skirt
Duct tape purse and skirt, with old VHS tape.

In the last 20 years, there has been a movement in the fashion industry called ‘Fast Fashion’ an issue of how people are constantly buying new fashion and the old clothes are thrown out in the trash. Landfills are absolutely loaded with clothes and it’s becoming a problem. In Jacquelyn Collins Intro Fashion 11/12 class, she created a project that heightens student’s awareness of the problems of Fast Fashion. Students had to create their own fashion designs, but use trash as their materials. Collins first started this project three years ago and she gave it the name, ‘Trashion’.
By doing this project, students are learning how to develop their designing skills without the hassle of sewing as they are to use sta

purse-use-this
Kleenix box purse.

ples and scotch tape to create their Trashion. “We talk about the elements and principles of design, so they are designing clothing but they aren’t hung up on being able to sew. This project liberates them from the hassle of sewing,” said Collins. The design must be wearable, so students participating must make sure their Trashion can function properly. They must be able to wear their design and be able to take it off without it falling apart, which has been a challenge for some students. Besides that challenge students are always successful, no matter if they have an intricate design or simple, students are able to use their creative skills to bring awareness to the perils of fast fashion.

 

To prevent fast fashion from continuing on, instead of throwing out old clothes, people can make the choice of donating their clothes to local charities or thrift stores such as value village, Salvation Army, and Covenant house. Donating old clothes stops the overwhelming waste in landfills and it also helps families or people in need. The Trashion project can make people more conscious of the issues of the fashion industry and the impact they can leave on the world.