Reclaimed Runway 2013

Hello, fashion lovers!

Last Thursday, October 24^th, Fashion Board partnered with Sustainable Carolina as 

Reclaimed Runway 2013 kicked off!

 The Reclaimed Runway Fashion Show included a presentation of 11 different designs created by students and organizations using recycled materials such as newspaper and plastic bottles. The point of the competition was to make students think about the effect they have on the environment and to showcase recycled fashions made out of sustainable materials. Sustainable Carolina used The Reclaimed Runway Show to kick off their Sustainability Week. Sustainable Carolina seeks to educate the campus and community by promoting and implementing the changes required to create a sustainable campus and society. One step they took to completing this goal was in the Green Quad lobby where they do not have any trashcans. I asked a representative from Sustainable Carolina where a trash can was so I could throw my diet coke can away. She responded with, “We do not have any trash cans here, just recycling cans”. I thought it was funny at first, but then after thinking about it, of course it was the Green Quad and everything there is in respect to "Going Green." I’m so used to throwing everything away and not even thinking about recycling so this actually was a good lesson for me to learn! The show started off with Courtland Thomas emceeing the event and he introduced the judges of the show: Heather Bauer, the director of operations at the Nickelodeon Theatre on Main Street; Emily Garnet Sapier, a third-year tourism management student and model; and McKenzie Baker, graduate student and graduate assistant for Fraternity and Sorority Life. After introducing the judges, the models started strutting down the runway. The designs all incorporated something that can be thrown away: trash bags, cardboard, bottle caps, food wrappers, plastics, etc. After all the designs were shown, the models came out for a finale walk and it was finally time for the winners to be announced. Drum roll please… 

The second runner up was a design created by Jasmin Moses, who created a skirt made out of magazines pages and paired it with tube top with multiple Asian-inspired collapsible fans.

The first runner up was Chih Hsuan “Angel” Fang, who’s design included a black short sleeve shirt with a mesh insert in the middle paired with a pleated skirt made out of copies of The Daily Gamecock. Inspired from Yves Saint Laurent, Angel paired her chic design with a big, black floppy hat.

After much anticipation, the winner was announced..

The design submitted by first-year marketing student, Anne Coleman, designed a gown out of plastic bottles that trickled down the train of the dress. Sarah Grier Thompson, a student at Richard Winn Academy, has aspirations of modeling after high school, wore the winning dress. Coleman is a member of Fashion Board and is very passionate about designing. As soon as she heard about the event, she started thinking of what she could use to create a design. Coleman decided on using water bottles, both blue and green, resembling a peacock. 

The show ended up being a big hit with standing room only during the show. With the help of Fashion Board and Sustainable Carolina, The Reclaimed Runway Show was a success! Below are a few more pictures and entries from an amazing night!

Fashion Board Volunteers

Fashion Board Volunteers

Sustainable Carolina Table

Fashion Board Table

Designer duo Brittany Kmieciak and Sydney Priore (model) 

EcoReps design

They will hosting No Impact Week November 10-15, and you can learn more about it at SCEcoReps.com

The Food Independence team from Sustainable Carolina

Designer Landon Masters

Designer Claire Mitchell

Designer Halie Beard

Designer Maggie Keefe

Sustainable Carolina Leadership Team

We can't thank everyone enough for their support and for such a great turn out. The winner will be featured in our Student Designer Showcase during our USC Fashion Week in March. We hope to see everyone that attended the Reclaimed Runway and all of you readers there!

Fashionably yours,

Kristy Martin

first-year fashion merchandising major