Green never looked so good

As Adele's voice energized the audience at the Memorial Union Ballroom on Thursday night, the crowd waited for the 22nd Annual Recycled Fashion Show held by the OSU Fashion Organization to begin.

Soon the charged atmosphere died down to an excited murmur as directors Sharon Gutierrez and Thea Matos introduced the first designs to walk the runway.  

The theme, "Green is the New Black," invited everyone to join, including students who were not apparel design majors. The only rule deemed that designers could spend no more than $5, relying solely on the use of recycled materials to mimic fabric.   

Junior in apparel design and merchandising, and director of the Recycled Fashion show Thea Matos said, "The Recycled Fashion Show is all about encouraging designers to use unconventional materials in creating their pieces. It's a great way to challenge the designers."   

Tayler Worrell, sophomore and apparel design major, spoke of these challenges. "It's always a challenge to work with different materials, and design-wise it's about fitting all the materials together to make a cohesive look," she said.

Unlike other shows put on by OSUFO throughout the year, the Recycled Fashion Show boasts an aura of playfulness and informality.

What proceeded was a blend of playful and eccentric pieces that spoke to the creativity of the designers and stood as a testament to their talents.

Between sashaying down the runway and the calm, collected walks by the models, ethereal and edgy ensembles made of coffee filters, shower curtains, tire tubes and other recycled materials flitted down the runway.

While some designers modeled their own work, some models gave charming performances, delighting the crowd and extracting chuckles.

Model Tasha Livingstone, junior and forest management major, said, "I'm always so excited for the fashion shows, but then it's over. It goes by so fast."

The fashion show sold more than 490 tickets, all at $5 each. Proceeds benefit OSUFO for further events and activities.

Nicole Ognibene, senior and vice president of OSUFO said, "I get so excited to see the culmination of everyone's hard work. It's nice to take a step back and see how it all comes together."

Ana Bienvenida

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