By Magdalena Stuehrmann, Class of 2015
On Saturday members of the student organization Green GW transformed recyclable and reusable materials—including trash bags and coffee filters—into elaborate fashion designs as part of the group’s first Trashion Show.
The show followed the format of a traditional fashion show, with models showing off designs on a runway in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom. All designs were created entirely from recyclable or reusable materials by GW students and were scrutinized by a panel of three judges. Prizes were given for best design and best model, which were chosen by the audience.
Tessa Varner, who won the award for best model, wore an outfit designed by her roommate Samantha Malone. The design of the dress paid tribute to GW students’ love for Whole Foods and was created entirely out of paper shopping bags from the store.
“It was a lot of fun. I’ve never done something like this before, but everyone was really nice and I really enjoyed it,” she said.
Zohra Roy, who won for best design, and Samantha Hatton, who also entered the competition, both modeled their own designs for the evening. Ms. Roy entered an ensemble titled “A Dress Worthy of Being Worn by Mother Nature,” which was created out of a trash bag, leaves and berries and featured a matching headpiece and jewelry.
“We had a lot of fun making our dresses,” said Ms. Roy. “I wasn’t expecting to win because the other dresses were really creative, but it was really cool. We used so many things in our dresses that we would have just thrown away. I think it really helps make you more responsible for what you are consuming and throwing away.”
Ms. Hatton, who entered a dress made of trash bags and decorated with jellybeans and Crystal Light powder agreed.
“I was really impressed with the Whole Foods dress. I would wear that, it was really awesome,” she said.
Ms. Hatton said that events like the Trashion show help raise awareness about recycling among students and help educate them about recyclability.
“I think a lot of people don’t really know what’s recyclable and what’s not. One of the ideas we came up with was a Solo cup dress. Solo cups aren’t recyclable at GW,” she said.
Green GW is a student organization dedicated to raising awareness about the ways in which people interact with their environment and to advocating for a more environmentally friendly campus. Events like the Trashion show that fit into the wider theme of GW’s Earth Week are part of that goal.
“I think it’s really important to have events like this,” said Mayra Cruz, a member of Green GW who entered a design created out of boxes, newspaper and trash bags that mirrored designs seen at the royal wedding, complete with a hat. “This is our first time doing this, but it went really well. And we have next year to make it 20 times better.”