On Oct. 22, models will hit the catwalk at Moose Creek Ranch in handmade haute couture fashioned from used coffee bags, newspaper, paper towel rolls, soda tabs, magazine inserts, and other items rescued from the trash can and elevated into art.
Teton Valley Community Recycling is bringing back its signature fundraising event, the Trash Bash, after two years of Covid cancelations. The first Trash Bash was held all the way back in 2001.
TVCR board member, event planner, and trashionista Stacey Oldham is excited to hold the party at Moose Creek Ranch—after the prolonged hiatus, she thinks it’s fitting to come back on a classy note
Oldham first participated in 2019, creating matching outfits for herself and her daughter Gretel out of toilet paper wrappers she had saved up. She draws inspiration from Pinterest, where the costume creations range from basic to wildly ambitious.
Trashionistas should sign up in advance (find the form at tetonrecycling.org) and start planning. If you’re intrigued by the idea but don’t know where to start, Teton Arts is hosting a costume build night on Oct. 10, where budding trashionistas can get a helping hand from more experienced crafters. There may even be a few folks there who are proficient with a sewing machine, Oldham said.
There’s a wealth of places locally to source materials for your wrapping paper suit, tin can headpiece, or broken
ceramic necklace. At General Laundry, Deb Grove has a rack of free donated clothes as well as all kinds of discarded items that she rescues and repurposes. At 2nd ACT Thrift Store, owner Milissa West, herself a trashionista, will give discounts on goods and clothes for the Trash Bash—just ask at the register. If you’re looking for heavier-duty goods, the transfer station allows salvaging on Fridays, although that might be overkill on the recycled runway.
And there’s always the community, Oldham added. “If you ask around, there’s always paper you can collect, or plastic. Lots and lots of plastic.” TVCR runs the Teton Valley Free Swap Site on Facebook, a great spot to source large quantities of stuff saved from the landfill, whether it’s egg cartons, bubble mailers, bedding, or ice packs.
“It’s a fun way to both show off your artistic side with trash and encourage people to think outside the box with fashion,” Oldham said about the Trash Bash. “There are some people doing really cool upcycling here—it seems like it’s getting more trendy to reduce your clothing footprint.”
There are four competition categories: Youth, Couture, Reuse/Upcycled and Accessories. TVCR will be handing out cash prizes for the finest fashion, thanks to donations from Pine Needle Embroidery, Needle & Shred, and Sabine’s Soft Furnishings. The winner in Couture takes home $150, $100 goes to Reuse/Upcycled, and the winners of Youth and Accessories each receive $50.
On top of a fashion show, the party also includes a raffle and (possibly) music, and goes from 5 to 8 p.m. Beer and wine will be available for purchase and Mountain Roots Education will be slinging farm-to-table pizza out of their mobile pizza oven. Trashionistas get in for free and receive VIP treatment, but attendees who aren’t brave enough to craft their own costumes can pay $8 ahead of time (or more at the door). Go to tetonrecycling.org for advance tickets.
Reprinted from the Teton Valley News, 10/4/22
