‘The Art of ReUse’ at Richard Levy Gallery explores sustainable fashion

Local fashion designer and artist Jakia Fuller is on a mission to bring sustainable fashion to the masses.

“I feel like a conversation that is happening now amongst ordinary people is, ‘Oh, sustainability is outside of me. It’s inaccessible,’” Fuller said. “Or they wonder, ‘Am I doing it right?’”

With “The Art of ReUse” at Richard Levy Gallery — Fuller’s first foray into curation — she hopes to demystify sustainability and demonstrate how small choices, like shopping at thrift stores or learning to mend clothes, can have a significant environmental impact.

“What I’m excited about, with this exhibition, is bringing more people into the conversation about what is sustainable fashion, what is sustainable design, what is sustainable art, and how does that show up in our lives,” Fuller said, “because, if we want a more sustainable world, we need to make sure we’re inviting everyone into that conversation.”

“The Art of ReUse” is an art and design exhibition, fashion show, pop-up boutique and workshop series, featuring around 20 artists and fashion designers who reuse or upcycle materials as part of their practice. All but three are based in New Mexico.

“I wanted to highlight local artists and designers, because there are people here in New Mexico who are doing phenomenal work,” Fuller said, “and supporting local designers is another form of sustainability.”

People who want to learn how to repair and reuse their worn or damaged clothes can sign up for one of the workshops listed on Richard Levy Gallery's website.

“We are also working on a resource guide, a digital one, with a list of places, where — if you’re a little intimidated (about doing repairs), you can get things repaired,” Fuller said. “Many people don’t realize that a lot of dry cleaners are actually equipped to do simple alterations. … And I don’t know anything about repairing shoes, but there are places you can go to get your shoes mended.”

One of the designers featured in both the gallery exhibition and fashion show is Madison Van Der Lingen, founder of Albuquerque Fashion Week and an advocate for sustainable fashion. Van Der Lingen said many consumers are not well-informed about what sustainability really means in a fashion context, and she laid the blame squarely on the fashion industry itself. 

Fuller said greenwashing has become more rampant with every passing year, leading to consumer confusion. At the same time, many ordinary New Mexicans engage in sustainable practices without even realizing it.

“A lot of people travel to New Mexico to thrift, whether for clothing, furniture or antiques,” Fuller said. “There’s been an increase in pricing for thrifting from what it used to be, but still … this is one of the few places where everyone knows what thrifting is, and it’s not seen as something outrageous or unheard-of, or looked down upon.”

Although fast fashion has left its mark on New Mexico, as elsewhere, Fuller thinks sustainability is still part of the state’s DNA.

“It’s embedded here. And there’s many different approaches to it,” Fuller said. “It can be thrifting. It can be honoring one’s traditions, like with some of the Indigenous artists (in the show). So, I feel like this is a very fertile place for conversations about sustainability.”

Besides fashion, “The Art of ReUse” will showcase a number of contemporary artists who use found objects in their practice.

“I consider fashion to be where art meets design, so I thought it was important to actually have artists who are utilizing found objects and repurposing things in their practice … to show those commonalities with what the designers are doing,” Fuller said. “I feel like there should be more conversations (around sustainability) between artists and designers.”

“The Art of Reuse” opens on Friday, Jan. 9, and runs through Feb. 14. The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public. The fashion show on Saturday, Jan. 24, and workshops and panel discussion on Saturday, Jan. 31, are ticketed events. For more information, visit levygallery.com.