{"id":158607,"date":"2023-11-16T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=158607"},"modified":"2023-12-01T13:15:30","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T18:15:30","slug":"bates-trashion-show-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2023\/11\/16\/bates-trashion-show-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Slideshow: Plastic-bag swan, name-tag kilt, and cardboard giant on stilts elevate the Trashion Show"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Towering nearly 10 feet high, the stilt-walking student modeled a giant braided cardboard costume topped by a massive, gaping mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was certainly notable. But the hundreds who attended the 23rd edition of the Bates Trashion Show also erupted in cheers when the kilted Highlander model jumped onto the stage in a breastplate made of old plastic name tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These were just a few of the creative and recycled homemade garments \u2014 and two of the winners \u2014 featured in this year\u2019s Trashion Show. Produced by the student EcoReps<\/a> in conjunction with the annual Harvest Dinner, the event promotes recycling and reusing by showcasing outfits created from reclaimed campus trash by students, faculty, and staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
More than 300 watch the Trashion Show in the Gray Athletic building on Nov. 15, 2023. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Held on Nov. 15 in the Gray Athletic Building, the 2023 edition brought in one of the largest fields with nine teams of designers and models comprising students, faculty, and staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sloan Phillips \u201925 of Evergreen, Colo, created the winning design with their woven cardboard skirt, massive headdress, and gloves that were modeled by a stilt-savvy and dance-happy Miguel Angel Pacheco \u201924 of Caracas, Venezuela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 300 Bates faithful who watched Pacheco parade around the runway like a giant cardboard creature loved it. Many approached him after the show to ask how he got into his garment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Harvest
Adelle Welch \u201925 (left) of Livingston, Mont., models the “Swan Dress,” designed by Grace Acton \u201924 of Harvard, Mass., from the Trashion runway. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had a ladder. It\u2019s a process,\u201d Pacheco said looking down as he responded from behind his massive mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Garry W. Jenkins appeared shortly before the 6 p.m. start, with his husband, Jon Lee, both of them happily milling in the post-Harvest-Dinner crowd, ready to take in this year\u2019s crop of recycled outfits made of such repurposed materials as shopping bags, newspaper, event ribbons, even a trash can cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Harvest
Model Kirk Read (left), professor of French and francophone studies, bows toward the five judges from the runway in the Trashion Show on Nov. 15, 2023, in the Gray Athletic Building. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great tradition at Bates. I\u2019m excited to experience my first Trashion Show, which is a great way to highlight the sustainability efforts at Bates \u2014 and also the students’ creativity, which is really inspiring,\u201d Jenkins said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Phillips and Pacheco took top honors, second place went to designer Ashley Taylor \u201927 of Lexington, Mass., and model Annie Menden \u201926 of Helena, Mont. Designer Kerry O\u2019Brien, a retired assistant dean in the Dean of Faculty Office, and model Kirk Read, professor of French and francophone studies, took home third-place honors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were five judges this year: Assistant Professor of Politics Seulgie Lim, Visiting Lecturer in Russian Cheryl Stephenson, Alison Montgomery, the head women\u2019s basketball coach, Jackie Luckhardt, the assistant women\u2019s basketball coach, and Robin Graziano, a retail operations associate in Dining, Conferences, and Campus Events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show was a collaborative production hosted by Bates EcoReps, Bates College Student Government, and Bates Dining Services. The Trashion events team were EcoReps Aneeza Ahmad 25\u2019 of Sharon, Mass., and Davina Kabantu \u201924 of Portland, Maine. The emcees were Student Government co-presidents Rebecca Anderson \u201824 of Booone, N.C., and Dhruv Chandra \u201825 of Kolkata, India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many other teams entered costumes that were silly and elaborate, or simply unexpected. Here\u2019s what this year\u2019s designers and models brought to the runway: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redefining Beauty<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer<\/strong>: Sloan Phillips \u201925 of Evergreen, Colo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Model:<\/strong> Miguel Angel Pacheco \u201924 of Caracas, Venezuela<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Use of Trash<\/strong>: Cardboard boxes \u2014 on purpose<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Designers Say<\/strong>: Phillips wanted to convey a message about society\u2019s constricted view of gender \u2014 that they said was like a box. So Phillips sought to redefine cardboard boxes by shredding and weaving them into something beautiful: a giant skirt, arm bands, and mask complete with huge lashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"

Sloan Phillips \u201925 (right) of Evergreen, Colo., shows off their winning Trashion outfit worn by model Miguel Angel Pacheco \u201924 of Caracas, Venezuela. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy experience as a trans person in our society is that it doesn\u2019t allow many trans people to be fully themselves. So the cardboard box is metaphorical \u2014 the fact it\u2019s shredded, because by shredding it, you redefine it,\u201d Sloan said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then they wanted the outfit to move through the gym high up on stilts, to deliver their message in a powerful way. Pacheco \u2014 who has clowning, stilt-walking and other street-performance talents\u2014 was only too happy to oblige. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Harvest
Designer Sloan Phillips \u201925 (right) of Evergreen, Colo., helps model Miguel Angel Pacheco \u201924 of Caracas, Venezuela, get into the cardboard costume Phillips created. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cPart of my inspiration was the desire to outwardly express the feelings of monstrosity projected onto a trans body,\u201d Phillips said. \u201cThe trans body is viewed as inherently unnatural in the mainstream. I wanted to create an outfit that outwardly projected the feelings projected onto a trans person \u2014 and also to create something beautiful.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are portraits of each of this year’s nine portraits, photographed against red and blue backdrops set up in Gray Athletic Building during the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flowers and Folds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer: <\/strong>Ashley Taylor \u201927 of Lexington, Mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Model: <\/strong>Annie Menden \u201926 of Helena, Mont. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature use of Trash: <\/strong>Newspapers and magazines<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the designer said: <\/strong>When her cross country season ended and indoor track had not yet begun, Taylor was looking for something creative to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to do something to entertain myself. I sew a lot and I feel like paper looks cool when it\u2019s folded in a certain way. And I like to read and write a lot. So I thought incorporating words and stories into my garment would be cool,\u201d Taylor said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Annie Menden \u201926 of Helena, Mont., models the Trashion outfit designed by Ashley Taylor \u201927 of Lexington, Mass. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She wanted to illustrate the awe-inspiring joy that stories can bring to people. Knowing her parents recycled piles of newspapers and magazines, Taylor asked them to mail them to Bates, because both are filled with stories. She turned the recycled pages into 30 to 40 paper roses folded together and arranged side by side on the garment top. For the skirt, she arranged squares from newspapers and magazines into a checkerboard pattern, adding a similar checkerboard design to the back of the top. She threw in a floral headband for good measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Return of the Highlander  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer<\/strong>: <\/strong>Kerry O\u2019Brien, former assistant dean in the Dean of Faculty Office<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Model:<\/strong> Kirk Read, professor of French and francophone studies<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Trash<\/strong>: Plastic name tags from the many events and conferences Read has attended <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Designer Says<\/strong>: After a year off, the “Fashion House of Read\u2013O’Brien<\/a>” returned to the show with a touch of history to help them claim third place.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

O\u2019Brien did the research to make their Scottish Highlander outfit historically accurate, a nod to Read’s 50 percent Scottish heritage. Read provided the materials, chiefly his collection of more than 100 name tags saved from the past 32 years of various campus events and and academic conferences. Those were fashioned into the breastplate of his Highlander outfit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Model Kirk Read (right), professor of French and francophone studies, shows off the Scottish Highlander outfit designed by Kerry O\u2019Brien, a retired assistant dean in the Dean of Faculty Office. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The skirt was made of used (but washed) COVID masks, one of the designer\u2019s favorite materials. O\u2019Brien did all the research to assure the kilt, belt, and warrior sash were authentic (or as authentic as a Highlander outfit made of trash can be), but said that her former colleague conceived the entire idea: \u201cHe\u2019s the visionary, just like Christian Dior.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holding Out For a Hero<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer<\/strong>: Ana Fowler \u201924 of Westfield, N.J.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Model:<\/strong> Ana Fowler <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Use of Trash<\/strong>: Recycled paper Purposeful Work banners <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Designers Said<\/strong>: When Fowler, who works in the Center for Purposeful Work, saw her employers throwing out old banners, she decided to turn those banners into an advertisement to make other students aware of the Purposeful Work job shadow deadline of Nov. 29. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So she created a superhero costume by gluing together the old banners and fashioning them into a jumpsuit and cape. She added a paper mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ana Fowler \u201924 of Westfield, N.J., strikes a superhero pose in the Trashion garment she designed. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If there was any doubt Fowler portrayed a superhero on the runway, she added a song to make it obvious: Bonny Tyler\u2019s \u201cHolding out for a Hero.\u201d The audience went nuts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really wanted to shed Purposeful Work in a more silly light, to make it more approachable,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cI want to get the word out and to encourage people to go. I have several friends who have used job shadowing and it was a pretty crucial part of their job-search journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting Carded<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer<\/strong>: Sarah Smith \u201926 of Severna Park, Md., and Janney Halperin \u201926 of Meredith, N.H.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Models:<\/strong> Izzie Sandoz \u201926 of Portland, Ore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Trash<\/strong>: Plastic cards (think Dunkin gift cards and metro cards)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sarah Smith \u201926 of Severna Park, Md., (left), model Izzie Sandoz \u201926 of Portland, Ore., (center), and co-designer Janney Halperin \u201926 of Meredith, N.H., enjoy the run-up to the show. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What the Designers Say<\/strong>: Bates recently did away with laundry machines that used plastic cards, and Smith put those old cards to good, collecting them for her Trashion outfit. She added old Dunkin gift cards to create the top; then made the skirt out of plastic bags complete with tiered pleats. She added ribbons from Bates events to elevate her gown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI already save and recycle packing material anyway,\u201d said Smith, who is an EcoRep. \u201cHonestly, I wanted to see how many discarded items I could put to use in a cool way. I enjoyed the whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Harvest
Dunkin and Starbucks gift cards adorn the top designed by Sarah Smith \u201926 of Severna Park, Md., and Janney Halperin \u201926 of Meredith, N.H., and worn by model Izzie Sandoz \u201926 of Portland, Ore. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stitcher\u2019s Swan Song<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer<\/strong>: Grace Acton \u201924 of Harvard, Mass.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Models:<\/strong> Adelle Welch \u201925 of Livingston, Mont.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Use of Trash<\/strong>: Plastic shopping bags and shipping materials<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Designers Say<\/strong>: Acton is doing her senior thesis on historic dresses, so she used that research to help inform her Trashion entry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She copied the dress design called “Swan” created by Charles James, a mid-20th century designer known for unique gowns sought after by the rich and famous. Acton used Target bags and stitched them into a flowing gown, calling her collection of recycled materials this year \u201cthe culmination of my Trashion Shows.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Adelle Welch \u201925 of Livingston, Mont., models the “Swan 2.0” designed by Grace Acton \u201924 of Harvard, Mass. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a ball gown that\u2019s really sculptural. I started working on it in earnest last week but I\u2019ve had the idea in mind for longer,\u201d Acton said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There Will Be Blood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer<\/strong>: John Campana \u201926 of Plymouth, Mich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Model:<\/strong> Hannah Kothari \u201926 of Houston <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Trash<\/strong>: Newspapers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Designers Say<\/strong>: Campana was taught to use a sewing machine by his grandmother, is a voracious reader of Vogue<\/em> magazine, and a big fan of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race.<\/em> So it was only a matter of time before Campana jumped into Trashion. When he finally did this fall, he put blood (literally), sweat, and tears into his project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Designer John Campana \u201926 of Plymouth, Mich., (right) teams up with model Hannah Kothari \u201926 of Houston,(Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While creating his Christian Dior\u2013inspired gown, Campana cut his arm while using an X-Acto knife. It\u2019s nothing a trip to Central Maine Medical Center and six stitches in his forearm couldn\u2019t fix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For his model, Campana had a ringer: Hannah Kothari, aka Miss Gulf Coast Teen. As a former pageant contender in Texas (a state that likes their pageants), Kothari knew how to present Campana\u2019s long, strapless floral newspaper dress in stunning fashion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen her do a walk before, so I\u2019m excited to see it happen, her doing the runway, a little Cindy Crawford,\u201d said Campana, who danced from the gym floor as Kothari strode slowly up and down the runway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Family Affair <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer<\/strong>: The class of \u201cFamily Stories,\u201d a First-Year Seminar taught by Kirk Read, professor of French and francophone studies <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Models:<\/strong> Julia Anderson \u201927 of Chevy Chase, Md., and Simon Wilson \u201927 of Missoula, Mont.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Trash<\/strong>: Lewiston Sun Journal<\/em> newspapers and a tattered copy of Monica Woods’ book When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir From Mexico, Maine<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Designers Say<\/strong>: After the Lewiston tragedy of Oct. 25 altered the semester in unimaginable ways, Read wanted to bring some spontaneous community bonding into his classroom. So he suggested they enter the show as a class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Julia Anderson \u201927 of Chevy Chase, Md., (left) and Simon Wilson \u201927 of Missoula, Mont., serve as models together for the outfits designed by their \u201cFamily Stories\u201d First-Year Seminar class taught by Kirk Read, professor of French and franchophone studies. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Collectively they decided to make a garment using pages from an old, tattered copy of a novel they had read for class, Monica Woods’ When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir From Mexico, Maine,<\/em> a story about profound sadness as well as how families and neighbors can pull together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 16 students in the class also fashioned recycled paper into paper airplanes that represented how the class was made up of students from around the world who all came together at Bates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one big journey. We\u2019re all intertwined. It\u2019s one big family here,\u201d Anderson said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trash Can-Do Attitude<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designer<\/strong>: Cheryl Lacey, director of Dining, Conferences, and Campus Events<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Model:<\/strong> Christine Schwartz, associate vice president for Dining, Conferences & Campus Events<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signature Trash<\/strong>: Polyester trash can cover<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Designer Says<\/strong>: Lacey and Schwartz, who started the Trashion Show tradition in 2000, featured in their entry a new piece of recyclable material: trash can covers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new polyester covers recently replaced the plastic disposable trash can covers, helping to eliminate waste. The new covers come in black, red, and blue. Schwartz wore a black cover as a dress, topped by a knitted top made of recycled materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Designer Cheryl Lacey, director of Dining, Conferences, and Campus Events, (left) and model Christine Schwartz, associate vice president for Dining, Conferences & Campus Events, show how versatile trash can covers can be. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt can be a dress, it can be a bubble dress, it can be a skirt. From trash to fashion, you decide which way you use it. The possibilities are endless,\u201d Schwartz joked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lacey quipped that more household items like the trash can covers could be repurposed for fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn reality, decomposing clothes in the landfill creates greenhouse gas emissions. So we\u2019re taking an item that\u2019s meant to be used in different ways and bringing it to the fashion runway,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

See Bates students on the Trashion runway in fashions crafted from cardboard boxes, name tags, plastic bags, transit cards, zero-balance gift cards, face masks, newspapers, paper banners, bubble wrap, sticky notes, and paperback book pages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1705,"featured_media":158740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"footnotes":"","_bates_seo_meta_description":"","_bates_seo_block_robots":false,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_id":158779,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_twitter_id":0,"_bates_seo_share_title":"See dazzling Trashion fashions from the 2023 Bates 'Trashion Show'","_bates_seo_canonical_overwrite":"","_bates_seo_twitter_template":""},"categories":[243,232,11012],"tags":[8805],"class_list":["post-158607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-annual-events","category-environment-sustainability","category-student-life","tag-trashion-show"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1705"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158607"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":166585,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158607\/revisions\/166585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/158740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}