Three Projects, An Experiment and Big Learning

It's a been a busy few weeks. We finished work on the Fishcake Projects. We started making custom aprons for our peers in the Punahou Master Chef class. And we've begun work on our final project involving recrafting garments from home and from Goodwill.

 

  
-Class Products on Display at Fishcake on Kamani St.-

 

We've also begun our experiment turning kombucha SCOBY into leather. We're really grateful to Oahu's Sky Kombucha for contributing the SCOBY. We'll begin drying some of the leather soon and at the end of class we hope to drink some fo the Kombucha.

 

-Hoping for something flower shaped from this great jar that Hugh and Melissa Mosher, members of the Punahou 'ohana, lent to the class.-

 

None of these projects and experiements would have been possible without our great community partners. This has been part of a big lesson for us in community building. What community are we designing through the prodcuts we create, sell and purchase? We've been thinking about this a lot lately and examining the shopping community on Oahu and the supply chain that brings those products to us here. We started this examination by watching the new documentary The True Cost of Fashion. We followed this up with a field trip to analyze different shopping environments, from the Ala Moana Center and JAMS WORLD to Patagonia and Goodwill. Students crafted reflections on these activities. We'll continue to discuss the impact of our purchasing descisions and how we produce and consume (and if we should use the word consume - to destroy or use up) as we delve deeper into our final project remaking used clothes.