Students at Crowsnest Consolidated High School were recycling in style last week as members of the Fashion 10/20/30 class modelled a collection of outfits made from reused and recycled materials.

Decked out in clothes made of everything from pop can pull tabs to pennies, the students strutted down a catwalk in front of an audience of their schoolmates. All was not fun and games; these would be Coco Chanels were being graded on their salvaged creations. Luckily, Beverly Pisony, who teaches the course, says she is happy with their results.

“They came up with some really unique and creative things,” says Pisony, “[They learned] a basic understanding that everything can be reused and that things can be created out of other materials. They worked with their hands and they were being creative and they were really happy when it worked and it looked good.”

Pisony came up with the idea of putting on a recycle fashion show from similar projects she had learned of. The University of Oregon hosts an annual recycle fashion show. She says the project was designed to teach both artistic creativity and the importance of environmentalism.

“As Canadians we recycle,” says Pisony, “Canadians are about the environment and recycling. There’s no reason to throw something away that can be recycled into the trashcan.”

One of the ensembles was made from a discarded Monopoly board. The students constructed a skirt from Monopoly money and a bodice out of game cards. Then for the piece-de-resistance they glued the playing pieces onto the belt.

Another notable project incorporated coffee and newspapers for a café themed ensemble.
“[The student] took a tank top and dyed it with coffee. Then she made a newspaper circle skirt that was attached to cardboard, because you go to the coffee shop and read newspapers. So that was the basis of the dress.”

Another group of students created a wedding dress worthy of the most environmentally conscious bride that had pop cans attached to strings for the train in lieu of the typical yards of silk.

The outfits are on display at CCHS for the time being. Some are being saved while others might be sent back to the recycling bin or donated to a worthy cause.

“There is one top that was made entirely out of pull tabs on ribbons. There is a group that actually collects pull tabs for wheel chairs and that is where the pull tabs will go,” explains Pisony.

If you are inclined to see these unique creations, the Fashion 10/20/30 class will be featuring a few of them when it puts on another fashion show in June. This one will be open to the public and will also feature ensembles based on fashion trends throughout the decades. The students will be taking contemporary clothing and redesigning it into fashions from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

“That’ll be fun,” says Pisony, “we’ll have to see if we can find some Afro wigs.”