In a world of increasingly fast fashion and fleeting trends, one MSU senior has put together a different narrative; one rooted in sustainability, style and Spartan spirit. From Chelsea Van Der Meulen’s passion for the environment and simple life skills has come a sustainable and equitable clothing line made right on campus at Spartan Linen Services (SLS).
Making a More Beautiful World
Van Der Meulen grew up outdoors gardening with her mom. As a senior at MSU, she’s noticed changes in the environment over the years. She described the world as bleak and ugly with noticeable changes to the climate.
“It made me feel sad to step outside,” Van Der Meulen says. “I wish I could have grown up in a more beautiful world.”
Part of this bleak-looking world may be attributed to the growing fast-fashion industry, a harmful practice that produces low-quality clothing at high quantities with an eye only for profits. This is the anthesis to what Van Der Meulen wants for the world and for the fashion industry.
“I want companies to care more about the well-being and personal development of customers,” Van Der Meulen says. “I wish we all had the ability to develop our own style and personality rather than being force fed products by companies.”
With her own drive, creativity and the help of SLS, Van Der Meulen has developed her own style at the intersection of apparel, textiles, customer satisfaction and environmental sustainability.
“You don’t have to wear things that are uncomfortable and cheap,” Vam Der Meulen says. “I think it’s valuable to have an active stake in what you’re wearing and putting on your body.”
Van Der Meulen believes clothes are an important part of a person’s individuality, an aspect that has been lost with the rise of trendy, fast-fashion style clothes. She set out to bring this sense of individuality through environmentally sustainable fashion to MSU and the Division of Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS).
Creative Dream to Retail Reality
SLS staff asked Van Der Meulen for a student perspective on what should be sold in the storefront at the SLS building. The first thought she had was vintage MSU merch, which usually, she says, is a thick, heavyweight cotton material. This is the inspiration for the fantastic quality yet sustainable 100% organic cotton clothing line.
“I was basing it off what I heard my friends saying they wanted to wear,” Van Der Meulen says. “I wanted, for example, a nice crew neck you could wear under a coat or something to a football game.”
Items available in Van Der Meulen’s Sustainable Style collection include this gray hoodie for $49.99.
This black and gray baseball style shirt for $19.99.
This crème crew neck with a unique Beaumont Tower design for $29.99, as well as a T-shirt with the same design for $14.99.
“My supervisor has told me she’s heard people raving about the line,” Van Der Meulen says. “People have been saying, ‘I love this sweatshirt.’ I’ve seen a lot of parents who are looking for different MSU merch to support their children or alumni seeing an old logo who’ve said how cool it is. People are really excited to see new stuff they haven’t seen before.”
Van Der Meulen strived to develop a quality, long lasting clothing line that doesn’t require any synthetic materials — materials manufactured in plants that contribute to the climate harm of the fast-fashion industry.
MSU’s University Trademarks and Licensing aided Van Der Meulen in communicating what logos she could use, and SLS made it possible for Van Der Meulen’s creative dream to become a retail reality.
Spartan Linen Services and RHS
Alongside gardening, Van Der Meulen grew up knowing how to sew, and it was this skill that got her a job with SLS doing embroidering. With SLS, she’s come across almost every kind of clothing. This experience helped her design her clothing line to be sustainable and stylish as well as affordable.
“It’s been fun having a job where I’m developing a skill that I’m actually interested in,” Van Der Meulen says. “Everyone here is really nice, and I really do love it here.”
People from all parts of MSU come into the SLS store with all types of clothes to be embroidered. For Van Der Meulen, helping the MSU community look the way they want is a fulfilling aspect of her employment experience within RHS.
“It’s a good way for employees to be able to show up to work looking nice and having nice uniforms,” Van Der Meulen says. “Having a logo embroidered rather than screen printed honestly makes a big difference.”
From an Infrastructure Planning and Facilities wanting his children’s names embroidered on their lunch boxes to a mother getting her baby’s name embroidered on a swaddle, Van Der Meulen has had a heartwarming experience working with SLS.
This positive experience combined with her experience handling a variety of apparel during her day-to-day duties, Van Der Meulen has developed a more nuanced perspective on the use of synthetic materials and the larger fashion industry.
“My original perspective was that synthetic materials are terrible,” Van Der Meulen says. “Now I realize there’s a payoff. With workwear, for example, it’s not synthetic because it’s cheaper to produce. It’s synthetic so it doesn’t go up in flames near a fire.”
This refreshed perspective is in no small part due to her experience with SLS, and it’s something she’ll carry with her in her future endeavors.
“The embroidery has opened up a whole new skill for me,” Van Der Meulen says. “Once I graduate, I’m going to try to find an embroidery shop to work at because I love it so much. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Find the Sustainable Style clothing line at Spartan Linen Service’s storefront on campus at 373 Service Road, open 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Author: Zachary Phelps