Every year Framingham State University has their annual Trashion Show hosted by the Fashion Club. The Trashion Show is a competition where designers are challenged to create a garment using at least 75% unconventional materials. Materials range anywhere from trash bags, to shower curtains, to coffee filters, to human hair, and more! Judges look for creativity and construction when determining 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. In addition, this event is interactive as it gets the audience involved by voting for Viewer’s Choice.
Last year was the first year I attended the Trashion Show. Thus, I was able to view the audience’s perspective. A year later, I not only designed a garment for the show, but I am also on executive board for Fashion Club. Therefore, I was able to experience both aspects of the behind-the-scenes and all the hard work that goes into the Trashion Show.
As Secretary of Fashion Club, I helped with the production aspect of the show. From the beginning of the semester up to November 2nd, (the day of the show) I helped spread the word about the Trashion Show to our club members, designers, friends, students, and anyone who might be interested in the event. I collected and organized designer contracts where each designer signed their name and described what materials they would be using for their garment. I helped with reaching out to professors and asking them if they would like to help with judging the garments for the show. Advertising and promoting the event on our club’s social media platforms were other ways I contributed to the production of the show. Handing out brochures to the audience at the event was another way I helped with the behind-the-scenes portion of the show. I also helped handout/collect slips of paper for the audience to use to vote for Viewer’s Choice. Finally, I helped count these pieces of paper and keep track of the votes to determine our Viewer’s Choice winner.
As a designer, I was able to experience the creativity that goes into making a garment for the Trashion Show. I first started my garment over the summer because I knew I would have more free time then and more access to materials. When making my garment I was thinking of materials that would not only be sturdy, but easy to manipulate into the look I was going for. What came to mind was a lampshade and an inflatable kiddie pool. I ended up using the lampshade for a skirt and I hand-sewed the inflatable kiddie pool to make a top. For embellishment I hot-glued fake flowers onto the garment. Originally, the kiddie pool was a bright baby blue. However, I painted over the kiddie pool plastic so it would match the fake flowers to form a cohesive look. To help hold up the lampshade I wrapped twine around the boning of the lampshade and secured the twine at the top of my model, sort of like a halter top.
I have attached a picture of my garment as well as the other garments that were entered in the Trashion Show. First place was the garment on the far right. The designer used trash bags, human hair, a faux fur scarf, and latex gloves to create her look. Second place was the second garment in from the right (right next to the first place garment). The designer used wrapping paper, tape, faux evergreen branches, wire, velcro stickers, foam/stickers, craft mesh, and fake snow to create her look. Third place was the garment all the way on the far left. This designer used magazines, shipping tape, coat hangers, and wires to create her look. Finally, Viewer’s Choice was won by a group of three designers who made their garment out of caution tape, poster board, tape, red solo cups and glitter.
Although my garment did not win, I was still extremely proud of myself for completing my look and presenting it in the Trashion Show. This event pushed me to create a piece that I worked hard to make as I was faced with the challenges of using unconventional materials, figuring out the fitting of the garment on my model, and making sure the look was cohesive. I want to give a special thanks to not only my model, but a good friend of mine (and a fellow Her Campus member) Brittany Stout. She was very patient and supportive through the whole process. I could not have asked for a better model to strut my look at the Trashion Show!