Beyond being the costumer at the theater on the campus of the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Sasha Howell has a "passion for fashion." And this passion goes will beyond the realm of hobby or interest.
"My work has evolved," says Howell. "I wanted to do something good in the community and serve an underserved group that could use some help in terms of fashion identity." As a result Howell focused her efforts on the trans community, organizing an event that incorporated - among other things - a clothing swap.
"Fashion as identity has really changed a lot," says Howell. "We're living in a society that is becoming very rapidly a lot more of a safe space." Howell notes that the fashion industry is keeping an ear to the ground. As society shifts, so to will the offerings and styles pushed by the industry. One particular suggestion that is being heard is the demand for androgyny.
Clothes have always served a function, but somewhere along the way what we wear transitioned from a bare necessity to an expression of self. For Howell, the present is an exciting time in this regard. "Fashion is sometimes left unexamined. We can have a lot of fun with it."
