At seven years old, Trey Hyde could be found customizing tops, dresses or outfits for Barbies in his free time. Using old t-shirts, leftover scraps of fabric from his family or materials from a trip to Jo-Ann’s, Hyde would use the hand-sewing techniques he learned from his grandma to put the pieces together to the best of his young and non-advanced abilities.
Now a freshman at East, Hyde has moved on from styling Barbies to designing clothes for adults and working as an ambassador for Rightfully Sewn, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating jobs and opportunities in the business of fashion.
The heart of Rightfully Sewn lies in their seamstress training program, according to Rightfully Sewn founder and president Jennifer Lapka. Made for refugees, survivors of addiction and abuse and other individuals with employment obstacles, the program provides free education on seamstress basics. After 10 weeks in the program, participants can be placed into a job with a sewing operation, tailoring or with fashion designers.
Hyde first heard about Rightfully Sewn’s mission in 2017 and decided to attend one of their seminars. The event piqued Hyde’s interest in the organization so greatly that he invited Lapka to come speak for a sixth grade English project — which would be the start of their friendship.
“He was reaching out to me through my Instagram, via Rightfully Sewn’s Instagram, and he was emailing me,” Lapka said. “He just kept reaching out until he had a yes from me and I really admire that about him.”
Hyde became involved with the organization when his parents put him in sewing and fashion design classes led by Rightfully Sewn. There, he worked under Lapka as a mentee and was eventually asked to become an official ambassador for the organization.
“I recognized a bright, bright soul in him,” Lapka said. “He’s very caring and he’s fun to be around, but he is also exceptionally talented, creative and plugged into what’s happening in the fashion industry on a national level.”
On a day-to-day basis, Hyde helps the organization make general decisions and promotes their seminars and projects on his Instagram as an ambassador. At Rightfully Sewn’s biannual Golden Galas — an event that recognizes and raises money for their resident designer — Hyde has spoken about his perspective on being a youth interested in fashion and participated in a takeover on Rightfully Sewn’s social media platforms to promote the gala.
When Hyde is speaking at a Golden Gala or attending Kansas City Fashion Week, he uses the events as an outlet to get especially creative in designing and putting together his outfits.
“Pinterest is something I draw a lot of inspiration from,” Hyde said. “I usually look up ‘New York street style’, ‘Tokyo street style’ or ‘pastel business.’ I like to look at what is trending, but make it different. I’m usually online shopping on ASOS or thrifting.”
When Hyde chooses to make a garment from scratch, it can take anywhere from days to months, depending on the time and motivation he has. Hyde typically hand sews and designs women’s wear or different pieces for Rightfully Sewn models, or to sell on his Depop account.
According to East sophomore Gigi Smith, Hyde’s biggest strength in the fashion industry is his uniqueness and desire to dress in a way that stands out — even at school, where he once wore a matching bright pink suit and blazer in the seventh grade.
Hyde hasn’t yet achieved his goal of hosting his own official fashion show yet, but models have worn his work as part of a show at Rightfully Sewn.
Even with the majority of Hyde’s Rightfully Sewn work being put on hold due to the pandemic, Hyde has still been able to attend virtual meetings and recently helped with Rightfully Sewn’s annual seminar, where the organization interviews a corporation or brand to tell their story.
The virtual seminar, held on Oct. 10, featured British artist and designer Patrick Church. Open to general admissions and discounted for students and teachers, the seminar featured a live Q&A session and a discussion by Church as he explained his life, art and brand. According to Lapka, the event was made possible because of Hyde and the relationship he made with Church in New York.
In early 2020, Hyde reached out to Church on Instagram after seeing his work and asked him to make a custom pair of jeans. When Hyde took a trip to New York shortly after, he messaged Church again asking to visit his studio.
“I’ve always wanted to go to New York and this was the perfect opportunity while I was there,” Hyde said. “[Church] was very kind, he liked the idea to make me custom jeans and invited me to his studio. I was able to meet [Church], his husband and see his products while learning so much about him.”
According to Hyde, one of the hardest parts about the fashion industry is the ability to get yourself out there and be noticed. While he uses his Instagram account to promote his own work and to post photos from fashion events, his biggest aid is being a part of Rightfully Sewn.
“He’s really advanced as far as his interests go,” Lapka said. “What he did for Rightfully Sewn in getting Patrick Church to be a part of our seminar is a perfect example of [Hyde’s] passion and capability, and his love for people too.”