Surrey WRAP students learn self-expression through fashion program
Published 4:00 pm Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Five of Surrey’s current and former students had the chance to participate in an experiential fashion co-operative in early December.
A group of students in the Surrey school district’s Wraparound (WRAP) program were able to discover their – as Surrey Schools puts it – “creative passion for fashion,” thanks to a new partnership between the school district and Solid State Community Industries.
Solid State Community Industries is a network made up of local organizations that support and celebrate the BIPOC community.
Students participated in the Reverie cohort, which focuses on sustainability and local production of limited-edition apparel.
This program gave students the opportunity to create logos and brands for their own fashion lines, developing skills with graphic design and screen printing to bring their creative visions to life.
Isay Khabral, a student at the North Surrey Learning Centre, shares that he found out about this program from his youth care worker.
“After I told him about my first piece with my Wicked World design, he put me on and connected me with the right people. It was hella fun. We went through the process and we made it happen,” explained Khabral.
“When I heard it was making clothes and doing designs and all that, I was interested because I like this kind of thing, fashion,” said Nishaun Sandhu, a student from Fraser Heights Secondary.
With guidance from the staff at Solid State, the group met twice a week over a six-month period.
They learned a lot during their time spent with Solid State, from design principles and the process of seeing a fashion idea all the way through to learning about different textures, colours, shapes and materials.
All of this was in preparation for their own designs getting ready for screen printing onto T-shirts and hoodies.
These students were tasked with coming up with their own brands, which led to the group ultimately finding their inspiration and creative direction in several common themes.
The students decided on centring their designs on loyalty, authenticity, truth and positivity.
“What inspired my design is my experience in life. Loyalty will always be with you, and if you don’t have it, you need it,” shared Sandhu as he spoke on his brand, Loyalty Above. “It’s a message for everyone that you need loyalty, connection, trust, and someone to talk to.”
Khabral shared that on the back of their sweatshirt it says “Forever Loyal.”
“No matter what anybody has done to me, staying true to myself has always bettered me and made me on top no matter what,” said Khabral.
Adam Alemseged from Frank Hurt Secondary shared that his brand was inspired by his parrots.
“I really love animals and care about my birds,” said Alemseged, who named his brand BOAF, which stands for “Birds of a Feather.”
“My project originated from music,” explained Mo Yahia. “It sort of turned into a different concept about time and how time is all around us, time is priceless. I’m trying to turn the whole concept around and look at it from a whole different perspective.”
Surrey Schools shared that the program also served to promote self-expression amongst youth through fashion, allowing them to embrace their creativity and share it with others.
Keishan Kollie, a friend of Sandhu’s, joined the group’s design efforts after he learned about the message they were trying to share through clothing.
“I liked the message so I wanted to help him promote what he’s doing and see him go far with it.”
The group shared their designs in a grand reveal event where family and friends joined them in celebration of the final product.
Across the board, the group stated this was a rewarding experience trying their hand at fashion and being able to see what they are capable of.
“It made us believe in ourselves,” said Khabral.
Khabral shared that the group intends to further collaborate on designs in the near future outside the program.
“As long as they’re with it, I’m with it,” said Kollie. “I’m always going to push forward as long as they are.”
The group’s process is featured in a video by Solid State and can be found here.
