2021 TRASHION SHOW

2021 Chair: Naomi Spinak

Steering Committee: Eileen Wold, Dawn Snider, Deb Rudnick, Diane Landry, Shirlee Tan

Competition Categories and Winners:
Upcycled Ready-to-wear Fashion – Paige St. Pierre
Most Creative Use of Materials – Baeven Hoit and Sandy Hall
Best Use of Materials – Lynn Christiansen
Student (18 and under) – Mary Voltin
Audience Award – Lynn Christiansen
Peer Award – Lynn Christiansen

Videographer: Jonah Kessler-Cohen
Show video here

Tent Display Artists:
Scrappy Art Lab: Chandeliers by SAL’s after-school program
Bainbridge Island Modern Quilt Guild: Small quilts

Raffle: Tickets given if used sustainable transportation (carpooled, biked, walked); dressed sustainably (clothes more than ten years old, handmade, upcycled), brought donation for I Support the Girls.
Items: Upcycled bag, upcycled boiled wool jacket, two books: Make Thrift Mend and Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan

Entrance Display and Collection:
I Support the Girls nonprofit – information and collection of new socks and women’s undies and gently used bras

 

Runway 2021

 

1. Mary Voltin, student artist
   Winner – Student award
   Model: Amanda Voltin
   Title: Brown Bag Glam
   
   The accumulation of brown grocery bags during the pandemic was the inspiration for “Brown Bag Glam.” Mary wanted to create a simple woven sundress that would be perfect for summer. The bags were cut into strips then glued together to create large weaving pieces. Mary was able to achieve the woven look on the bodice and skirt. Accompanying the dress is a matching woven hat repurposed from the bag handles. The perfect way to say goodbye to the pandemic and hello to a new dress.

   

2. Madeline Huck, student artist
   Model: Lilah Wakefield
   Title: Beach Picnic

   I used old towels and paper plates that I painted to represent beach balls. I made the style a sundress because it is meant to be worn in warm weather to the beach! This piece is modeled by Lilah Wakefield.

3. Artist: Lynn Christiansen 
   Winner: Best Use of Materials, Audience Award,  and Peer Award
   Model: Emma Fabert
   Title: Stop and Smell the (Packing) Peanuts

Materials: Foam packing and packing peanuts 

I love packing. Wrapping items in foam and honing my Tetris skills in maximizing what can fit in a box is  therapeutic. That love was put to the test when we packed up after 25 years and moved to Bainbridge Island. 

I hate unpacking. My husband loves packing peanuts. Unpacking peanuts can be a special kind of  torture. They go everywhere! 

Packing, moving, shipping, unpacking … the process of moving is a journey in and of itself and I have  discovered there is a certain beauty in the chaos of foam and packing peanuts strewn about … like a  field of wildflowers.

4. Artist: Melissa Mello
   Model: Melissa Mello
   Title: Pencil Me In

Writing does not always come easy.  Whether it’s coming up with an idea or learning to form the letters, pencils are still a staple in my classroom.  I was inspired to create this piece from all of the well-used pencils I collect every year.  Missing erasers, broken (sometimes out of frustration), chewed, worn down — I never want to throw them away, so I collected them and decided to make a pencil skirt out of pencils.  These pencils represent hours of students writing their name, slowly forming the unusual marks we call letters, phonetically spelling words, combining into sentences, getting stuck, erasing, finalizing drafts and eventually, hopefully, feeling pride in their written work.  The top of my piece is built from scraps of writing collected from my own children when they were little: family portraits, math problems, letter practice and the occasional word or two. 

5. Artist: Paige St-Pierre
   Model: Zoe Kackman
   Winner: Upcycled Ready to Wear
   Title: Bird’s Eye View

   Inspiration/Concept: Inspired by M.C. Escher’s tessellations, French trompe l’oeil painting, positive and negative space created with  black and white, iconic 1930s silhouettes, traditional hounds tooth motif.  

   Garment Description: This dress design embodies the hope I hold for a more sustainable future post-Covid as we reassess the fashion  industry’s current take/make/waste model of making and using textiles in our world.  

   Using my own household’s textiles as my fabric store, I am embracing circularity and employing zero waste  principles by extending the life of each piece of fabric beyond its originally conceived use. For this design, I  have created my own fabric and used it to create my own print thereby creating a trompe l’oeil effect with the  garment. The print effect is created via a mosaic of fabrics stitched together, cut into shapes and appliquéd  onto the base layer of the dress thus creating the final cohesive print. 

6. Artists: Baeven Hoit and Sandy Hall
     Model: Baeven Hoit
     Winner: Most Creative Use of Materials 
     Title: Something about Fish
     
 I love Trashion.
Creating art out of trash is a fun challenge. Trashion is an art project. The entries often aren’t meant to be durable. Many can’t be worn in the rain, unless…

I set out to craft a piece that would be as water-resistant as possible—a swimsuit.  I asked my amazing grandma (who taught me how to knit) for help with the logistics of knitting a bathing suit. With her expertise and my creative vision we make a great team.

The look was influenced by the 1950s French Riviera style with high-waisted shorts, a large sun hat, and feminine bows. Paired with scale-like textures, scalloped hems, and fish motifs, this entry was inspired by my interest in marine biology.

I’ve always loved the ocean and aquariums and beaches. As a pescatarian, most of my protein comes from seafood.  But the ocean is in danger. 

8.8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year.  This plastic breaks down, becoming microplastics, which are eaten by sea life, including seafood staples. Humans are regularly ingesting plastics.  Estimates suggest that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.  

Most plastic is not recycled – this has little to do with the consumer and is mostly the fault of corporations. Plastic producers must be held responsible for the harm their products cause to the ocean and the people who love and rely on it.   

We need to do “Something About Fish”.

7. Artists: Isobel Crump and Champee Sall
     Model: Isobel Crump
     Title: Horsing Around Luncheon Outfit

The horse industry generates a lot of waste. Blankets, saddle pads, feed bags, baling twine, and so on. I am modeling a dress and jacket made from an old ripped blanket that belonged to my horse, Lightning. The creator and seamstress of the dress and jacket, Champee Sall, used the inside and outside fabric from the blanket, old riding pants fabric, a feed bag, horse shoes and baling twine to create this ensemble. The hat was created using cardboard from a box, a die cup and baling twine. 

Hopefully people will realize that these sturdy and virtually indestructible blankets and other waste from the pleasure horse industry can be used in many ways rather than go to a landfill. Many times horse owners just want a different color or style of blanket or sheet and there is nothing wrong with the old one. There are endless possibilities to use these items.

 

8. Artists: Josephina Todd and Sophie Taylor
     Model: Montana Staub
     Title: Off Islander

Before the world was struck with the Covid epidemic, we were a part of the 2020 Trashion Show mystery box category. The show and the category were postponed, and so was our look! Our original design included all the (over 200) items in the box. Even after the category was dissolved for this year, we were still extremely inspired by the items inside. So, we decided to use over 75% of the items along with a few additions. 

The super crop top’s shell is created out of an Ikea brand scrap of fabric from the mystery box. We naturally dyed the fabric in beet broth 5 times to get this shade of pink. The super crop top’s lining is made out a small, plaid, triangular-shaped piece of fabric and a red velvet shirt that was falling apart. The fringe on the inside of the sleeves is made from different colored fabric strings. From the velvet shirt, we attached a decorative red ruffle around the bottom of the sleeves and skirt. The shell of the skirt is also the same Ikea fabric. We added denim pockets, made from 2 pairs of cut up shorts. The lining of the skirt is made from a white eco-fleece crew neck and parts of the Ikea fabric. The denim bra was also made from the pockets and the waist belt of the denim shorts. 

For the accessories, we have paper clip earrings, a necklace (made from old sewing needles, wine corks, and a bike tire), a purse (made from CD’s, twist ties, and silver & yellow coffee bags), protective goggles (decorated with yogurt lids and tear-dropped shaped jewels from the red velvet shirt), and a denim face mask. The once shiny red boots were decaying, so we decided to uplift them by covering them in the matching Ikea fabric. The heel is covered by the bike tire and wine corks. 

9. Holly Davies, artist
     Model: Meg Spidel
     Title: A Suit for Our Times

A Chanel-inspired skirt suit knit from homemade plarn (plastic yarn). The suit is knit from Seattle Times newspaper bags, with the trim from NY Times newspaper bags.

10. Artist: Lily Lashmet
       Model:  Emily Lashmet
       Title: City of Plants 

I was inspired by people’s relationship with nature, especially during the pandemic—really how our health is dependent on the health of the planet, like air pollution making people sick. With the pandemic, people were spending more time outside if possible, and I think that spread a better appreciation of it. My piece imagines a world where we have a positive and healthy relationship with plants and are actually a sustainable society—with a fashionable twist. I used garden gravel bags, plastic and paper grocery bags along with newspapers for the mask to create my piece.

11. Artist: Therese Kunzi-Clark
       Models: Nina Clark and Matt Butler
       Title: If the Rain Comes

Inspired by a defective umbrella.

Three years ago, I was told my defective umbrella could not be fixed, that I should throw it in the trash, and that I would be sent a replacement umbrella.

I started to disassemble it with recycling in mind.  There were 3 different materials:  

1. The nylon umbrella cover and case 
2. The metal umbrella frame 
3. The plastic handle 

Inspired by the beautifully designed cover of the umbrella, I decided to upcycle the material into “couture”.  I have collected broken and discarded umbrellas for 3 years. My collection includes a Beatles umbrella sent to me from England.  These clothing items combine my love of form and function with my interest in disassembling and creatively transforming things for further use.

12.  Artist: Mckayla SewNsew
         Model: Sann Wilder
        Title: Intersection

Drawn from the sheets we sleep upon to the jeans we wear as our armor and the tulle we watch upon a ballerina upon the stage.  Intersection is an exploration of the transformations we are capable of. This piece seeks to examine the moments of strength that hold us together and the points at which we need space from each other.  It seeks to remind us to practice our craft and play within the progress.

13.  Artist: Susan Haines
         Model: Isabelle Haines
         Title: Flower Fun

Plastic bottles:  Ubiquitous, convenient, huge source of pollution.

I chose to use plastic liter bottles to create an outfit that is fun to wear, strikingly unique and long lasting. My goal was to incorporate as many parts of the bottle as possible. To start, I cut 3 petal shapes from the length of the bottles, then the neck, saving the bottom and caps. I used old purple paint samples to add interest and color. Then I made a skirt using old curtains and sewed the petals in horizontal rows on the skirt. For the top and shawl I used a combination of old dress lining and matching skirt curtains. The hat is made from a painted bottle bottom. To decorate all 3 pieces of the outfit I used bottle necks and caps.  Throwaway shoes were similarly painted. The beauty of this outfit is that it is so fun to wear and can be worn again and again. 

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Thank you to our 2021 Award Sponsors!

Bainbridge Disposal

Heyday Farm

Green Mountain Technologies

Clark Construction

Firefly Salon

A Kitchen That Works

Plu,m

 

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Thank you to our 2021 In-kind Sponsors!

Eleven Winery

F.R.O.G. Soap

Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art

Bon Bon Confections

Island Cool

Jen Colburn Design

 

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Thank you to our 2021 Post-Show Exhibitor!

Bainbridge Arts & Crafts