One person's trash is another's high fashion at 2nd annual event

GREENCASTLE -- Dresses and clothing made of trash bags, cereal boxes and other discarded materials will be on display Tuesday at the Trash Our Runway event at DePauw University.

This is the second Runway event put on, in part, by the DePauw Student Arts Council. Adele Kane, the president of the council, said the main goal behind the fashion show is environmental.

"It's a push for people to think about fashion as not only this high-end couture thing but also to be eco-friendly and to think about things in a 'trash is treasure' mentality," Kane said. "Things can have more than one use and more than one lifetime."

Emily Wilson, the event organizer, said this event goes along with the theme of ArtsFest 2010 -- "Art & the Green Castle." As a part of that, there's more interaction between the school and the community, she said.

"We've been focusing more on making it an event between Greencastle and DePauw, so I've spent a lot of time putting flyers up and talking to high school students and trying to get them involved," Wilson said.

The event this year is also co-sponsored by Greencastle High School.

"We have a couple art teachers who are actually submitting a design at the show," Wilson said. "It's been really good at getting different community members involved and bridging the gap."

Kane, who was the event organizer last year, said the original idea for the event came about after president at the time suggested a pairing with the Environmental Club.

"We threw around some ideas, and we decided that since everyone was getting into the show 'Project Runway' we would do Trash Our Runway," Kane said.

Kane is also taking part in the show, designing some accessories and possibly modifying the dress she made last year.

"Last year I created a dress out of recycled trash bags," Kane said. "I know the other members of the council have been working on pieces as well."

"A hat that I made last year has this mesh part to it," she said. "It almost looks like a pasta strainer, what I made the hat out of."

Kane and Wilson said they had around 17 entrants, and said there would probably be more come Tuesday.

The Trash Our Runway event is at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Thompson Recital Hall in the Green Center for the Performing Arts.