Students in the Hanks High School fashion design program are getting a hands-on opportunity to style their peers, promote sustainable shopping, and gain real-world career experience.

Through a partnership between the campus and The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso, the school has launched a new Forever Swap Boutique, which is based on one simple premise: Unused clothes sitting in one student’s closet could easily become the perfect outfit for another.

As part of its partnership with the school, the Outlet Shoppes provided store fixtures and ongoing support to the fashion design program to help create a welcoming, store-like environment for the Forever Swap Boutique, which allows students to bring in gently used clothing and exchange it for pieces that are new to them.

Organizers say the goal is to ensure no student goes without the clothing they need to feel confident and stylish. But the Forever Swap Boutique is more than just a clothing exchange program – Hanks HS students are involved in every step of managing the boutique, including collecting, washing, organizing, merchandising, and displaying the inventory.

Special Education students also assist with the boutique so they can build practical life and job skills like customer service, inventory organization, and retail management. The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso is also exploring a monthly incentive program where a participating Hanks HS student may receive a $25 gift card toward new apparel.