Finding Harmony. – Vintage Blue Originals 017

The Fall 2019 semester was a time of growth and reflection for Vintage Blue. It offered us the opportunity to start anew, consider our place on campus and within the Chapel Hill community, and assess our impact as a brand. Together, we embarked on a new journey.

As the semester progressed, we were more intentional than ever before about our creative decisions. From the archives in Wilson Library to Office Hours at Cat’s Cradle, we took inspiration from UNC’s past and present. In bringing together these perspectives and traditions, we were able to tackle the age-old question – “What exactly is Vintage Blue?” – with more resolve than ever before. Throughout the semester, we sought to better explain our story, our project, and our vision to show what we wanted to do for and with this Carolina community.

Vintage Blue has always strived to be more than just another apparel brand. Through our work, we aspire to bring people together in the spirit of creativity. We celebrate diversity and pride ourselves in creating a sense of belonging. And though we have demonstrated this commitment through each of our projects, we have honestly struggled to define our reason for being.

For so long, the environmental movement has overwhelmingly focused on numbers and statistics, which are still failing to convince people of the urgent and sweeping action needed to save our home planet. Just as we have used our clothing lines, events and stories to call attention to certain cultural and social dynamics, it is time to use our passion for creative empowerment to reshape the way we contend with the environmental crisis and energize our generation into action. 

At Vintage Blue, we believe that fashion is fundamentally about how we communicate who we are. Although fashion is an important form of self-expression, the global fashion industry has become one of the most polluting industries in the world. In our two years of operation, we have come to realize that social and environmental responsibility must be woven into the very fabric of our organization, rather than existing as two separate threads. 

We want and need to be part of reshaping the fashion industry for the sake of the place we call home.

This semester, we are moving forward with the same commitment to intentionality that we cultivated in the Fall. In the Spring 2020 semester, Vintage Blue is dedicating itself to formally becoming a leader within the sustainable fashion movement on our campus. Ultimately, we hope to find ourselves once again as we work with our community to creatively tackle the environmental crisis.

We are excited to find harmony this semester with one another and in the spaces around us.

Yours,

Rodrigo Bustamante, Lizzie Russler, Alex Thompson and the VB team