We’ve already seen Crossroads go more green with their reusable take-out boxes. But last Friday, Crossroads took it one step further and hosted the Second Annual Project Greenway “Trashion Show.” (Trashion = fashion made out of trash.) You may be thinking, “Uh, no, I would not wear trash, that’s gross.” Wrong. We think that trashion is very in right now, especially for Cal students. (Doesn’t this sound like a great party theme, particularly in environment-conscious Berkeley?) In case you missed the show, here are ten materials we noticed were made hot by the trashion designers.
1. Garbage bags. Black is always classy and that’s even true in trashion designing. We saw black, white and clear Hefty plastic bags, turned into dresses, jackets and even an elegant sunhat.
2. Paper. Paper and cardboard are a fantastic basic to use in everyday trashion. Solid basic colors can serve as a base for embellishment or stand on their own as classic pieces.
3. Pull tabs. These can be used for more than opening the Red Bull you so desperately needed for your midterm! We saw them used for embellishment on a silvery dress.
4. Playing cards. These weren’t really trashy — unless they came from a cheap Vegas casino — but we still thought this was clever. Nothing quite like a skirt made out of cards. We would’ve liked to have seen a sweater though … a cardigan specifically. (Get it?)
5. Cal Band belt buckles. These weren’t used in anyone’s outfits but they did hold together the runway. We don’t know why they were thrown out. (We suppose they lost their shine or couldn’t hold up the band’s pants anymore?) But along with newspaper — more on that later — the buckles made a neat border for the runway.
6. Tea bags. If you love feather earrings but want to go a little less mainstream, tea bag earrings are a cool alternative. Maybe wear just one though. Pick a nice scent too. Don’t use your medicated tea bags unless you want to subtly tell everyone you’re feeling under the weather.
7. Foil. Sticking with jewelry, here’s a material to use for accessories. It’s shiny and pliable and can be used for many dull areas of an outfit.
8. Post-its. Make a note to use these for your next party dress. Don’t worry if classic Post-it yellow isn’t your color. There are so many different Post-it colors nowadays so you can find a shade that suits you.
9. Beverage containers. Whether they’re aluminum or plastic, soda and energy drink cans and water bottles have some flashy designs. Talk about brand name: you can toss your Nike swoop or band logo tees for Coke and Aquafina designs directly from the original source.
10. The Daily Cal! Newspapers were a popular medium for the trashion designers. And what’s the most accessible newspaper in Berkeley? The Daily Cal! We saw dresses made with newspaper and the paper also formed the border for the runway.
There were other nuances to the trashion designs, but these are the ones that stood out most to us. You should try out some of them, if not for everyday wear then for one of those nights when Berkeley actually has nightlife. You’ll probably attract some pretty positive attention for your recycling and your unique costume.
Contact Jessica Rogness at jrogness@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @jessarogness
Contact Jessica Rogness at jrogness@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @jessarogness
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