Category Archives: Trash Fashion

Rubbish Renewed Live Auction – It’s a fundraiser!

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Friends, acquaintances, and at times strangers often remind me, that the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show is their favorite event of the year. People of all ages love the energy, art, and message of the evening. However, many of those same people don’t realize that Rubbish Renewed is a fundraising event for REALMS Magnet School and supports the unique programing that makes REALMS a place where rigor, relevance, and relationships intersect.

We carefully select 6-8 auction items from adult designers who want to donate to the goal. Check out these pieces, from generous designers, and come ready to bid!  Click on the image to learn more about the item and designer.

Put the Needle on the Record Designer: Mayra Stearns Materials: records, doilies, linens and sheet music

Put the Needle on the Record
Designer: Mayra Stearns

Corporate Meeting on the Rocks Designer: Karen Holm Model: Leah Williamson Materials: Climbing Webbing scrap ends

Corporate Meeting on the Rocks
Designer: Karen Holm

Natural Edge Furniture Designer: Kassy Windus Model: Hannah Tarrant Materials: Spent sandpaper

Natural Edge Furniture
Designer: Kassy Windus

 

 

Mt. Bachelor Designers: Andria Zippler, Denise Ellington, Sam Whitman, Stephanie Kirpach, Martha Jeffers Materials: old Mt.Bachelor trail map (wings), old banner that says, "snow", etc

Mt. Bachelor
Snowstorm Diva

The Ventilator Designer: MAURICE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_0537

ReStore Sublimity

Playing it Safe Designer: Kelly Powell Model: Courtney Finstad Materials: plastic safeway bags & fabric remnants

Playing it Safe
Designer: Kelly Powell

PHOTO SHOOT: looking ahead to the runway

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4 weeks before garments need to be runway ready, on December 17th, a small group of designers, models and Rubbish Renewed volunteers gathered at Tambi Lane Photography for our pre-show photo shoot. Photographs are focused on Business Challenge participants, garments being donated to our live fundraising auction, and student garments (completed garments enter a lottery for the final few spaces).  The end result is to present you with a sneak peak of the richness to come. We couldn’t create this professional shoot without the wonderfully talented Bishops Barbershop’s masterful hair, and Mayra Stearn & Arenal Hruby makeup magic! Tambi Lane Photography not only contributes the sweet space, but once again, Tambi made the garments come alive in a fun and supportive atmosphere.

STUDENT GARMENTS – Click on the photo to link to the student garments
Fruity Tutui Designer/Model: Fiona Wright Material: fruit bags and netting, potato sacks, newspaper bags, flour sacks

Fruity Tutui
Designer/Model: Fiona Wright
Material: fruit bags and netting, potato sacks, newspaper bags, flour sacks

BUSINESS CHALLENGE – Click on the photo to link to the Business Challenge
Mt. Bachelor Designers: Andria Zippler, Denise Ellington, Sam Whitman, Stephanie Kirpach, Martha Jeffers Materials: old Mt.Bachelor trail map (wings), old banner that says, "snow", etc

Mt. Bachelor
Designers: Andria Zippler, Denise Ellington, Sam Whitman, Stephanie Kirpach, Martha Jeffers
Materials: old Mt.Bachelor trail map (wings), old banner that says, “snow”, etc

AUCTION GARMENTS –  Click on the photo to link to the auction garments
Put the Needle on the Record Designer: Mayra Stearns Materials: records, doilies, linens and sheet music

Put the Needle on the Record
Designer: Mayra Stearns
Materials: records, doilies, linens and sheet music

 

 

Get your tickets today at rubbishrenewed.com for one or both of our shows on January 14th at the Midtown Music Hall.

First show showcases Student Garments, Business Challenge, and our Live Auction Items.  Second show is 21 and over and highlights Adult Garments, Business Challenge, and our Live Auction Items.

 

Garment Submissions In!

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drawing

Mock up drawing from student submission

The Rubbish Renewed garment submission deadline has come and gone and we were blown away by the quality and quantity of submissions this year! The adult garment slots filled up with the most diverse designs yet. And we had almost 50 student submissions from 10 schools for only 20ish student spots. Decisions were tough for the jury, but found sticking to the criteria the way to narrow the field:

  • Furthering Rubbish Renewed Mission – Description & piece communicates Transforming trash, inspiring community for a sustainable earth
  • Use of Materials – Transformation of trash into fashion. Shows attention to manipulation of materials.
  • Design – Coherence; Innovative techniques; unique aesthetics; creative expression.
  • Quality of Construction – Construction methods inspire long-term use.
mag weave

Material manipulation from student submission

Every design met at least 2 of these criteria, but the ones that made the cut, focused on all.

Thank you submitting designers for your dedication to the planet, to quality, sustainable fashion, and belief in making a difference one small action at a time.

Garment Submission Deadline Friday!

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Screen Shot 2015-11-29 at 6.06.33 PMJust 5 days until the Rubbish Renewed garment design submission deadline, and entries are beginning to roll in. It’s not how far along my garment is or isn’t that usually keeps me from submitting early, it’s the name. I’m not sure what makes that so hard for me, or even why it’s important, but somehow I always find coming up with the perfect name a barrier to submission.

I think it stems from my childhood. Every time my dad, an expert in native arts, would complete a new book, our family would spend hours sitting around the dinner table brainstorming titles. We usually started with serious ideas then quickly digressed into puns or silly names only loosely connected. In the end, the publisher rarely used our creative titles, but instead named the book something dry and what we thought, insignificant. I digress . . .

This year I’m submitting early, and that is, today. I’m ready with photos of completed sections of the garment showing how I’m manipulating materials, and since I’m not finished, clear sketches of the front and back. I have a name (even if not perfect), and a short written description (3-5 sentences) of my piece -materials, inspiration, and connection to the mission. All I have to do is fill out the online application, pay my $20 submission fee using the Paypal link, and email my photos to rubbishrenewed@gmail.com. Now I can spend my spare moments this week working on the garment, not on stressing about the submission deadline.

We can’t wait to see what you’re creating!

 

2015 Student Runway Gallery Posted

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T-Time Designer & Model: Lily McNabb Materials: Tea bag wrappers

T-Time
Designer & Model: Lily McNabb
Materials: Tea bag wrappers

Inspiring students rewards all of us. As a teacher, seeing students create a goal, persevere through challenges and meet that goal, is the best. And when that goal includes taking care of the planet, it’s even better. I’ve had a chance to teach, mentor, assist, problem solve, and push students each year to enter in the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show. Many life skills come out of this experience and the 2015 Gallery shares the fruits of this labor. Thanks for all the determination, resilience, and follow-through shown by these student designers. We can’t wait to see what they bring this year.

Only 3 1/2 weeks to the submission deadline!

Check out the new 2015 Student Runway gallery posted today! Photos by Tambi Lane Photography.

 

2015 Adult Runway Gallery Posted!

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RubbishRenewed_Runway_2015-6626 copy

True Contours
Designer: Karen Holm
Materials: slide sleeves & topo maps

As luck would have it, I get to peruse Tambi Lane Photography runway photos from last year’s Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show.  Thumbing through the images immediately brought me back to the green room on the evening of January 15th. . . Examining the garments up close illuminates the quality of construction and the intricacy of work (manifested in many hours) that goes into manipulating rubbish into fashion. Textures and tricky techniques abound. Our goal is to continue to push designers in material choices (see post Organic Matter isn’t Rubbish), uniqueness of design and quality construction.

Check out the new Runway 2015 Adult Designer Runway gallery, posted today! Runway photos by Tambi Lane Photography.

PROJECT RUNWAY USES REAL REFUSE FOR ONCE

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The winning design. Kelly Dempsey creates this textured dress with small pieces of metal ducting.

Kelly Dempsey creates this textured dress with cut pieces of metal ducting.

Ashley Tipton plays with Polaroids.

Ashley Tipton plays with Polaroids.

Project Runway is known for it’s unconventional challenge. Each season, on at least one episode, show designers run to retrieve something unfabric-like, sponsored by some corporation or another. Although unconventional, the objects are new material that is re-envisioned into fashion. Designers use base fabric and hot glue to construct something unique. However amazing, this is not Trash Fashion. (Read our last post “Organic Matter isn’t Rubbish”).

This season, episode 7, used real refuse for once! “The designers go dumpster diving for recycled electronics in order to merge the worlds of fashion and technology.” Although they still use muslin (new material – not allowed in Rubbish Renewed) for base fabric and many use hot glue to assemble the garment, the concept hits the mark. See how these designers manipulate materials, using the innate qualities to push the fashion forward!

How will you stretch your use of materials this season?

Edmond Newton & Candice Cuoco use keyboard keys, wire, and mouse pads.

Edmond Newton & Candice Cuoco use keyboard keys, wire, and mouse pads.

PHOTO SHOOT SNEAK PEAK

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Thursday, December 18th, Rubbish Renewed gathered 15 garments at Tambi Lane Photography for our pre-show photo shoot. We invited Business Challenge participants, live auction item designers, and had a lottery of students for our final few spots. 2 of our 10 Business Challenge garments came, and 7 of 9 auction items. We filled the final spots with a lottery selection of completed student submissions. Thank you Bishops Barbershop for the exquisite hair, Kimberly Harwood for the makeup glow and Tambi Lane Photography, our Rubbish Renewed official photographer, for your masterful vision and photo execution! Here is a sneak peak of what is to come at the show on Thursday, January 15th.

AUCTION GARMENTS –  Click on the photo to link to the auction garments
Designer: Paula Bullwinkel Materials: Old Curtain & photo photocopies

Auction Item
Designer: Paula Bullwinkel
Materials: Old Curtain & photo photocopies

 

 

BUSINESS CHALLENGE – Click on the photo to link to the Business Challenge
Rubbish_PreShow_sm-4911

Business Challenge: Stringsoil
Designer: NSpekktor
Materials:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STUDENT GARMENTS – Click on the photo to link to the student garments
Rubbish_PreShow_sm-5151

Student Designer: Sydney Phillips
Materials:

RR Student Designers in Action

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Friday I captured this time-lapse in the REALMS Rubbish Renewed Elective.  Look closely in this 30 second video to see 5 different students using these 2 sewing machines to complete garments!  Check out their quotes below to see what a few students learned while creating garments to submit to the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show.

I learned:
  • How to use a sewing machine.
  • When something falls apart, cry for a minute, then get back up and keep working.
  • To see shapes differently. I can make 2-D pieces fit 3-D people.
  • That good design takes time.
  • How to go from nothing into something.
  • Fashion can be sustainable.
  • To really look at materials to see what they can become.
  • That through my actions, I can make a difference for the earth.

(Sewing machines were purchased 2 years ago from Rubbish Renewed fundraising proceeds.  All 6th graders now have a chance to learn to use a sewing machine)!