Recycled Runway
Reuse, reduce recycle revue
Sunday, August 30, 2009
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There was nothing "new" about the fashion statement some area youth made at the Jefferson County Fair.
And that's largely because a motivated group of young ladies used their imagination and things literally lying around their homes to produce not only something to wear but something to think about, too.
That something to think about was "an environmental consciousness, learning you can always reuse something," explained Louise Holliday, education coordinator with Keep Jefferson County Beautiful.
Such was the mission behind the "Reuse, Reduce, Recycle Revue," a fashion show sponsored by Keep Jefferson County Beautiful and the Ohio State University Extension Office in Wintersville.
The idea of the fashion show was simple, according to Holliday.
Participants were encouraged to create their fashion items - be they clothing or accessories - out of recyclable products such as paper or plastic bags, pop cans, paper clips, duct tape, etc.
"The limit to what you can create and what you can use is the limit of your imagination" read the application form.
"Pick up some recycled goods and create a masterpiece for the runway," it beckoned.
By the time the revue was held the evening of Aug. 21 in the show arena at the fairgrounds, 10 girls had signed up, most of them representing various 4-H clubs in the county.
The event was open to all youth ages 8-19 with competition judged in two groups - juniors, ages 8-13, and seniors, ages 14-19 - and two classes - clothing and accessories.
There were three entries in the senior division with seven in the junior division.
By the time the participants modeled their creations for an appreciative audience, the judges - Holliday, Patti West and Don Morrison - made their picks. They named a first-place finisher for outfit and a first-place finisher for accessories in each class.
The senior division winners were:
Outfit - Leah Figurski, who made a colorful umbrella dress, Holliday explained, using the material from three old umbrellas. The umbrella sleeve was transformed into a headband, and the umbrella handle itself became a walking stick accessory to the outfit.
Accessories - Brittany Feher complemented her outfit made from a tablecloth partnered with paper towels with a unique purse. Holliday explained it was made out of several recyclable items, including a milk jug, clam chowder can and pillbox box compartments as a base with balloons lending color to the creation. The strap was made from an old belt.
The junior division winners were:
Outfit - Malania Birney made what she called a "duct tape diva" dress made out of green, orange, pink and yellow duct tape. Her hat, made from a milk jug base and cardboard, also was decorated with duct tape. A matching sash and purse finished it off.
Accessories - Therese Nelson put plastic grocery bags to work, creating a necklace, earrings, belt, headband, purse and bolero style vest. Holliday said stones for the jewelry came from the Ohio River banks. "She knitted the vest from plastic shopping bags," Holliday said.
The winners received 4-H medals, a T-shirt from the Jefferson-Belmont Regional Solid Waste Authority, Keep Jefferson County Beautiful division, and water bottles donated by Apex Landfill.
Other participants included Krystal Fiala, Madeline Nelson, Katie Torok, Catherine Beigel, Kylee Torok and Paige Phillips.
Their creations included dresses made from dog food bags, playing cards and garbage bags decorated with Capri Sun drink containers.
Holliday was impressed with the participants' originality.
"You stop and think about what these kids are doing, the detailed work they went into, there's talent out there," Holliday said, noting the audience seemed equally impressed. "I think they were amazed at how creative their outfits were," Holliday added.
The fashion revue is not a new activity. Janine Yeske, OSU Extension educator, 4-H youth development, explained she's been coordinating it for the past four years.
"It has been a part of the 4-H Contest Day, a public speaking event in June up until this year when Louise (Holliday) asked me to open it up to all youth in the county, not just to 4-H members," Yeske said.
"The event started just as an interview event for (younger) officers in 4-H clubs," Yeske said, explaining the members would talk to Holliday and Diane Julio, Keep Jefferson County Beautiful director, about how they educated their club peers on the importance of recycling.
"Then a few years ago, someone came up with the idea of making it more fun, so the revue was born," Yeske added.
"The purpose of the event is to get kids thinking about how much stuff is thrown away that really could be useful in some other form or fashion. For the kids who have participated, I would say they have learned that concept," she said.
Hopes are to broaden the event further next year, Holliday said, by holding the fashion show in April around Earth Day in conjunction with the "Trashy Art" competition.
That, too, is a venue in which youth can put their creative talents to work, creating something "new" out of something old. The event earlier this year attracted 68 participants.
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