Halloween may be over, but the costume contests aren't — Reclaimed Runway, a fashion show of clothing made almost entirely of recycled materials, ran at Russell House Thursday night. The event was hosted by Sustainable Carolina, a collection of campus organizations and students striving to transform USC into a sustainable campus.
Reclaimed Runway is a part of No Impact Week, six days of challenges and events that encourage students to live a life with little to no impact on the environment.
Veronica Farrell, a third-year environmental science student, was a participant in this year’s event, and though she admitted to not knowing much about design, the recycling aspect was easy for her.
“For the participants from the design school, I saw the amazing creativity the recycling and upcycling requirements of this fashion show brought out in them, working with the most unlikely materials,” Farrell said.
Participants came from all different departments of the university, which created a diverse group of designers and participants.
“I am looking forward to seeing our outfit make its way down the runway," Farrell said before of the show. "It might not be the prettiest, most detailed or most structurally sound — none of us are designers — but it was a blast to make.”
Farrell is an Eco-Representative who was elected by her residence hall government to promote sustainability in residence halls. She was the organizer of the EcoReps' design submission for the fashion show.
“We were really excited to participate because this week is a big one for EcoReps,” she said. “I enjoyed spending time with my fellow EcoReps, trying to come up with something out of nothing. Everyone contributed a unique idea that I think is seen in our outfit.”
Anne Coleman, a second-year retail and fashion merchandising student, participated in this event for the second time this year and enjoyed the creative process as much as she did seeing all the other designs.
“My inspiration was from a Zac Posen original couture gown,” she said. “It reminded me of gowns from the Louis XVI time period. For my recycled component, I chose fashion magazines because they are fun, colorful, and they serve as a contrast to the time period that was my inspiration.”
The runway featured all kinds of dresses, from the ostentatious to the restrained, and all were impressive in their own way. Still, the judges had to name the winners. Amelia Shuler and her model Hannah Wessler took third place, Chilean exchange students Valeria Salas Guzman and Francisca Toro Forbes and their model Daniela Estrada Jaramillo took second, and Katherine Galang and her model Monica Gapud took first.
Galang used duct tape, plastic wrap, trash bags and newspaper to make her dress that she created over just four days. Galang is a computer science student, but she shares her passion with fashion design.
"I've always loved fashion," she said. "I wanted to be a fashion designer at one point, but I was like, 'I love technology, too.' It's a second love."
More Like This
Reclaimed Runway promotes sustainability through fashion
By Darby Hallman | Oct. 25, 2016