Teens learn fashion basics at Golden Library’s weeklong camp – Golden Transcript

From how to use a needle and thread to how to make their own outfits, local teens had fun learning new skills at a Golden Library summer camp.

From June 17-21, the library hosted 10 participants for its Teen Fashion Camp.

The weeklong camp is one of many tween- and teen-focused events the Golden Library and other Jefferson County Public Library branches are hosting during its “Where Adventure Begins” Summer Challenge.

The Teen Fashion Camp and others like provide tweens and teens free, low-stakes opportunities to learn new skills and potentially explore career options, JCPL teen services coordinator Arra Katona said. It also encourages creativity and keeps students engaged during the summer months.

Debra Zerr, head designer at Denver-based Corner of Sunshine, shared her expertise with participants during the weeklong Teen Fashion Camp. Zerr said they covered everything from sketching and how to use a sewing machine to creating mood boards and upcycling clothes.

To close out the week, the participants hosted a fashion show with their original designs, along with a homemade magazine spread.

Zerr, who’s been studying fashion for 14 years and has been helping with the library’s Teen Fashion Camp for three summers now, was excited to see a few returning participants alongside several new ones.

She hoped, most of all, that they’d learned how to fix their own garments. Perhaps the camp would jumpstart a future career in the fashion industry too, but she recognized many just wanted to do it as a hobby.

“It’s a dying art,” she said of the fashion industry and textile arts. “People don’t know you can be an artist and have a successful career in it.”

Zerr said she’d learned a lot from teaching the students over the past three summers, and that their passion and creativity has inspired her too. She encouraged people of all ages to learn basic sewing skills when they have the opportunity.

JCPL is offering a variety of summer camps through the end of July. The Golden Library is hosting a Teen Chaos Control Camp for 12- to 18-year-olds July 22-26, and a Full STEAM Ahead Camp for 9- to 13-year-olds July 29-31.

For more information, visit jeffcolibrary.org.

Click through additional photos from the Teen Fashion Camp here: