SOUTH WILLIAMSBURG — A new design shop in Williamsburg wants to promote sustainability in fashion by teaching kids how to design everything from jewelry to holiday decorations using everyday items.
Kallio Workshop, at 226 South First St., will host events this weekend teaching people of all ages how to make accessories using discarded clothing and other easy-to-find bits.
The 15- to 20-minute workshops are intended to teach kids an easy craft that they can do at home with items lying around the house, said Erica Recto, a designer who's hosting the workshop, and Karina Kallio, who owns the store.
All the items used in the workshops, including yarn and scraps of cloth, would typically be thrown away during the clothing-production process, they said.
"The idea of having more longevity is important," Kallio said. "You see the whole process of what it took to make it, as well. That's the umbrella of what we call sustainability."
Kallio opened the holiday pop-up shop in her workshop space, which will permanently open next year, after mounting a Kickstarter campaign in the fall.
She was inspired to do sustainable fashion after seeing how much fabric goes into landfills during the clothing-production process, she said. Kallio started her own children's clothing company two years ago, making her items out of vintage men's shirts.
Kallio Workshop will hopefully be a place for the sustainability community in fashion to grow, she said.
In addition to selling Kallio's wares, other artisans — from clothing designers to makers of body care products — will have a place to show their process and sell their products.
The holiday pop-up store runs until Dec. 21, with more than a dozen vendors focusing on sustainability.
"We're conscious in terms of where things come from, how things are made, where they go to afterward," Kallio said.
Teaching children to make slippers out of discarded fabric does more than give them an activity while parents shop, organizers said. It contributes to Kallio's ultimate goal of being "more conscious when designing and living," she said.
Eventually, the shop will host more workshops to teach people how to use old clothes and items to create new products, Kallio said.
"Everything gets a new life," she added.
Kallio's Workshop Holiday Pop-Up Store craft workshops last from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20 and Sunday, Dec. 21. It costs $15 to participate in a workshop.
