Re-Wild by Sasha Schaepe is an environmentally conscious, gender-fluid clothing line for children ages seven through 12 who live by a lifestyle involving education in the environment. This relates to the “un-schooling” and “re-wilding” social movements. The focus is placed on a balance of practical and artistic designs inspiring and facilitating the growth of nature-loving children.

Re-Wild will be unveiled at the 2019 The Show on April 18 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) newly opened Wilson School of Design building in Richmond. The beautiful and innovative $36-million building houses a range of design programs including the fashion-design-and-technology program.

Event details and tickets can be found online.

Who are your style icons?

Frida Kahlo is someone who I see as the embodiment of what it means to live as your art. She adorned herself with her own identity and taste for life. Her style was a celebration of folk costume stemming from her European, Mexican, and Indigenous background.

As revolutionary as she was a political and artistic figure, she equally broke conventions in her manner of dress. She embraced androgynous style as she tapped into her own masculinity. Given the amount of physical suffering she had to endure throughout her lifetime, she learned to dress herself according to her body deformations, and did so with an elegance and grace that is unfathomable.   

What's the most helpful thing you learned at KPU?

Be open to your recourses. Throughout my experience at KPU, I've come to understand the link between creative problem-solving and tapping in to the sources that are at hand and beyond—especially in an environment such as school, where there are so many areas to be explored. This can be anything from having conversations with teachers, comrades, and strangers to getting lost in the library, and from utilizing specialty tools to attending events and talks. I find that the more I can expand myself in my surroundings, the more it feeds into the work I do.

Who or what was the inspiration behind your line?

Initially, I had come across a certain article in Outside Magazine on the subject of the “un-schooling” and “re-wilding” movements. I was immediately captivated and launched myself into a frenzy of research. These movements highlight the empowerment of a young generation: their connection to nature, and learning independently and creatively in a tactile and cognitive sense. I resonate deeply with these topics, and with the kind of visceral response I get from hearing about them, I am assured in my role of positively contributing to this way of life through the art form of clothing.    

What word best encapsulates you as a designer?

Eclectic.