A blue spotlight fell on a lone white sewing machine at the center of the rink at Xanadu Roller Arts on Tuesday night.
The spot is usually reserved for skaters showing off tricks. But on April 22, Xanadu transformed into a stage for Bushwick’s alternative fashion scene, drawing together sustainable fashion designers and quiet admirers alike.
The third annual Reworked Runway opened with a performance art piece by Liv Reinertson, founder of Reworked Brooklyn.
As ambient music from the duo Katz Pascale filled the space, Reinertson sewed a garment from used fabric scraps, her precise movements syncing with the music while the crowd swayed around her, cocktails and beers in hand. It was the start of a genre-blurring night that fused fashion, dance, and live music into one of Xanadu’s hallmark events.
“I love the perspective of taking something that’s typical, like a roller rink, and turning it on its head,” said designer Parron Allen.
The showcase featured garments made from recycled fabrics that might otherwise have ended up in landfills. Nine independent designers — including Megan O’Cain, Nicole Castañeda, and Allen — debuted collections modeled by dancers from Verbal Animal Dance Co., whose choreography unfolded to a live set by indie rock band The Thing.
Castañeda said it was special that the show fell on Earth Day.
“Earth Day is truly my favorite holiday. Nature always comes up in my process, no matter what it’s about, because it sparks curiosity,” said Castañeda.
Her “Illusion Dresses,” crafted from deadstock materials, featured hand-pleated chiffon that seemed to float on the body due to invisible straps. For Castañeda, the pleats, which physically disconnect and reconnect, mirror her rediscovery of nature since she moved to Los Angeles.
“You know when you’re a little kid and you get excited about something cause you’re like, ‘What is this? How does it work?’ Nature always does that for me,” said Castañeda
Reconnecting with one’s inner child was a common thread throughout the show.
O’Cain, drawn to all things 1960s floral, said she grew up sewing on her grandmother’s machine. Her collection centers on mementos from her girlhood — one of her dresses was made from stuffed animal material, inspired by her aunt’s plush dog toy from the 70s.
Similarly, Allen said his collection was shaped by his grandmother, who taught him how to sew. One of his favorite pieces is a long, cascading silk georgette dress with an asymmetrical Crepe de Chine ruffle. The contrast in fabric weights creates a fluid drape that evokes 1920s flapper style — an aesthetic Allen links to the elegance of Black dandyism from that era.
“I think that the people who are focused on searching for special fabric and reusing things that were forgotten are the same people who are naturally drawn to nostalgia,” said O’Cain. “There’s a sentimental attachment to those materials.”
Sentimentality ran through every seam and song of the night. As the final looks left the floor, the spotlight faded, but the energy didn’t. Local DJs Gem Spa and Ruby Q took over, spinning vinyl rock as the roller rink turned back into a dance floor — recycled, reimagined, and still very much alive.
