Fashion World Employs Discards
The high prices attached to items of high fashion are not necessarily related to the costs of the materials used. Rather it is a reflection of the cost of design work done by the best minds in the field. This can be seen in the latest trend in the world of fashion; that is the use of discarded materials to create new clothes. In a word, trash is being used to produce high concept clothing. The use of such lowly materials allows designers to demonstrate their creative skills. It takes much imagination to transform trash into beautiful clothing.
Many designers are also environmentally conscious and using recycled materials appeals to their desire to conserve resources. To feature work of this sort, fashion designers staged a “Recycle Now Week” that promoted the use of trash in haute-couture. Featured were dresses composed of cans, packing material, and newspaper. Gorgeous gowns were assembled from the basest of materials. Appreciative viewers found much to admire.
The French artist Bernard Pras created a portrait of Louis XIV in 3D using nothing but garbage. A close up view of the work will reveal cans of soda, bags of chips, and toilet paper smoothly blended into an arresting portrait. The artist explained that he wanted to show people that trash cab be made to look beautiful in the right combination. Only talent is required to do this since the materials themselves are free.
Jewelry and Toys Work as Well
Trash is finding its way into jewelry as well where innovative designers are displaying highly imaginative work. The divide between notions that jewelry is a high priced item while trash is freely available helps make the finished products a study in contrasts. Jewelry of this sort falls into the field of eco-fashion where the aim is to tax earth resources as minimally as possible.
An amazing assortment of materials is used in this effort: copper, rubber, and metal alloys to name but a few. British artist Ann Ellis uses recycled plastic, textiles, and other materials she found discarded to create marvelous pieces of jewelry. She has won numerous awards for designing glamorous pieces that no one would guess literally came out of the trash.
Traditional toys have lately fallen out of fashion. Children today seldom play with cars or even with robots. They are more likely to spend their time playing video games. Bucking this trend is designer Jay Garrison who has created a series of whimsical toys constructed from things he just happened to come across. He calls the line his “Found Object Assemblage.” Toy cars and other mechanical devices are built from parts taken from things he picked up at thrift shops and craft shows. His declared aim is to bring back the sense of joy children used to get from playing with actual toys.
For further information about fashion from trash as well as other interesting topics regarding the world of waste management, Securr Trash Cans is an excellent source for news of this sort.