, and Gipp suggested she talk to the Fashion Runway Club.
“I met with the Haskell Runway president, and we sat down and brainstormed some things and came up with the idea that people can come and thrift items, then they can thrift, make an outfit out of it, and then they could do a little competition from it,” Tanuyan said.
Tanuyan collaborated with AIBL for this event. Starting back in February 2026, AIBL hosted a clothing drive asking the local communities of Haskell and Lawrence, Kansas, for donations to help students access business-wear clothing that lasted until March 2026. As a result, they received a large number of donations and held a student closet drive on March 30, then donated the remaining proceeds.
For the fashion show portion, contestants were judged on the clothing they thrifted and styled, and were asked one question by judges Professor Jessica Burghart, Gipp, and student Mya Guzman.
3rd place was Angel Elizarraras, 2nd being Niyan Washburn and with Chechalis Aleck taking 1st
Contestants won homemade baskets made by Dylan Jacob Nez and beading kits made by Alyce Hernandez. The event was a great success, with many participants taking clothes home. All leftover clothing from this event was donated to local homeless shelters and career/employment centers.
