Earth Day Thrift Challenge
Goodwill Challenge 2026
Wear Something Meaningful
ANNUAL THRIFT CHALLENGE
Goodwill Challenge 2026
It started in 2019 with a fashion-inspired challenge and a Goodwill shopping bag. Since then, we've used every Earth Day as a reason to send high schoolers into thrift stores with a creative theme as their guide. Each year, the only rule is that everything has to come from a second-hand store. This year, we're returning to where it all began: fashion.
WIN a full professional Photo Shoot
The Challenge is open to all high school age girls and guys
Thrift it. Style it. Own it. Build a New York Fashion Week–worthy look sourced completely from thrift, Goodwill, consignment, or vintage stores. Sign up for a mini shoot session to be photographed and watch for the winner announcement on Earth Day, April 22, 2026.
NYFW 2026
April 11 & 12
April 22, 2026
where it started - 2019
Fashion-Inspired
The very first challenge. The Planet Photo Tribe were sent to thrift stores with runway images for inspiration — the same premise we're returning to in 2026. Full circle.
the years in between
Many Themes, One Rule
Over the years, the challenge has taken on many different shapes. Some years the theme has been a TV show or movie, we have hunted for Stranger Things 80s nostalgia, Daisy Jones & The Six 70s rock glamour, and full Barbie-pink Barbie core looks, all sourced from thrift stores. The theme changes. The rule never does: everything has to come from a second-hand store.
Each theme is really just a different lens for the same creative exercise. Teaching you to walk into a thrift store with intention, to see possibility in a rack of forgotten clothes, and to leave with something that surprises even yourself.
full circle
Back to The Runway
NYFW 2026 is the inspiration. The thrift store is the source. Seven years after it all started, we're back to fashion — and this time, the stakes are higher.
The 2026 Earth Day Thrift Challenge asks you to take real trends from the 2026 New York Fashion Week runways and interpret them through a thrift store lens. We can't wait to see your outfits!
The key word is interpret. This is not a copycat challenge. You probably won't find a designer gown at Goodwill. But you will find a blazer that speaks to this year's silhouette. You'll find a brooch in the jewelry case that echoes what Ralph Lauren pinned on his models.
That's the creative leap we're asking for and we have absolutely no doubt you'll clear it.
goodwill challenge
how it works
The Rules
Before you go thrifting, study the real NYFW 2026 collections and fashion week street styles. Take in the colors, the silhouettes, the energy. Then hit Goodwill and interpret it in your own way. You cannot recreate an exact look but you CAN channel the vibe.
New York Fashion week meets goodwill
NYFW Inspired Portraits
Check out Pinterest for the trends on the runway and on the streets during fashion week in 2026
01 - So Many Scalves
Solids, patterns, stripes and botanicals; scalves and bows were seen on and off the runway.
Thrift Hunt: a vintage shawl or scarf, a poncho, or a duster coat.
02 - Brooch Boss
Pins and brooches were on every major runway. Ralph Lauren's art-deco gems or Coach's silver hearts.
Thrift Hunt: Dig into the jewelry case. Stack 2–3 brooches on a lapel for extra drama.
03 - Eggplant Era
Deep plum and eggplant flooded the Fall 2026 collections. Rich, moody, and completely wearable.
Thrift Hunt: Any plum, purple, or dark burgundy piece. Pair with black or cream for max impact.
05 - Reworked Suiting
Cropped, asymmetric, oversized — suits gone strange.
Thrift Hunt: Check the men's department and use a belt to create a new silhouette.
04 - Red Alert
From cherry to ruby, red was THE color at NYFW. Michael Kors went full crimson. It's impossible to ignore.
Thrift Hunt: A red satin blouse, vintage windbreaker, red denim, or sequined top. Even a red belt counts.
06 - Mix the Patterns
Stripes on plaids on florals — more IS more. Look for lace.
Thrift Hunt: This is not your usual outfit, go loud and and have fun with fabrics.
WHY AN EARTH DAY THRIFT CHALLENGE.
The fashion industry is one of the world's largest polluters
This isn't a talking point, it's one of the most well-documented environmental crises we face. The clothing industry produces roughly 10% of global carbon emissions annually, and an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste ends up in landfills every year.
When we pair Earth Day with a thrift challenge, we're not just having fun with fashion, we're making a point that everyone can see, feel, and wear. Every thrifted outfit is a direct act of extending a garment's life, reducing demand for new production, and choosing the circular economy over the fast fashion one.
The best part? You end up with something no one else has. Something that tells a story. Something entirely your own.
92M
Tons of textile waste per year globally
$0
10%
The winner of the challenge takes home something EVEN bigger: a complete professional photo shoot. Not an iphone selfie. A real session, with real lighting, for a look you built yourself from a thrift store rack.
That's the point of the prize. It says: what you made is worth documenting beautifully. And we believe it every single year.