Goodwill of North Georgia recently teamed up with fashion blog The2econdFloor.com to hold a Prom Remixed Essay Contest for students at Grayson High School in Loganville, GA. Three students won the contest after writing a 500-word essay about their view on incorporating used and/or repurposed clothing into their personal style.
The2econdFloor.com, a former fashion blog-turned-creative consulting agency, worked with the high school students and local designer Daphania Adams to redesign or “remix” dresses found at Goodwill stores. The two finalists, Anna Gehle and Gabrielle Thorpe—authors of “Someone’s Trash, Another’s Treasure”and “My Personal Style,” respectively—received custom prom dresses courtesy of the Goodwill that Adams “remixed,” in addition to shoes, hair and makeup services, and a photo shoot.
Anna Corbitt, the grand prize winner for her essay “Connected to the World,” not only received the dress, shoes, hair and makeup services, and a photo shoot; she also arrived at the Atlanta History Center for prom in a stylish limousine.
Her essay explained her personal connection to finding fashion at Goodwill stores, saying: “Style is important to me. What I wear and how I wear it is an expression of who I am, my creativity, and most importantly, my individuality. When shopping at a thrift store, I get to create my personal style that separates me from everyone else.”
The GHS-Goodwill partnership began when the daughter of Freda Marshall, director of training and development of donor services at the Atlanta Goodwill, coordinated a fashion show at the school using Goodwill clothes to recreate current fashion trends. After she graduated, students continued the fashion show, then held a holiday donation drive and developed a school-wide PR campaign about Goodwill.
“Shopping at Goodwill is just as fun as going to the mall because it gets your creative juices flowing and there’s a thrill that you get from the hunt,” said Corey Bertrand of The2econdFloor.com. “Finding that perfect one-of-a-kind piece can give your style the extra boost it needs to set you apart from the rest of the crowd.”
