Last weekend, I had the opportunity to compete in SCAD Resident Life and Housing’s ABC Fashion Show. For this competition, two of my friends and I were tasked with creating a garment from recycled materials (Anything But Cloth). These materials included newspapers, magazines, plastic bottles, garbage bags, telephone books, etc. The goal was to rejuvenate these materials into a unique garment, and create a cohesive look to be worn in a small-scale runway show.
My group and I wanted to create a textural, futuristic inspired look. The vest was folded into form using newspaper, and then covered in duct tape. We then implanted plastic bottle caps with additional duct tape to embellish the shoulders. For the bandeau style top, I crocheted strips of plastic shopping bags that had been tied together. The skirt was made by lining a large, clear plastic bag with pages from a telephone book. We used additional pages on the hem of the skirt to create “flowers” for a more dynamic look.
The best part of the competition (in addition to winning first place) was seeing how all of the groups manipulated the materials provided to create interesting garments. The results varied from fringe dresses to evening gowns. In the spirit of the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” I was reminded that just because some materials are unconventional or out of the box, it doesn’t mean they don’t possess certain elements of beauty.
Photo by Erin Walkey
Model: Caroline Nielsen