02-21-07

Media Release

Recycled Fashion Show ‘Garbage Montage’ Opens at OSU

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Clothes made out of items such as soda cans and garbage bags will be on display on Wednesday, Feb. 28, when Oregon State University’s annual recycled fashion show returns to campus.

Titled “Garbage Montage,” the show will start at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union ballroom. It is free and open to the public.

The annual event is funded, planned and organized by student club OSU Fashion Organization. Most of the student designers are studying apparel design or merchandising management in the Department of Design and Human Environment.

“The purpose of the event is to encourage students to think out-of-the-box,” said Mary Pedersen, faculty adviser for the event. “We want the designers to create outfits in terms of sustainable design possibilities, as well as to promote environmental awareness to the larger public.”

The event is also a way for the students to just have a lot of fun, coming up with wild and unique creations that test the common perception of what is “fashion.”

Last year, Jennifer Kirk, an apparel design student, made a dress out of soda cans. The dress, titled “Coke Culture,” was constructed on a dress form, using a draping technique. Cans were cut into triangles, which were individually wrapped with an invisible clear tape to make the garment wearable. It was then pieced together with more than 1,000 jewelry jump rings. To complete the outfit, she also made a coordinating purse using the same materials and technique.

Other recycled materials that have been used in the past include plastic grocery bags, drapes, paper coffee cups, newspaper, packaging materials, deconstructed and reconstructed fabrics from second-hand clothes, including denim and T-shirt knits.

Pedersen said this year students were given a limit of spending no more than $15 on any new items used in their design. The outfits must be made primarily from anything second-hand or cast-off.

There will be three judges giving out awards in categories such as Chair's Choice, Judges Choice, Most Wearable and Best Use of Material.