About HARIN 

HARIN stands for Helping AwaReness In Nature.

This eco-friendly project was launched in 2023 by two friends: Hannah Cho, an environmental researcher and author of the children’s book Earth Guardian, and Irene Son, a visual artist and founder of sustainable accessory brand ARIN.

 

At the Orange County School of the Arts’ Winter Market, Irene realized that the idea of upcycling was appealing to many other students who cared about the climate but didn’t know how to positively contribute. She was inspired by a mixed media piece she created incorporating elements of oil painting and denim. 

 

Meanwhile, based off her book, Hannah was developing an environmental sustainability curriculum for students at Newport Harbor High School and Gigi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center in Orange County.

 

Recognizing the harmful consequences of jean manufacturing–including extensive water usage, the release of harmful chemicals from dyeing processes, and significant carbon emissions–we both started brainstorming simple ways to minimize waste from worn-out jeans and repurpose them into something new and usable once again.

 

We decided to design workshops educating young people about upcycling denim fabrics to mitigate the effects of fast fashion. Irene designed and created the items featured in our workshops, while Hannah dedicated her efforts to teaching children about sustainability and environmental conservation.

 

Because the younger generation will most directly face climate change, they decided that elementary school students would be the initial target audience. By instilling environmental responsibility from a young age, Irene and Hannah believe that they will be able to shift mindsets and make sustainability something children are excited about.