Free RR Design Workshop collaboration with DIYcave!

How can I create something from nothing?

What is the value of trash beyond the landfill?

What is its story?

Sign up for one of the first ever Rubbish Renewed free organized community design workshops! Rubbish Renewed is partnering with DIYcave to inspire and support new and burgeoning trash fashion designers of all ages. We created two 2-hour workshops to help jump start your vision with an additional 1-hour free studio time gift card from DIYcave.

Space is limited to 12 participants for each workshop. We will have several dedicated designers, material manipulators, and technical teachers to meet you where you are in the process. Come with garment ideas, material samples, and an open mind! Sign-up for one by clicking the linked dates below.

Rubbish Renewed Design Workshop 1: Friday, February 21st 4-6pm

Rubbish Renewed Design Workshop 2: Friday, March 7th 4-6pm

We can’t wait to see what you create!

Community Action: 2024 Business Challenge Gallery Posted

In Bend, we have the power to create a holistic sustainable community. More than just action around waste, it’s about access to affordable housing, supporting local farms and food production, prioritizing employee well-being, creating green-spaces and access for recreating and habitat in these, shifting status quo policies surrounding waste and distribute items for reuse, establishing safe routes for biking and walking… The 2024 Rubbish Renewed Business Challenge participants are making a difference through local, community focused practices, that empower people, and ultimately contribute to a better world. It’s more important than ever to step up and get involved.

That’s why we love the Rubbish Renewed Business Challenge! We get to highlight the sustainable work of local businesses who take community action. Link to 2024 Business Challenge Garment Gallery.

Pictured: Bend Anesthesiology Group “AETERNUM”, ReStore “AMPED-UP EVERYDAY HERO”, Lonza “SCIENCE WEATHERS THE STORM”, Humm “TIDE TOGETHER“

This year ReStore, Gear Fix, Lonza, Humm Kombucha, and Brave Collective returned to the competition and Bend Anesthesiology Group, Jackson’s Corner, and Oregon Adaptive Sports joined for their first Business Challenge. They came together to celebrate sustainability, support Realms education, and compete for the Coveted Trash Trophy.

Celebrate environmentally conscious businesses by experiencing the 2024 Business Challenge Garment Gallery through the diverse photos from Joe Kline, Kimberly Teichrow Photography, and Melissa Dholakia.

Rubbish Renewed Revival

After the nearly 2-year plunge into the pandemic, we are finally coming up for air and reviving Rubbish Renewed!

Student designers/models – unaware of life changes ahead. Photo: Jazmine Turner Photography

The pandemic seemed to come out of nowhere. Suddenly life drastically changed. As teachers, we had to rethink, redesign, readjust, and renew our commitment to students in a completely new environment. The first balls dropped were the things not immediately in front of us. Rubbish Renewed fell into the pandemic abyss.

Now, somewhat adjusted to our new normal, it’s time to reacquaint ourselves with the Rubbish Renewed mission and inflate the balls that we dropped after the 10th annual Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show!

Scraps from old dress, upholstery project, old pillow sham, aunt’s closet . . .

During the pandemic many of us included in our lives the essence of the Rubbish Renewed tagline – transforming trash, inspiring community for a sustainable earth! Discarded scraps of fabric became one of the most common community connectors. Ordinary people created masks for family, friends and colleagues, out of those little pieces of fabric they just couldn’t throw away. My sister, a Rubbish Renewed designer from the past 2 shows, lives in Belgium. She made more than 200 masks to give to family, friends, and neighbors. And that’s a tiny amount compared to some.

Email us your pandemic story that communicates the intention of the Rubbish Renewed mission to rubbishrenewed@gmail.com. We will share some in future posts at http://atomic-temporary-26094847.wpcomstaging.com

Coming Soon:

Anticipate mesmerizing photos by Jazmine Turner Photography and SHE Photography from the 2020 show that share the 10th annual and look ahead to Rubbish Renewed Revival!

Photo: SHE Photography

Get Inspired!

Summer is not my time for designing. I want to be outside, playing in our magical home. FaIMG_0371ll, however, shifts my brain to creativity. And with that, trash fashion. Prepping my work-space is the first step. Then I play with materials.

My middle nephew came from Belgium this spring for a visit, and with a Bend local he’d met when visiting as a teenager, he enjoyed some Central Oregon fun: a little boating on local rivers, and exploring the areas that surround Bend. East of town they found their way to a spot where locals target shoot. The remnants of shotgun shells covered the dry dusty, midden-like site, an archaeological find uncovering some history of the region. TIMG_0589hey gathered up a bag full of refuse, bringing me a new material to explore.

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What trash will you find? What will inspire you this year?

Transforming trash and inspiring community for a more sustainable earth

More than 6 years ago, when we first envisioned the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show, we hoped to create a fun, fashionable event that inspired our Bend community to raise the bar in environmental responsibility. Our mission declares we are rooted in a love of fashion, an appreciation of art and a passion for the planet. Trash fashion created the visible inspiration; it just wasn’t enough. We wanted people to not only believe that being sustainable was a good idea, but in-fact act. It meant we, as an event, needed to walk our talk. We had to hold the bar high for ourselves, designers, sponsoring businesses, food carts and audience members to keep sustainability at the forefront for the event.Screen Shot 2015-09-05 at 9.01.41 PM

In 2015 we saw just under 1000 people in our 2 January 15th shows. This photo celebrates ALL the trash from the night! Everything else was reused, recycled, or composted.

Thank you Bend for rising to the challenge, keeping a passion for the planet front and center!

Rubbish Renewed is a community event. It is powerful for students, embraced by the community, and is rooted in a belief that each person can make a difference in our environment by just making one small shift at a time.

Sustainable Holiday Tip

More waste is created between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than any other time. Give experiences, not stuff. #rubbishrenewed #sustainableholidaytipsustainable_holiday_series

REALMS raised close to $14,000 from Rubbish Renewed!

photoWe packed the house with over 400 people at each of our two shows, raising close to $14,000 for REALMS’ distinctive education including the arts.  Thank you!!!

This year the show was elevated because of the quality and vision brought by 46 Central Oregon designers (23 of which were students from 9 schools including Highland, Amity, Tumalo Community School, REALMS, Cascade, High Desert, Bend High, Mtn. View, and Summit).  We couldn’t have imagined the amount of support from the community with 21 Sponsors donating essential cash, beverages & services, 9 Business Challenge submission, 11 local vendors who also gave items to the silent auction, and 7 other silent auction contributing businesses. Finally our 60+ dedicated volunteers from organizers, models, clean-up crew and everything in between

With this fundraiser, our students will experience the art and skill of the design and printing processes with our new printing press and photo emulsion screen-printing equipment. They will deepen their sewing and design process with body forms, and continue to have opportunities outside the classroom to strengthen their learning and local community connections.

On behalf of the entire REALMS faculty, board of directors, and students, thank you again for your generosity and support.

Cascade A & E hits the stands today!

Cascade A & E, the local Bend magazine devoted entirely to recognizing and promoting the vibrant cultural life found in Central Oregon hit the stands today.  Pick up your copy and check out the December happenings in Central Oregon, including the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show – just 8 days away!

Rubbish Renewed at the Bend Fall Festival

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Fall Fest Mainstage Runway

Paris in Allison Murphy’s Kiddy Pool Dress. Photo by Tambi Lane

Amazing day at the Bend Fall Festival!  Kids and adults alike, made pledges for a sustainable earth in tyvek “paper-cut”  snowflakes for the Rubbish Renewed Community Garment. And six garments from the 2011 Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show were showcased on the main stage in a runway snapshot of talented clothing artists.

Olivia creating an ornament for the Community Garment. Photo by Karen Holm

If  you didn’t make it today, or even if you did, come out tomorrow (Sunday) for another day of fashion forward fun.  We’ll be on the main stage at 2:30 and our booth is open from 11-6pm.  Come create an ornament to symbolize your pledge for action and help spread the message on December 6th at the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show, making a community shift for a better more environmentally conscious world.

Create the 2012 Community Garment

Designer: Karen Holm

How would you react to a friend  wearing a paper grocery-bag couture dress adorned with trash ornaments on a runway?  In 2010 this fashion-forward piece graced our runway, making an aesthetic statement for the environment. Conscientious residents of Bend created the Community Garment, making their often unconscious choices conscious by pledging to reduce their consumption and waste.  In 2011, we were inspired by the sterile hospital dressing that protects surgical instruments and is later tossed into our landfills.

Designer: Karen Holm

These are the types of fashion statements that don’t cost a lot of money, but move down the runway delivering a provocative message;  A clear message to rethink waste, our habits, and to decrease our impact on the planet.

This weekend Rubbish Renewed invites YOU to come out, rethink your habits, and make a pledge to decrease your consumption and waste.  Join us at Bend’s downtown Fall Festival to create the 2012 Community Garment. Find the Rubbish Renewed crew near the junction of Oregon & Wall in downtown Bend 11-5pm Saturday & Sunday.