Recycled fashion show no trashy affair

FRIDAY, MAR. 30: Soda cans, juice boxes and bottle caps were just some of the recycled materials used for the winning fashion designs in last week’s Eco Runway.

The Bermuda High School event was an eight-week design competition that tasked students with creating two couture designs, each using 50 per cent recycled material.

The winning team, Eco Chic, demonstrated originality, ‘wearability’, presentation and creative use of materials in their collection.

Bermuda Home furnishing store, Orange Bay Company, extended its philosophy of “creating unique styles with gently used pieces” to help to mentor the winning group of students, made up of Senecia Smith, Karissa Burrows, Abigail Christie-Veitch and Keesha Miller.

Orange Bay Company’s Delight Morris, a former BHS student, arranged for the team to work with experienced contacts in the fashion and design industry. Rinelle Elizabeth of Salon Magazine and Zoe Gould, Fashion Buyer in the UK, offered their input on the initial designs and numerous revisions to the garments leading up to the competition.

The designs were a reflection of the personalities of the team members.  The sixteen-year-olds referred to their collection as “Rebellious Teen Grows Up”. 

Miller said: “The casual outfit with sneakers represented the rebellious teen, and the evening dress in heels represented a more sophisticated version of this person, while staying true to herself with the big hair, messy tye-dye mop skirt and metal top.”

The casual outfit was made of a burlap top, a juice box miniskirt, an industrial chain link necklace and a soda can hobo bag lined with recycled paper.  The evening dress was included a bottle cap bustier and mop dyed turquoise skirt, trash bag bowed belt, a clutch made of recycled paper and a ring made of wire.

Team leader, Smith, added: “Overall, it was a wonderful learning opportunity.  Not only did we discover a lot about fashion, we learned about the importance of recycling to the environment, and most importantly, respect for each other’s ideas.  Teamwork was the critical element in creating the winning designs.”

Morris added: “It takes a village to raise a child and this was no different.  I drew upon my network of contacts to help mentor the girls, and with their determination, spirit of collaboration and hard work, they were destined to win.”

All of the designs featured in the competition will be pictured on the Style Bermuda website (www.stylebermuda.com) where the public can also vote on their favourites.  The team with the most online votes will receive an additional prize.  Voting starts on Wednesday, March 28 and continues until April 11.