MADISON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Richmond mom is using her sewing skills to build her wardrobe and a social media following.
Catherine Holbrook has a love for thrifted fashion and visits Goodwill at least twice a week. You'll often see her picking up pieces that normally wouldn't get a second look. That's because she knows how to turn them into something new.
"It's somebody else's trash that you get to make your treasure,” said Holbrook.
At the beginning of last year, the mom of two with one on the way had two goals; find a new hobby and begin a debt free journey with her family. With her sewing machine at her fingertips, she began refashioning inexpensive, secondhand clothing, and documenting her work on Instagram.
"Truly, when I started my Instagram it was just to have a creative outlet for myself and I continuously joke that I thought my only follower I would ever have is my mom and maybe like my closest friends,” said Holbrook.
The interest grew though, and she now has more than 5,000 followers eager to see her transformations. She even lets her growing fan base help by choosing options in polls.
"I will get a vision for it and then I will go on Pinterest and then I'll find a few options that are similar to the vision I have in my head and then I let my friends choose which way to go,” said Holbrook.
Within a week, an oversized shirt or outdated dress can become a one-of-kind top you'd expect to come from a boutique.
In the future, she wants to help inspire others to take on a sewing hobby too.
"I was thinking of maybe opening up a YouTube channel to teach people how to refashion,” said Holbrook. “I'm just passionate about teaching this because it's so affordable, it's so ethical and it's so environmentally-friendly.”
She’s also interested in partnering with brands in the sewing industry.
As for being environmentally friendly, Holbrook says refashioning can be a way to combat fast fashion and ever-changing trends, because you're giving new life to something that could have ended up in the trash.
You can see more of Holbrooks' creations on her Instagram page.
