PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — More than 20 original designs took to the runway in honor of Earth Day when the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Studio 923 Art Club hosted its third annual Trash to Fashion Show on April 20.
Seniors Achieving Greater Education (SAGE) member Pam Crawford walks the runway in an outfit she created inspired by large quantities of chocolate. She joined about 19 other designers for the third annual Trash to Fashion show at the University of Maine at Presque Isle on April 20.
(Courtesy of Mouse Island Creatives)
This unique fashion show raises awareness about the importance of recycling and how waste impacts the land while turning recycled materials into fashion objects. Fashion designers included UMPI students, community members, and even members of Seniors Achieving Greater Education (SAGE), whose members walked away with three of the evening’s six prizes.
For the evening’s honors, both Audience Choice and Best Overall awards went to Roldena Sanipass for the butterfly evening gown she created out of newspaper.
Bottlecaps and garbage bags were the key elements in this outfit modeled by UMPI student Melanie Griffin during the third annual Trash to Fashion Show, hosted by the university’s Studio 923 Art Club.
(Courtesy of Mouse Island Creatives)
A mail technician at Northeast Publishing in Presque Isle, Sanipass graduated from UMPI in 2016 with a fine arts degree. The company, a division of the Bangor Daily News, prints the BDN as well as local weekly newspapers. Sanipass said she used pages of the BDN destined for recycling, and model Taylor Belanger showed off the creation at the fashion show.
In other categories, the winners were the following: formal wear, Jami Cass, for her suit made completely from pieces of hand-dyed, recycled interfacing; Karen Hilt, who designed a cap and vest made from cardboard food boxes; Nancy Theriault, SAGE member, for a dress and handbag featuring Tim Hortons coffee cups and lids; children’s, Bobbi Guerrette, who used materials from kitty litter packaging to make a dress and a kitten ears headband; and casual wear, Judy Mann, for her jumper and hat made from Time magazine covers.
Hyrum Benson, art club adviser and UMPI assistant professor of art, said. “Our hope is that these fun, one-of-a-kind pieces serve as an important reminder of the duty we all have to take care of our planet.”
