We TAKE A STAND TO RECYCLE Preloved CLOTHES & TEXTILES
Sewn Apart takes old clothes and refashions them into new designs. The clothes that we put on our body and the food that we eat come from the same system and our agricultural system is fundamentally broken. We want to address that.
Sewn Apart has a dual meaning. One – how the clothes are made, by deconstruction of old clothes. And two – the journey of losing one self and coming back together - through trauma, grief, disappointment, and more. Sometimes we have to come apart in order to come back together. You’re not alone. And there’s no shame. We’re all in this together.
When I changed my style, not just changed but also realized the power of style, it was one of the first times in my life when I felt really empowered. I felt sassy, I felt sexy, I felt anonymous and like every woman at the same time. It helped me heal. It was so small a gesture, not even fully conscious of the change. I was different and I needed to show that. Something happened and I would never be the same, and I needed some kind of outward change to match the kind of change that was happening inside. I felt terrible; my heart was broken because of the loss. Dressing better than I felt helped to improve my mood. That and a combination of other things, but changing my style was a part of my healing journey.
Ericka Leigh
Meet Ericka
Ericka Leigh is an artist, entrepreneur, and sustainability advocate. In 2016, she founded Sewn Apart, an environmentally and socially conscious fashion forward accessory company whose flagship product is a bowtie. The bowtie is in honor of her grandfather, and serves as a power accessory for women building confidence and charisma.
Ericka became interested in fashion via the agriculture system, having worked in restaurants for some years. She has a passion for connecting the dots between art, the environment, and fashion using fabric as the medium.
Ericka earned her Masters from the Patel College of Global Sustainability at the University of South Florida. She has worked on projects regarding food and the environment with the UNFAO, USF, Bern's Restaurant Group, as well as independent experiments regarding textile composting. She is a founding member of Fashion Revolution Tampa Bay, which educates the community about the social and environmental impacts of the fashion and textile industries. Ericka is a Tampa native with New York roots.