Finding Their Voice Through Fashion

This summer, youth in Etobicoke are exploring identity, community and self-expression through Youth Lead Impact (YLI): Voices Through Fashion, a hands-on intensive that brought together fashion design, screen printing and storytelling.

Participants creatively transform clothing through upcycled fashion projects, collaborating and sharing ideas at a workshop.

This summer, youth in Etobicoke exokired identity, community and self-expression through YLI: Voices Through Fashion, a hands-on leadership intensive that used fashion design and screen printing as a way to build confidence, strengthen communication and develop practical skills for the future.

As part of Thrive’s Youth Lead Impact program, participants are building skills that extend well beyond the creative process, including teamwork, project management, problem-solving, communication, self-advocacy and leadership. They are also gaining experience working alongside professional artists, developing ideas from concept to completion, and reflecting on how their own strengths and interests could connect to future education, employment and career pathways.

Guest artist educator Kingi of Peach Berserk introduced participants to the screen-printing process, including how to create a cohesive design and prepare a permanent screen they can continue using after the program ends. But while the finished designs are impressive, some of the most meaningful moments have happened along the way.

Creating without needing to be perfect

For one participant, Paula, developing a design became an opportunity to think about identity and the pressure to know exactly who you are.

Like many young people, she was putting a lot of pressure on herself to create something “perfect.” Through conversations with the Thrive team, she began exploring the idea that identity doesn’t have to be fully formed or easily explained. It can evolve as we do.

A participant carefully screen prints a design onto his black T-shirt, showcasing his creative skills in a vibrant workshop setting.

With encouragement, she worked through that uncertainty and created a striking design centred around eyes. The final artist statement will be hers to tell, but getting to the point where she trusted herself enough to create it was already an accomplishment.

Seeing what happens behind the scenes

A display of creative fashion projects featuring custom-designed t-shirts and tote bags, showcasing unique prints and illustrations in a classroom setting.

For returning participants David and Sultan, the program has also offered a new perspective on everything that goes into creating an experience like this.

During a project-management activity, they reflected on the planning, coordination and collaboration required behind the scenes. That conversation led naturally into thinking about their own interests and where those might take them next. Both have continued engaging in community opportunities beyond the program and expressed interest in exploring social media as a possible career path. That is part of what youth leadership can look like: not simply participating in an activity, but beginning to recognize your own skills, interests and possibilities.

That is what has been unfolding throughout this Youth Lead Impact intensive. The youth are making clothing, learning new artistic techniques and producing some incredible designs. But they are also building the skills that will carry far beyond the program: communicating their ideas, collaborating with others, solving problems, managing a project, taking initiative and growing more confident in their own leadership. These are the same skills that help young people succeed in school, in the workplace and in whatever they choose to pursue next.

A huge thank you to RBC for making Voices Through Fashion possible. Their support is helping young people in Etobicoke access creative spaces where they can build confidence, explore their identities, develop new skills and discover new ways to express themselves.