EFI Vendor Event for Sustainability

Jewlery made of cicadia wings and flowers. Photo by Elizabeth Beggan '26

Since 2017, the Ethical Fashion Initiative club has hosted two vendor events for students and 

local sellers to showcase their small businesses. From jeans to jewelry to shoes, this event has it all. Hosted in Marist University’s Steel Plant classrooms, the vendor events quickly fill with racks and tables overrun with thrifted or homemade items that students can purchase. 

The club has spread its mission of educating students about how relevant sustainability is in the industry by hosting events and lectures. The turnout for the club has been exponentially growing, with nearly 50 students attending their first meeting this spring semester. EFI events typically see around 200 students in and out their doors, most leaving with bags full of sustainable clothing.

Melena Russo ‘27 was appointed as the club’s president this past fall. Majoring in fashion merchandising, her mission is to spread awareness of the substantial role that sustainability plays in the industry.

“My long-term goal for the club is to help educate students on what their major is really about. I love being the person who gets to educate them on their positions and that they are in high demand,” said Russo. “Fashion houses prioritize sustainability, and people think there isn’t a lot of funding or money involved in it, but that simply isn’t true.”

Sustainability—emphasizing social and environmental responsibility throughout a piece of clothing’s life cycle—is a growing concern for the fashion industry. The goal is to minimize their negative impact on the world by adopting more sustainable ethical practices. 

“Every little thing someone does makes a difference,” Russo added. 

There is typically a large variety of vendors at the event, including students and locals, each bringing their unique perspective. 

Sweet Heat Thrift, founded by Sterling Grant, has been in business for three years and plans to grow even more. Based locally, she has been involved with Marist Eats and now the EFI vendor events. Grant collects most of her second-hand clothing from thrift stores in New York City and websites such as Poshmark, DePop and Whatnot. Along with selling her findings, she also creatively upcycles. 

“I get a lot of inspiration from just being at this event. I have always wanted to have a business to continue my mission of sustainability and upcycling,” Grant said. 

Her storefront is full of homemade makeup bags, numerous clothing items and her own personal designs that she created with second-hand clothing.

Marist student Luke Johnson ‘25 had his first table set up, catching many students' eyes with his bright drawings. His art brand, Harrowlings, is self-taught and inspired by horror films, artists such as Tim Burton or John Kenn, and colorful comic-book strips. Johnson wants to share his art with the world, and he loves having pieces of other people’s art in his collection. 

“I love having little pieces of people’s lives in mine, and that’s what I hope to do with my work,” he explained. Johnson’s modern horror sketches encapsulate movies such as Donnie Darko and Mulholland Drive with his own twist. 

“It’s so cool because it was all donating to a bigger cause. Everything was different, and everyone was selling their creations and creative stuff,” Marlo Ferrante ‘28 remarked.

Another student, Moses Lincoln ‘27, through his love for clothing, found himself thrifting and reselling clothes for six years. He thrifts locally in Poughkeepsie, although he describes it as “a hit or miss,” he continues to dig. 

19-year-old Luis Rameriz has been a self-taught entrepreneur since the age of 11 when he discovered his love for shoes. For Christmas, he asked for a pair of Jordan 11s, and from then on, he has been buying and reselling clothes and shoes. 

“You can make a lot of pieces from just one sweatshirt, and it can ultimately make a difference in the sustainability world,” Ramirez said. At 19, he dropped out of school to continue his successful business. From Poughkeepsie, he has a storefront in Albany and is opening another in the Poughkeepsie Galleria on May 1. 

“It’s an avenue for younger people to explore many different career paths and creative outlets,” Ramirez shared. Rameriz heard about the EFI event through a friend and attended his first last semester. He plans on continuing his relationship with Marist. 

Another Hudson Valley local, Ginamarie Engles, has been a part of the EFI since the beginning. Getting contacted by the first president of EFI, she has shared her crafts and tips since 2017. 

Engles started her craft early on. When she was little, she saw a dead cicada lying on the ground. Most would have ignored the mass amount of cicada wings lying lifeless on the grass, but Engles had a vision. 

“I saw the wings and immediately thought of making it a necklace, so I did,” Engles said. Now, instead of just focusing on wings, she finds inspiration from flowers and metals. 

The Ethical Fashion Initiative generates engagement by showcasing small businesses and creating a space where sustainability is embraced. For the spring, the club is planning to have another student/local vendor event in late April with the same sustainability goal.