
Artist sketch by designer Allison Murphy of the dress she designed for Tambi Lane Photography Studio as part of the 2014 Business Challenge

Artist sketch by designer Allison Murphy of the dress she designed for Tambi Lane Photography Studio as part of the 2014 Business Challenge
For our second artist, in our Behind the Scene Designer Series, we have the design team from Sara Bella Upcycled: Sara Wiener & Karlin Hedin. Sara Bella Upcycled has been a supporter of Rubbish Renewed since our inception when Sara donated bags for under the seat prizes. Each year Sara Bella Upcycled has participated as a Marketplace Vendor, Adult Designer or Business Challenge Designer. We love having this creative team transforming trash, inspiring community for a sustainable earth.
(link to 1st post of the series)
RR: What do you do in real life when you’re not designing and creating trash fashion?
SB: Mom, ski, workout, run Sara Bella Upcycled
RR: How did you get started as a trash fashion designer?
SB: I opened Sara Bella Upcycled and decided to make wearable pieces out of plastic bags.
RR: What inspires your creations?
SB: Various types of everyday clothing and event specific clothing, such as a wedding dresses, raincoats, chaps, vests, strapless dresses and boustiers, inspire me. Karlin and I collaborate on our designs. I design the fabric and she sews the garment. We work as a team on all of our creations at Sara Bella Upcycled and we love what we do.
RR: What is your current goal as a Trash Fashion Designer?
SB: My hope is to get enough plastic wrap from the SHE (Sustainable Health Enterprises) menstrual pads packaging to make a fashion piece out of. This would be a special way of acknowledging the amazing work SHE does in Rwanda for girls and women and to acknowledge my daughter’s (Bella) work to raise $50-60 thousand dollars for SHE through the Kilimanjaro SHE Climb in June of 2015.
This year Bend’s Makers District is one of three headline sponsors for Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show. The Makers District, located on First and Second streets between Greenwood and Olney avenues, is a collection of local companies in a semi-industrial but accessible city neighborhood. Sara Bella Upcycled is part of this inspired District.
Follow the links below for two other inspired trash fashion pieces created by Sara Bella Upcycled for Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show. 2011, 2010
It’s the trash fashion that IS the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show. Without it, there would be no event. Each designer brings his or her unique passion, inspiration, and creativity, but no matter their differences, a common bond lingers: transforming trash, inspiring community for a sustainable earth.
This season on our blog, we’ll showcase some of our artists in our Behind the Scene Designer Series. Enjoy the journey into the midden with trash fashionistas!
RR: What do you do in real life when you’re not designing and creating trash fashion?
TM: I’m a student at COCC and a mom, while working part time.
RR: How did you get started as a trash fashion designer?
TM: I had a friend bring me a bunch of inner tubes, because she was troubled by always tossing them away while working at a local sport shop. She told me I was creative and thought I should be able to come up with something. That’s exactly what I did. Starting with figuring out how to clean the tubes, and then all I had to do was to create something.
RR: What hooked you on our Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show event?
TM: Three years ago I was involved with the marketplace and found that I wanted to participate with the fashion show part more. So, I found a model and started getting into it the last two years.
RR: What inspires your creations?
TM: My daughter is my first inspiration, and I love being sustainable. Working with a material like inner tubes, teaches me to be flexible.
The 5th annual Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show is thrilled to welcome Tiina into the Business Challenge competition as the designer for Aspect Boards & Brews’ garment this season! Thanks Tiina for all you bring to the show. We can’t wait to see your trash transformation this year.
Students from 9 local schools submitted garments this year from three elementary, three middle, and three high schools. Rubbish Renewed has become a venue where young, inspired designers have a chance to try their hand at a public runway event. It takes tenacity, confidence, optimism, inspiration, and a willingness to fail and push through to create and submit a runway worthy garment. Recent studies have found that life success is not based on IQ or a felicity with academics, but in fact, the characteristics shared above. These young designers also showcase a love of the planet, by working with refuse.
The early show features student garments along side our business challenge and auction pieces. Come and support these burgeoning designers on Thursday, January 16th! All ages runway @ 6pm with doors at 5pm.

Recycle Cross
Designer: Olivia Barnes
Materials: bicycle: tubes, rims, chains, cogs . . .
Photo by Tambi Lane Photography

Go with the Flow
Designers: Sydney Scott & Annalee Pelayo
Materials: Shower curtain
Photo by Tambi Lane Photography
At the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show there is more than fabulous trash fashion. The spectacle of the runway is coupled with a unique Bend energy making it the hippest party in town.
Part of the character is created by delivering delicious local libations including Boneyard Beer, Bend Distillery‘s Crater Lake Vodka, Kombucha Mama & Crazy Dave’s Ginger Brew. And thanks to Velvet, they are all serve
d up with style and professionalism. I can’t wait to taste what Cory Hamilton has in store for the evening’s signature drink.
This is Velvet’s 3rd year supporting Rubbish Renewed. It’s a great match. Check out their hole-in-the-wall locale downtown on Wall Street. Modern decor, original drinks, friendly service, yummy food and great music fuse together during a typical evening at Velvet. Owned by local woman Cori Hamilton, Velvet is a must do for a truly lovely, local experience.
The talented trash fashion designer Panambi Elliot is featured in the January issue of Cascade A&E. Go to Cascade A&E, click on this months cover and flip to page 23 to learn more about Panambi’s rise to trash trophy glory! Not only is Panambi a talented designer, she has supported Rubbish Renewed with her artistic hair styling – transforming models into runway rarities. Panambi, you rock!
Today I’m sitting in my off the grid 9 foot by 12 foot cabin. A kindling fire generating sauna-like temperatures on this drizzly morning creates a cozy atmosphere. When I’m here, my impact is low. It’s like camping – go to bed when it’s dark and rise with the light. There’s a lot of time for reflection when the world slows down. So I think, or re-think my impact on the world . . .

Rubbish Renewed is all about re-thinking waste. In fact our tag line is Transforming trash, inspiring community for a sustainable earth. The purpose of trash fashion is to inspire individual and community thinking to shift and more importantly to motivate people to action.
Set an intention. What shift can you make from now on to lessen your impact on the earth?
The Rethink Waste Project helps Deschutes County residents and businesses make a difference through reducing, reusing, recycling and composting. Get all the info you need to rethink your waste at rethinkwastep roject.org. At the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show, use our refuse stations to minimize your impact on our planet.
The biggest way I lessen my impact on the environment is to focus my purchasing power locally. This makes my carbon footprint significantly smaller, especially if I ride my bike or walk to buy it.
Lucky for me, Boneyard Beer is walking distance from my house. An afternoon stroll in the hood often ends in a visit to the tasting room, a hole in the wall in a neighborhood industrial building. A growler only spot, no bottles, no cans, less impact.
Boneyard was started with one goal I mind: Make a great beer! To overcome the hurdle of making large quantities without large sums of money, they forged the brewery from beer rendering rubbish, a perfect fit with our Rubbish Renewed mission.
Lucky for Rubbish Renewed they have supported us since our beginning. Year two, when we ran out of beer, they hurried home to the warehouse and snatched up another keg. All the proceeds benefited REALMS! Thanks Boneyard for your generosity.
This year Boneyard is not only supporting us with beer they are entered in the Business Challenge vying for trash fashion glory! Check out Boneyard Beer at the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show. It’s local, uses repurposed equipment, and it’s delicious.
Transforming trash, inspiring community for a sustainable earth. Some might say this tag line is a little grand for a fashion show motivated by trash creativity. But in fact our goal is to educate, inspire,entertain and take action to help create a more sustainably minded community.
Our first year, when we started planning Rubbish Renewed, we searched for like-minded organizations to collaborate with. We immediately encountered The Bend Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Like us their mission is to engage the community, not just thinking about their impact on the environment, but acting on it.
If you’ve never been, the ReStore is the ideal place to find treasures of used and surplus home improvement items. Donate your no longer needed building materials, appliances and home furnishings or discover that special object you were looking for. All proceeds benefit Bend Area Habitat for Humanity, providing home ownership, home repair & weatherization services for hard-working, low-income local families and individuals.
With an eye on the environment and the support of an important community cause, ReStore is the go to place for all your home improvement needs. Check out their offerings including a new “line” of up-cycled merchandise.