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At any of the Spirit Halloween stores that invade strip malls every autumn, you are bound to find a plethora of single-use, poorly-constructed costumes referencing cultural moments that will only be relevant for a season – and stitching that will barely hold up that long.
This year, Radical Sewing Club OC chose to ring in the holiday with Trick or Chic, a Halloween costume runway show showcasing “homemade, modified, upcycled, snazzified, bejeweled, DIY, knit, crocheted or dyed” costumes, as well as other designs featuring at least 60% thrifted or upcycled materials. A Wallace and Gromit character with a hand-sewn chicken comb, a Hawkgirl in vibrant thrifted and handmade pieces and a clown in a pastel-colored crochet ensemble all strutted down the runway.
Courtney Cook founded Radical Sewing Club OC less than a year ago, modeling it after its Los Angeles counterpart, and envisioning a space to “reimagine craft outside capitalism.” Club members meet regularly to share and learn sewing skills, mend their clothing to extend its life and work on personal projects in a supportive environment. Cook says that uplifting handmade garment creation as an alternative to mass-produced clothing was “really key to what the club is about.”
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