WRAP students learn self-expression through fashion-focused partnership with Solid State

Video & Photos by Tyche Studio

A group of students in the district’s Wraparound (WRAP) program have discovered their creative passion for fashion, thanks to a new intensive partnership between Surrey Schools and Solid State Community Industries, a network of local organizations that support and celebrate the BIPOC community.

Five current and former students were invited to participate in the Reverie cohort, an experiential fashion co-operative focused on sustainable and local production of limited-edition apparel. The program provided an opportunity for students to create logos and brands for their own fashion lines, developing skills with graphic design and screen printing to bring their creative visions to life.

Clockwise from top left: Keishan Kollie, Adam Alemseged, Mo Yahia, Nishaun Sandhu and Isay Khabral. The current and former students designed their own screen printed apparel as part of a new partnership between the district's WRAP program and Solid State Community Industries. (Photo by Tyche Studio)

“I learned about the program from my youth care worker,” said Isay Khabral, a student at the North Surrey Learning Centre. “After I told him about my first piece with my Wicked World design, he put me on and connected me with the right people. It was hella fun, we went through the process and we made it happen.”

“When I heard it was making clothes and doing designs and all that, I was interested because I like that kind of thing, fashion,” said Nishaun Sandhu, a student at Fraser Heights Secondary.

With guidance from staff at Solid State, the group met twice a week over a six-month period, learning design principles and the process of seeing a fashion idea through from start to finish. The program taught students about textures, colours, shapes and materials in preparing their designs for screen printing onto T-shirts and hoodies.

“It wasn’t like anything we really expected,” said grad Mo Yahia. “But each time we did it, it just kept looking better and better.”

While some of the students came in with an interest in fashion, others developed it over the course of working with Solid State on their designs. The students were tasked with coming up with their own brands, with the group ultimately finding inspiration and creative direction in several common themes, centring their designs on loyalty, authenticity, truth and positivity.

“What inspired my design is my experience in life – loyalty will always be with you, and if you don’t have it, you need it,” said Sandhu of his brand, Loyalty Above. “It’s just a message for everyone that you need loyalty, connection, trust, someone to talk to, and it really helps the message.”

“There’s a little message on the back which is ‘Forever Loyal’ that has also helped me,” said Khabral. “Because no matter what anybody has done to me, me staying true to myself has always bettered me and made me on top no matter what.”

“Mine was inspired by my parrots,” said Frank Hurt Secondary student Adam Alemseged of his brand BOAF, standing for Birds of a Feather. “I really love animals and care about my birds.”

“My project originated off music,” said Yahia. “It sort of turned into a different concept about time and how time is all around us, time is priceless. I’m just trying to turn the whole concept around and look at it from a whole different perspective.”

The program also served to promote self-expression among the youth through fashion, allowing them to embrace their creativity and share it with others.

“With it being clothes, you’re showing it off so you’re also giving a message out,” said Keishan Kollie, a friend of Sandhu’s who joined to help with the group’s designs. “I liked the message so I wanted to help him promote what he’s doing and see him go far with it.”

In December, the group shared their designs in a grand reveal event where family and friends joined them for a celebration of the final products. Their process was also featured in a video by Solid State to further share the amazing work of students with a broader audience.

Across the board, the youth said it was a rewarding experience to try their hand at fashion and to be able to see what they are capable of.

“It made us believe in ourselves,” said Khabral, who noted the group intends to collaborate on designs in the near future outside of the program.

“As long as they’re with it, I’m with it,” said Kollie. “I’m always going to push forward as long as they are.”