by Delaney Letts
The CMU Sustainability Council is hosting their first annual reduced, reused, recycled fashion show this month. Although CMU use to orchestrate a similar event on campus several years ago, this is the Sustainability Council’s first time coordinating the show.
Students of all kinds—including 3D art majors and members of the Sustainability Council’s executive board—will be participating and modeling a variety of different garments made out of newspapers, wine box bags, coffee filters and other materials pulled from their own recycling bins or collected around town. For students who cannot supply their own materials donations will be received via the organization’s social media pages.
The show will be held in the UC ballroom on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. Participants (both male and female welcomed) must sign up by Feb. 10 by emailing [email protected]. However, all are welcomed and encouraged to come and watch the show in order to see all the designs students will create out of these materials. There is no charge for this year’s event. The show is primarily being used to promote sustainability in hopes to attract new members to the Sustainability Council.
Vice President, Isabella Vaz was inspired to plan an event like this here at CMU after attending the Wearable Arts Fashion Show in her hometown Homer, Alaska. As she’s been planning the event, she has found numerous events such as this one hosted in a diverse amount of towns.
“I had no idea that shows like these were such a big deal,” Vaz said.
The show this year will not be a competition. Vaz said her goal is to have fun. “I think this will be good groundwork if we want to do it again next year.” She has high hopes to spark an interest and involve more departments next year including the art and costume department on campus.
“I would love to see a variety of reused materials used, even if it’s just changing up an old skirt. I don’t want anyone to spend money, but rather turn something that’s not being used into something else,” Vaz said. She herself has never made any recycled outfits before, but she is very excited about the opportunity ahead.
