ReDress: Prom Reimagined
A ReProm × Assembly of Good Workshop
Saturday, October 10
1pm - 4pm
Registration + supplies fee: Member $160 / Non-Member $180
Registraion includes all shared tools, sewing equipment, reclaimed fabrics, trims, notions, and embellishment materials. Partcipants bring one garment to transform or may choose from a curated selection of rescued formalwear from the ReProm collection.
Ages 16+ (partcipants under 16 are welcome when accompanied by an adult)

What happens after prom?

Thousands of beautiful dresses are worn once, tucked away, and rarely seen again. In this hands-on creative workshop, we'll give formalwear a second chance through thoughtful redesign, visible mending, creative alteration, and artistic embellishment.

Bring a prom dress, bridesmaid dress, formal gown, or other special-occasion garment from your own closet—or browse a curated selection from the ReProm collection—and learn how to transform it into something you'll be excited to wear again.

Guided by designer and sustainability innovator Karen Stewart Brown, participants will explore techniques used by fashion designers and makers to reconstruct, tailor, embellish, patch, shorten, layer, and personalize garments while embracing the principles of circular design. Whether your goal is an everyday piece, a statement garment, or simply learning new creative skills, you'll leave inspired by the possibilities hidden within clothing we already own.

No prior sewing experience is necessary. Beginners and experienced makers are equally welcome.

Workshop Agenda

Welcome & Inspiration

• The story behind circular fashion and creative reuse

• Before-and-after examples and design inspiration

Design Your Transformation

• Learn how to evaluate a garment for redesign

• Explore ideas for altering silhouettes, fit, and function

• Sketch and plan your project

Hands-On Making

• Basic sewing and construction techniques

• Visible mending and decorative stitching

• Creative patching and embellishment

• Trims, appliqué, fabric additions, and finishing details

• Individual coaching and design support throughout

Share & Celebrate

• Informal show-and-tell

• Tips for continuing your project at home

• Resources for future mending and upcycling

What to Bring

Please bring one clean garment you would like to transform, such as:

• Prom dress

• Bridesmaid dress

• Formal gown

• Cocktail dress

• Suit jacket

• Special-occasion clothing

Don't have one? You're welcome to choose from a curated selection of rescued garments from the ReProm collection.

Optional inspiration materials:

• Lace

• Buttons

• Ribbon

• Fabric scraps

• Vintage trims

• Meaningful textiles you'd like to incorporate

All sewing tools, shared equipment, thread, reclaimed fabrics, trims, notions, and embellishment materials will be provided.

What You'll Take Away

Participants will leave with:

• A one-of-a-kind redesigned garment in progress or completed

• Practical sewing, mending, and garment transformation skills

• New ways of seeing the creative potential in existing clothing

• Greater confidence using fashion as a form of self-expression

• Inspiration to extend the life of clothing through creativity rather than replacement

Most importantly, you'll discover that every garment has another story waiting to be told.

About the Artist

Karen Stewart Brown is an award-winning designer, sustainability innovator, educator, and co-founder of Stewart+Brown, one of the pioneering sustainable fashion brands in the United States. She has led design and innovation for Patagonia, Garnet Hill, and Futureadi, helping global brands rethink materials, manufacturing, and circular design. Through Assembly of Good, Karen creates hands-on experiences that bring people together through creativity, repair, making, and community while inspiring a more thoughtgul relationship with the things we own.

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3S Artspace is funded in part by a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Thank you to our lead sponsors: AC Hotel Portsmouth, The Brook, The Fabulous Find, The Kane Company/Tidemark, Katzman Contemporary Projects, Raka, Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel and Stirling Brandworks.