Recyclable Materials Turn Into Fashion At ‘Waste Wear Wearable Arts Runway Show’
Fashion made from recyclable materials will hit the runway in a performance studies event that is part of Venture, the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts’ showcase of student work, which continues through Saturday.
The Waste Wear Wearable Arts Runway Show is Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Rudder Forum. It comes from the Dress in World Culture course, taught by Dr. Grace Adinku, which includes examining how the fashion industry contributes to climate change.
The fashion show is a new part of the course. Twenty-four student groups in the two class sections will debut outfits using recyclable materials including plastic, paper, drinking straws, water bottles, metal and face masks, as well as clothing and textiles.
Most fabrics used in the fashion industry are made of synthetic fiber like polyester, Adinku said, and these don’t easily decompose. In this era of “fast fashion” — in which clothes are made with cheap synthetic materials and construction techniques — there are risks to the environment, she said.
Because of the increase in mass-produced fast fashion, the frequency at which consumers buy clothing has skyrocketed, creating the need for a change of wardrobe, Adinku said. How clothing items are discarded when no longer desired is a key part of the discussion, she added.
Instead of donating clothes to thrift stores or communities that need them, people toss them in the trash, she said, and the clothing ends up in landfills.
An alternative is to “upcycle” clothing, Adinku said, turning something old into something new. A pocket from an old jean jacket can be added to another clothing item, for instance. Or a T-shirt can be turned into a shopping bag by sewing up the seam, opening up the neck and removing the sleeves, she said.
“I can change my wardrobe without having to buy brand-new outfits,” she said. “That’s upscaling and upcycling. We just need to have this creative mind of using whatever we have in our household. Change it, tweak it, add some design to it and boom: It becomes new and of high value.”
Feedback from the students working on the fashion show has been positive, she said, and the creativity involved adds a layer of fun to the project.
“I believe the hands-on experiences that students obtain during the project will remain with them, and they will always remember each process because of their active participation in the entire project,” Adinku said. “What you make, what you try and create with your hands — the process is the craft and that will be memorable.”
Adinku said she hopes the project reminds the Texas A&M community of environmental issues and helps students apply the lessons learned in their future careers.
“It’s an opportunity for my students to learn something new that is creative, that they never thought they could do,” she said. “At the end of this course, regardless of whatever areas of vocation my students find themselves in the job market, my hope is that they would adopt and apply this concept of creativity for job enrichment.”
Details: The Waste Wear Wearable Art Runway Show is Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Rudder Forum. Free.
Photo courtesy of Artstor.
Venture Schedule
Wednesday, April 26
Viz-a-GoGo exhibition
The 30th edition of Viz-a-GoGo is the visualization program’s presentation of curated student work, including an exhibition of digital and traditional flatwork, photography, sculpture and interactive media.
Details: The exhibition is April 26-28 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Rudder Exhibit Hall. Gaming and virtual reality projects will be available to play from 2 to 7 p.m.
Related story: Visualization Program Going ‘Back To The Future’ With 30th Annual Viz-a-GoGo
Student Research and Creative Works Symposium
The symposium will show the wide variety of creativity explored in the various disciplines within the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts.
Details: 10 a.m. at Rudder Forum. Free.
‘Waste Wear Wearable Arts Runway Show’
The “Waste Wear Wearable Arts Runway Show” comes from the Dress in World Culture course (PERF 156), taught by Dr. Grace Adinku, which examines the social, psychological and cultural aspects of dress and appearance. Students are creating handcrafted, one-of-a-kind wearable arts dress designs using recyclable waste items including plastic, paper, metal and face masks, as well as clothing and textiles.
Details: 6:30 p.m. at Rudder Forum. Free.
Thursday, April 27
Live Art Student Showcase
The Live Art Student Showcase will feature projects created by students in Seminar in Performance Theory (PERF 460). Works will include encounters with “experiencing live,” experiments in performer/audience relationships, and explorations of the interwoven affective, embodied, cognitive and emotional experience of live performance. The students have been influenced by a wide range of artists and movements, from Dada to Bauhaus, Merce Cunningham and John Cage to Fluxus.
Details: 1 p.m. at Rudder Forum.
‘Rhinoceros’
“Rhinoceros,” Eugene Ionesco’s play, translated by Derek Prouse, is the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts’ first theater production, and also its first collaboration with Blinn-Bryan Theatre Troupe. It is co-directed by Anne Quackenbush, Texas A&M lecturer, and Greg Wise, Blinn theater instructor. After three shows April 20-22 at Blinn-Bryan Student Center Theatre, “Rhinoceros” now comes to Texas A&M as part of Venture.
Details: April 27-29 at 7 p.m. at the Black Box Theater in the Liberal Arts and Arts and Humanities building. Tickets are $5, available at blinn.edu/boxoffice.
Related story: Absurdist Comedy Sparks ‘Rhinoceros’ Collaboration With Blinn
Viz-a-GoGo screening
The 30th edition of Viz-a-GoGo includes a theater screening to showcase time-based media, including animated and live-action films, game demos and CG renders. Awards known as “the Vizzies” are announced at the end of the screening, one for each artistic medium and an overall award for best in show.
Details: 7 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. Free.
Related story: Visualization Program Going ‘Back To The Future’ With 30th Annual Viz-a-GoGo
‘Perpetual Motion’
The dance program’s annual “Perpetual Motion” performance will be in Rudder Auditorium for the first time. It features works by faculty members, students and guest artist Jane Weiner from Hopestone, Inc. in Houston. Students will perform “Sierra,” a 23-minute dance created by Carisa Armstrong, associate professor and dance program director, and Christine Bergeron, clinical professor and associate dean for academic affairs.
Details: April 27-28 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. Tickets are $12; $6 for students, seniors and military, available at the MSC Box Office.
Related story: ‘Perpetual Motion’ Dance Event Gets Bigger Stage, Includes Return Of 23-Minute ‘Sierra’ Piece
Friday, April 28
“Rhinoceros” at 7 p.m. at the Black Box Theater in the Liberal Arts and Arts and Humanities building. Tickets are $5, available at blinn.edu/boxoffice.
“Perpetual Motion” at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. Tickets are $12; $6 for students, seniors and military, available at the MSC Box Office.
Saturday, April 29
“Rhinoceros” at 7 p.m. at the Black Box Theater in the Liberal Arts and Arts and Humanities building. Tickets are $5, available at blinn.edu/boxoffice.
