The Oregon State University Fashion Organization, started things off in fine style this spring, with our 21st Annual Recycled Fashion Show. The appropriately themed “Dumpsters to Diamonds” runway show set the bar high for the ever popular event, ushering in a sold out crowd of more than 530 people. The show featured more than 65 designs from 50 OSU students.
“This year’s Recycled Fashion Show was filled with firsts. It was the first year we worked in collaboration with KBVR livestreaming the show. We were able to live stream the show on two projectors on either side of the runway to allow optimal viewing inside the MU ballroom. We were also able to stream the show on KBVR TV, KBVR’s web page and in the MU Commons,” said OSUFO Recycled Fashion Show Coordinator Nicole Ognibene. “Overall the show ran a little under an hour and was a huge success, more than doubling the previous viewing record on KBVR!” she added.
While the Recycled Fashion Show has always been a staple event for the apparel design program at OSU, this year’s show featured designs from all different majors including apparel design, merchandise management and even fisheries and wildlife. The show offered up fashionable delights ranging from women’s apparel, men’s apparel and accessories all made from secondary uses of everyday objects, and recyclable materials.
Production of the show was a collaborative project with teams from OSUFO, design class 208, KBVR, and Recyclemania all pitching in to create the event. For the first time in Recycled Fashion Show history, the event was ticketed, and sold out in only three days. The profits from the show go to benefit the OSUFO in their production of future shows, including the Recycled Fashion Show in Portland to be held April 28, 2011. It’s a new venue for the show, as it collaborates with the newly founded Oregon State University Design Network.
Apparel design junior Megan Amadon took home the award for “Most Innovative Use of Materials” for her use of footballs and Astro-Turf. “I kept trying to brainstorm materials I could use for the garment, knowing I had to think far in advance to start collecting things. No great ideas were coming to me. I actually had a dream about designing this dress and knew I had to do it when I woke up! I grew up around football and great supporters of the sport, so I knew it would be inspiring and original,” Megan says of her award winning design.
“I contacted Coach Coury (the head football coach at Lake Oswego High School-who also played here at Oregon State) while I was at home for winter break. I ended up getting the materials in late January and immediately began ripping the seams in the footballs and experimenting with the materials as well as sketching. After playing with multiple ideas of construction, I came to the realization that I had to hand stitch the entire garment with a leather sewing needle. The entire process took about four weeks,” Megan added. Megan will be one of many OSU students to show their work at the Portland Exhibition this coming April. “I am very excited to show in Portland!”.
Apparel Designsenior Jessie Curry took home the night’s top honors winning “Best in Show” for her garment created from scrap slit cardboard and left over material scraps for the DHE sewing lab. ” I took most of my inspiration from the material–stretching it and draping it different ways, until I found a shape I liked. I had been snooping in the DHE fabric bin the previous week and just took the largest pieces of fabric for a base if needed. The pea green fabric and cardboard colors inspired me to go with a natural and almost bird-like look, so I added pheasant feathers for a little extra drama. The pheasant feathers were given to my roommate from her uncle, who had just gone hunting,” Jessie explains about her award winning look. “I am planning to show the garment in Portland and am really excited that the Fashion Organization decided to organize one. I think it’s a great idea to spread the word out about our DHE department and all its students!” Jessie added.
The Recycled Fashion Show ran live on KBVR, the evening of the show enabling out of town fashion lovers the ability to view the show, a feature spearheaded by OSUFO. The show in it’s entirety is available for viewing online.
Watch the Fashion Show!
Award Winners
Best in Show: Jessie Curry
Most Innovative Design: Ashley Bates
Most Creative Use of Materials: Megan Amadon
Most Ready-to-Wear:Thea Matos & Lauren Grabner
Chairs Award: Nicole Ognibene
Chair’s Award: Lakin McCarthy, Palmer Rubinoff & Flynn McQuiston
Story by Amanda Grisham, Apparel Design Major
