Support Youth Fashion Workshop & Oakland Style Lab
Help us raise $5k to ensure Oakland Style Lab's very first activity - our “Reimagine Fashion” Youth Workshop - covers costs and is a big success so we can open up programs to the broader community in August. Like all of OSL’s planned programs, the workshop centers racial justice and gender justice, with a majority of BIPOC participants and instructors. The session launches July 19th with 8 talented teens and we’re counting on you to help back up our pay-what-you-can approach that ensures every family is able to participate.
The true cost of the session is $8.2k for instructors, rent, materials, coordination, and machines - and while we are grateful for some generously donated labor and services, we do need to raise $5k in actual dollars to make up the gap.
Will you give what you can - $25, $50, $100 or more - and share this request with your people?
You can ensure Oakland’s youth are able to make the most of this dynamic opportunity to build their skills, grow their creativity, and amplify their unique voices.
AND you’ll be helping lay the groundwork for the rest of the 2 month OSL popup in downtown Oakland by making sure we are in a healthy position to press ahead with our plans for August and September. We're gearing up for sliding scale fashion/maker activities for the broader community - like classes in sewing, screenprinting, sneaker customizing, remixing existing clothing pieces - plus lots of other sessions you might suggest.
What IS the Oakland Style Lab (OSL)?
OSL is a pilot project by a diverse group of Oakland cultural workers to strengthen the fashion arts ecosystem in the East Bay, centering BIPOC makers, racial justice, and gender justice. Despite the rich talent base, boundless creativity and powerful cultural legacy here, we've found a dramatic lack of supporting infrastructure for mentorship, professional development, creative growth, economic success, and community-building.
The good news: We've just secured a 2 month popup space in Old Oakland and the gear necessary to pilot some exciting fashion and arts activities.
We humbly request your input and participation: this is an invitation to co-create and Reimagine Fashion together, embodying Oakland’s values and lifting up our people, our creativity, our unique Town Style and powerful voices.
We hope you'll help shape what this project can be - the project is at an early stage. There are lots of folks we’re eager to build with, and lots of opportunities to put together workshops, popup markets, fashion shows, mixers. and other arts-related events.
-Please reach out by email to: oaklandstylelab<AT>gmail.com
-Please make a gift today: We need your help to cover the basic costs.
Thank you!
A partial list of initial Advisors and Thought Partners includes: Calvin Williams, Cari Borja, Dania Cabello, Jeff Perlstein, Katita Johnson, Olivia Cueva, Tahirah Rasheed and Taylor Jay - with apologies and appreciation to those not listed here due to space considerations.
Photo info: Images from a recent youth fashion show in Oakland by the Fashion, Art & Design Academy (formerly Far West), produced by Katita Johnson - Fashion Teacher/Director.