Garbage in. Fashion out.
The 4th annual Trash2Trends fashion show was a popular ticket on Saturday, selling out SeaWorld’s Ports of Call 500 seat banquet hall.
The upscale fashion show served as a fundraiser for Keep Orlando Beautiful, an organization founded in 1987 dedicated to making Orlando a healthier and more sustainable community. The money raised each year enables KoB to complete projects such as beautification events and recycle bin implementation.
This year, 35 fashion designers gave garbage a second life by turning things headed to the landfill into stunning works of art and fashion. One dress utilized VHS tapes to create a glossy, flowing dress. Another dress was tailored from orange plastic construction fencing. Individual paint swatches were sewn together to form a large gown. From trashcan to runway, each dress involved hundreds of hours of hard work and meticulous attention to detail.
Each dress walked the runway to compete for awards for “Top Design,” “Most Wearable,” “Best Use of Material,” and “Avant Garde.” Judges included City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, Downtown Arts District director Barbara Hartley, restauranteur Maxine Earhart, and local fashion designer Marcy Singhaus.
Designer Meaghan Moreno paid tribute to last year’s Pulse nightclub tragedy with her dress titled, “Love Conquers Hate.” A pair of angelic foam wings displayed the name of the victims on each feather.
Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan encourages UCF students to contribute to the cause. “Don’t do graffiti; the difference between graffiti and art is permission. Don’t throw your cigarette butts out the window, and pick up after yourself. It sounds kind of elementary, but we spend so much time with Keep Orlando Beautiful cleaning up graffiti and cleaning up trash, and I wish people would be more mindful of our environment.”
This article was contributed by Jordan Sirokie
