Dan McLean is at the forefront of sustainable fashion in Seattle, WA. Since graduating from Seattle Central College’s apparel design program in 2019, Dan has gone on to dress names such as Megan Rapinoe and Ezi Magbegor and has been named Seattle’s most influential person in fashion in 2024 by Seattle magazine.

Working out of her SODO studio, Dan upcycles thrifted garments and works with vintage or secondhand fabrics. “I love the idea of deconstructing something and turning it into something else,” McLean says. “When it comes to sustainability, you can’t shove it in people’s faces; it has to be a natural progression. For me, working sustainably, reusing fabric, buying secondhand — it’s just the right thing to do.”

Dan is also widely known for her “bootleg” designs, which she lovingly refers to as “fan art”. These designs are original and hand-made using re-purposed fabrics. Each piece is unique, well made, and one of a kind. They are not "knock-off" or "fake", meaning they are not created to replicate another designers work. 

While some are quick to write off Seattle as a fashion forward city, Dan is passionate about putting Seattle on the map for fashion. “I have such a connection to this city,” McLean says. “There’s so much happening and so many people doing cool things. I feel like once people get famous here, they move away to New York or LA, and they say, ‘Oh, there’s not enough here.’ I disagree. I don’t need to take my shows to New York. I want Seattle to be a stop during Fashion Week.”

Dan hosted her first runway show in July of 2022. Since then she has produced 3 more sold out runway shows displaying her dynamic creations. She was also a featured artist at Bumbershoot 2023. These runway shows have invigorated the Seattle fashion scene and brought together a warm community of like minded individuals. 

“Seattle is going to be a big place for sustainable fashion,” McLean declares. “We don’t even second-guess being sustainable, it’s just the way we are.”