Hand-me-downs get a bad rap.

But students in a fashion design class at Standley Lake High School took secondhand clothing, all from Plato’s Closet in Westminster, and created new outfits which they sported in a runway show on April 3.

The show, which took place during the school-wide prom assembly, was an opportunity for students to express their creativity while taking a stance against “fast” fashion, which refers to clothing that is mass-produced quickly and cheaply, designed to copy runway trends.

Between celebrating the school’s sports teams and upcoming prom, a handful of students turned the school’s gym into a runway, modeling their reused and reinvented pieces.

The event began after Charlotte Magee, owner of the Plato’s Closet in Westminster, reached out to Danielle McCracken, the fashion design teacher at Standley Lake High School.

“I love to get involved in the community,” Magee told The Denver Gazette. “I thought it would be really cool to showcase resale (clothing) because teens and Gen Z high schoolers are really leading the movement with thrifting and resale and not buying new. I approached the school, and they said, ‘We actually have a fashion class here.'”

Magee invited the students to come to her store and shop for clothing free of charge, and created their designs over the course of a few weeks.

Students participated as either designers or models. The designers began with a croquis drawing, a sketch of the design, then sewed and altered their pieces.

The designers worked with the students who were modeling to find a style they both were interested in.

Mekencie Harper designed an outfit titled “Bling Bling” for her friend Shannon Dee. They were inspired by the fashion of the early 2000s.

Harper said the event “shows how you can fix up clothes. You can alter it to make it the way you want it to look, and thrifting is good. It’s not bad just because it’s hand-me-down.”

“Although it’s very affordable and easy for consumers to buy,” said Saige Fell, referring to “fast” fashion, “it is piling up, and people are just getting rid of clothes that would last a lot longer just to follow quick trends.”

The students noted that “fast” fashion clothes end up in landfills.

“When I saw that fashion was an elective, I took it and fell in love with it,” said Bodor Yunes, one of the scriptwriters and announcers during the fashion show. “I got to be a part of this great fashion show and make the environment way better and I love that.”

The fashion show offered the students a chance to get some real-world experience.

“When students can collaborate, create, and see their work showcased, it builds confidence and shows them they can be creative problem-solvers and real change makers in their communities,” McCracken said in a news release.

Resale is growing, according to a report from ThredUp. The secondhand market grew by 13% in 2025. The resale market is slated to reach $78.8 billion by 2030. Some 58% of Gen Z and 55% of millennials prioritize secondhand clothing options over new ones, according to the study.