The Kaddatz Galleries, Otter Tail County Solid Waste, The Spot and Springboard for the Arts are teaming up to host the first ever Trashion Fashion show in Otter Tail County. The event will be on April 27 in honor of Earth Day.
Teams are invited to sign up to design a garment(s) out of trash and recycling items, to be assembled the day of the event. The garments will be displayed in a runway show at The Spot in Fergus Falls, with the runway show being open to the public. Prizes from local businesses will be awarded for winning designs, including First Place, Runner Up, Audience Choice, and Best Dressed Audience Member.
The goal of the event is to educate participants and spectators about waste, and fashion waste in particular. It will also push participants to find new and creative uses for items that would otherwise be considered trash, and to have fun doing it!
The event is the result of conversations between area arts organizations and Cedar Walters, Public Information and Education Officer for the Otter Tail County Solid Waste Department. "I was really inspired by seeing works of art made out of waste materials, and I wanted to form partnerships that would help facilitate creativity around dealing with our waste, and at the same time bring attention to our throwaway culture and how we can be better environmental stewards," says Walters. "There is untapped creative potential in waste and a strong legacy of activism in the arts, so a partnership between creative organizations and the Otter Tail County Solid Waste Department feels like a natural fit. What better way to enter into explorations of reuse and reduction than through a creative endeavor like a Trashion Fashion Show?" asks Klara Beck, executive director of the Kaddatz Galleries.
"At Springboard for the Arts, our favorite thing is to collaborate with non-arts organizations, and to activate new conversations about important community issues through art and creativity. We're excited to gather the community for a day of fun, fashion and reflection on how we can be more kind to the earth by reducing the waste we create, and to showcase the creativity in the community," said Michele Anderson, rural program director at Springboard for the Arts
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Waste reduction through reducing, reusing, recycling and composting is critical for conserving our natural resources and keeping valuable materials out of landfills. The start of single-sort recycling in Fergus Falls over a year ago has led to a 38 percent increase in recycling tonnage, and a corresponding decrease in disposal costs for the city. Although recycling is often thought of as one of the most effective ways to reduce waste, there are many other waste reduction strategies we should consider as well, including avoiding excess packaging and choosing reusable items. And while you may not think about waste when you look in your closet for what to wear, the fashion industry has been gaining attention as a huge contributor to waste and pollution around the globe, in part because fashion is becoming increasingly disposable.
For more information and to register a team to participate in the 2019 Earth Day Trashion Fashion Show go to kaddatzgalleries.org.
