Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Camila Saenz/ Contributing Writer
news@fiusm.com
The College of Architecture and the Arts will present its second annual Eco-Couture Recycled Fashion Show at the University.
Kelly Meyer, an office assistant in the Department of Architecture, was involved in last year’s show.
“The event had attracted an audience of more than 300 people,” she said. “The goal for this year’s fashion show is to attract a broader audience.”
Amira Ajlouni, an alumna of the College of Architecture and the Arts, started the fashion show last year, allowing all students at the University to submit their designs of outfits created from recyclable material.
Once the winning designs are picked, the designers are able to recreate their ideas into actual clothes, which will be displayed by models on a runway.
The models are provided with hair and makeup assistance at the show.
Ajlouni had wanted to create this project a few years back, but she lacked resources and preparation.
“Once thesis time came rolling around, I remembered this idea of a project promoting sustainability, which I had had a few years back,” she said. “Even though I would not have an abundant amount of resources, I now had enough to start the project.”
The fashion show allows for an entertaining medium of creativity for those involved in the project and for those who participate in the audience, said Ajlouni.
According to her, the modern world has had a shift.
Now the public has become more ecologically aware and more inclined to protect the environment from depletion.
Ajlouni believes that this project can become a popular event, bringing attention to a popular and current issue: recycling.
In her mind, recycling is becoming more of a trend and she thinks that there is a great movement to reuse materials.
For her the couture portion of the show exemplifies the fashion-forward designs that are submitted, all with the goal of promoting sustainability and creativity within the community.
Currently, only University students are allowed to submit designs and participate in the event.
But Ajlouni hopes to be able to involve the entire community in the future.
Go Green, a part of the University’s Office of University Sustainability, is sponsoring the fashion show.
According to its website, their mission is to implement policies and procedures regarding the integration of environmental sustainability into its operations, education, research and outreach.
In last year’s show, Associate Professor Gray Read modeled a full-paper ensemble put together by Ajlouni herself.
As Ajlouni phrased it, Read strutted down a runway covered in woven, plastic bags, which were custom-made for this event.
The winners of the event are awarded cash prizes. First place winners receive $1,000; second place winners receive $500; and third place winners receive $250.
“I wanted people to see recycled materials in a different light, and I think that worked out [last year],” Ajlouni said. “I also wanted people to be inspired, and…that worked. Finally, I wanted to start a tradition.”
The Eco Recycled event will also display artwork promoting sustainability.
It will be held on Thursday, April 2 at the Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture building courtyard. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour and live music.
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