Seattle Recycled Arts Virtual Fashion Show
2020 Participants
We are excited to present this year’s participants in our Virtual Fashion Show.
Seattle Recycled Arts is a network of artists and activists who are passionate about what they do. We define “recycled art” as art created using a minimum of 75% reclaimed materials in innovative, multilayered, intricate and unusual ways.
We believe art fuels innovation and collaboration, which add to the culture of the community. By focusing on creating durable art from items destined for the landfill, we bring value back to the community. This is a catalyst for social and intellectual enrichment, bringing people together to create, experience, and discuss recycled art and to foster the cultural and personal connections.
To see the participants collection click on the image next to the artist’s name.
Staci Bernstein
Zephaniah
During the pandemic, we have had groceries delivered and haven’t been able to reuse our shopping bags, so I made the outer “feather” layer of the skirt from these. The foundation of the train is made from a plastic tarp left when our beekeeper had to empty a flowerpot to remove the wasp nest underneath and from a section of heavy-duty seamless paper previously used as a photo backdrop. The upper half of the skirt is predominantly a rug stay with the waistband and Velcro repurposed from a tripod case with a plastic cap for the button. I had some Amazon packing material left from my other garments and sewed these together with part of our broken lawn chair to make the bodice. More of the grocery bags made the decorative garlands.
Model: Sarah Hanso
Photographer: Staci Bernstein
Denese Bolin
Mad Hatter
Designs are created by Denese Bolin-Preston from “Sew That”, a brand for lifestyle choices. She makes upcycled fashion from post consumer waste, recycled shopping bags, with a new artistic twist.
This outfit, dress and hat, is made from recycled shopping bags.
Model: Katie Claire Ryan
Photographer: Staci Bernstein
Moniece Charlton
Re (in) Vest
This design started it's life as a vintage Gap denim vest and a sweet sundress from a second hand store. The vest has been transformed with panels of sewn together magazine pages, from old National Geographics, vintage lace, embroidery threads & vintage buttons. The under dress has added lace panels and edges of magazine papers. A simple necklace is made from sewing tape, plastic cores from doggie bags and plastic bread closures. I could almost imagine Stevie Nicks wearing this one!
Nancy Judd
Citrus Lace Dress 2020
This sculpture, made from orange peels, brings attention to the issues of food waste recovery, composting and buying organic produce. The dress is fashioned out of several layers of “lace” made from upcycled cheese-cloth decorated with “sequins” cut from citrus peels. The design of the dress is inspired by fashions from the 1900’s belle époque period and the lace pattern is based upon a dress belonging to Nancy’s great-grandmother. The entire piece including the thread, will be entirely biodegradable.
According to a 2017 Natural Resources Defense Council report, 40% of the food we produce in the United States is thrown away. At the same time, 42 million Americans face food insecurity- less than 1/3 of the food we discard would be enough to feed this population.
Cheri Kopp
Orange You a Cutie?
Is there a purer expression of nature’s bounty than fruit? Ready-to-eat, in their own edible or biodegradable packaging, oranges, berries, pears, and all their sweet cousins, nourish us.
But the packaging detritus! Non-recyclable plastics and paper, shiny, sticky, foiled. Bright colors meant to grab our attention. This debris of our healthy diet, tossed into the trash heap.
Or, in this case, collected for several decades, then trimmed, shaped, molded, stretched, glued, stitched, and even quilted to form this fresh, multi-layered ensemble:
Cooper Lanza
“Both Dresses originate from canvases I painted on, using repurposed backdrops from theater shows I worked on as a Scenic Artist in Seattle.
Normally these would be disposed of, but I saved them from landfills and reused them.
Kim McCormick sewed them into wearable creations. She also created the under dresses using repurposed fabrics to design a complete look.”
Model: Caylen Johnson
Model: Kylie Johnson
Photogrphy: Ric Colgan
Cristal Cherry Lebel
Deep Sea Diva
98% reclaimed material
I created this piece as part of a fundraiser fashion show for the Ocean Legacy Foundation by Future Oceans Canada. With the goal of raising awareness to the damage caused by plastic pollution, I utilized reclaimed waste collected during a clean up expedition from the shoreline of Victoria, Bc. Rope was tediously unravelled and knit into a form fitting bodice. The skirt was constructed using a plastic tablecloth and a tattered salt worn tarp, cut to resemble the waves of the ocean. A large sheet of plastic, possibly a mattress cover, was used as an underskirt to add structure and fullness to the gown. A large collection of recycled bubble wrap was then layered onto the underskirt acting as a seafoamesque ‘crinoline’. To accessorize this ensemble, pop tabs have been crafted into a belt and a matching necklace, and the bodice is detailed with small gold gilded straw beads. What is an outfit without a handbag? A juice jug, fishnet, a chunk of garden hose and a pearlized golf ball made up the perfect carrier to display the endless ocean weathered micro plastics. Ocean conservation is a cause that is near and dear to my heart, and it meant so much to create something beautiful out of something so devastating.
Kim McCormick
Illumination
Bringing to light the beauty of recycled textiles, I created these two gowns using a combination of repurposed materials found in thrift stores, yard sales and the Bins.
Models: Katie Claire Ryan and Raven West Photographer: Staci Bernstein
Sachi Menon
Presenting " Metamorphosis" for a virtual fashion show by Seattle Recycled Art's. The outfit I am wearing is made out of 90% recycled materials. The top is hand braided out of left over fabric scraps and it is completely hand sewn. It took about 40 hours of labor time. Skirt is recycled out of Curtain drapery. It is an asymmetrical drape with a half circular skirt fit. The oragami butterflies are made out of gift tissue paper. They symbolise my idea behind "metamorphosis" representing the stages of transformation.
Photographer: Colors of Viny
Model: Myself
Nancy Watts
Manhattan Skyline
Inspired by the city skyline. This dress is pieced entirely of recycled men’s ties, mainly silk ties. The neckline represents the skyline and ties were used to represent all the city office workers. As I was cutting, piecing and sewing, I envisioned all those Wall Street deals being made and now their ties are a gown. Also, the tie tags were hand sewn into a purse and a hat with black ostrich feathers complete the ensemble.