Top “trashion” designers and upcycling aficionados are sharing their unique creations made from 100% used, discarded and repurposed materials during Washington State Recycling Association’s third annual Recycled Fashion Show at The Davenport Hotel in the Grand Pennington Ballroom. This fun, family-friendly show starts at 6:00pm on Monday, May 18 and is open to the public for $20. The show is a part of the annual WSRA Conference being held May 17-20. The goal of this highly anticipated show is to raise awareness about the vast array of materials we accumulate and encourage participants and audience members to think creatively about reuse and recycling. Every outfit to hit the catwalk was made by hand, and showcases many materials that were otherwise landfill-bound.
Designs were created by a wide variety of individuals across Washington, including professional designers, ambitious trashion design enthusiasts and designers-in-training from design schools across the state including Sanford-Brown College. All student designs entered in the show will be eligible for audience awards. The show will also feature designs from nationally known Recycle Runway founder, Nancy Judd. Nancy creates sculptures that appear to be couture fashions but are made from trash. She exhibits her work in high-traffic public locations around the US to inspire action around conservation of resources. Her traveling exhibition called ReDress: Upcycled Style is touring museums around the United States, and one of her most important pieces, the Obamanos Coat, is in the Smithsonian Museum’s permanent collection. Nancy’s work has been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, in Delta Air Line’s in-flight magazine and in media outlets around the world. Companies and organizations such as Delta Air Lines, Toyota, Coca-Cola and Target have sponsored her sculptures and exhibitions. Currently she is creating work for a 2nd exhibition in the Atlanta International Airport in 2017. Nancy will co-emcee the event with Washington blogger, The Reuser, Terra Heilman. “Expect the unexpected at this show – if it can be thrown away, it’s fair game!” says Candy Castellanos, WSRA board member and Public Education Manager, Waste Management PNW. “Designers used everything at their disposal including plastic bottles, food packaging, soda pop tops, junk mail and plastic grocery bags that were woven, crocheted, pleated or sewn.”
Thirty “fashionista” leaders from the Washington State recycling industry and students will flaunt the designer detritus on the catwalk while the emcees details the surprising source and vision behind each outfit. “The Recycled Fashion Show is a wonderful way to bring together creativity and sustainability,” said fashion show coordinator Abby Christensen, Revenue Share Administrator for the Northwest Area with Republic Services. “Attendees should be prepared to be awed by haute trash couture and inspired to view their waste differently!” The show is generously sponsored by the following WSRA members: Kitsap County, Recology CleanScapes, City of Bellevue, Buffalo Export, City of Auburn, SMART, Council for Textile Recycling, PRR, Sunshine Disposal and Recycling, Wilder Environmental Consulting, Cascadia Consulting Group, and C+C.
For more information, visit www.wsra.net