FIU students prove that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure

By: Krystal Pugh / Staff writer
Krystal.pugh@fiusm.com

Before you decide to throw a piece of trash away consider these facts: If every American recycled just one tenth of their newspapers we could save 25 million trees each year and recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to listen to a full album on an iPod. Over 75 percent of waste is recyclable, but we only recycle 30 percent.

The Canvas Eco-Culture Recycled Fashion Show took place on April 2, 2015 in the Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture building courtyard on the Modesto A. Maidique campus.

28 contestants hit the runway and strutted their individual creations of fashion from recycled materials. The contestants were competing for scholarship prizes. First place was $1000, second place was $500.00 and third place was $250. There was also an additional $100 for a people’s choice award.

The judge panel included Rene Ruiz, designer of Rene Ruiz couture; Jennifer Luis, architecture student; and last but not least Brian Schriner, the dean of the College of Architecture. The judges will determined a winner based on four categories: innovation, beauty, craftsmanship and recycled material.

Amira Ajlouni, the director and FIU alumna created this fashion show last year in respect to her final thesis assignment, the topic was sustainability of recycled material.
“I have a passion for recycling” said Ajlouni.

Ajlouni explained that in the beginning she never expected this to turn out into an annual event. This was a school assignment that reflected Ajlouni’s passion of promoting sustainability through fashion.

The event has also became an educational platform to encourage and educate the community to recycle and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. Although this is just the 2nd year she hopes to continue for many years to come.

“I’m anxious to see what the students come up with, students always exceed my expectations and I think it’s amazing,” said Ajlouni.

The event was filled with architecture students, graduates and many of the contestants friends and family. There was an array of complimentary drinks such as beer, red and white wine as well as lemon water and finger foods with assorted dipping sauces. Classical music and embellished decor to look at while waiting for the show to start.

Off to a very late start the show began with several non-competing recycled designs.

They immediately hit the runway some were young children that Ajlouni had hired as models and some were teens. They modeled different recycled fashion designs.

Then there was a music change to more upbeat tone – the competition began. The music had contestant number no. 1, Shari Gayle, walking to the beat as she came out in her dress made out of recycled plastic umbrella bags.

Twenty-eight unique recycled designs later Ajlouni encouraged the audience to go online and vote for their favorite pick for the people’s choice award. Then she welcomed all 28 contestants and their designers back on stage for the judges to see one last time while audience voted for people’s choice.

Finally it was time to announce the winners. 90 percent of the vote for the People’s Choice contestant went to no. 28 Carolina Fiol.

Third place was contestant no. 5 Monica Cordera. Cordera was in shock once her name was called a friend of hers had to remind her to go on stage to retrieve her prize. Her design was named “Timeless Coffee”.

Timeless Coffee was made out of a large 3ftx5ft 2012 calendar and the red belt was made out of espresso coffee capsules.

“I even used the coffee grounds as fertilizer, I really didn’t waste any of the materials I used,” said Cordera.

Diligently working everyday three hours or more for several weeks Cordera said she wanted to come up with something that a had meaning. For example, a calendar “once a year goes by you can’t use it again” said Cordera. This is Cordera’s fourth year of her five-year program, and she hopes to work at a prominent architecture firm upon graduation.

Second place was contestant no. 2 Priscilla Cuadra. Cuadra’s dress was designed by Ana Reyes and Grecia Estrada. This dress did not have a name. The designers used dryer sheets and water bottle caps to create a chic look for the contestant to strut on the runway.

“My favorite part was waiting for the show to start the music was playing, it was exhilarating, everything was becoming real,” said Cuadra.

First place was contestant no. 17 Adrienne Kanter and designer Susana Alonso both shared joy of taking first place home. Alonso made the whole dress that the duo-named Por-e`pic meaning “porcupine” in french.

Alonso is a graduate student in school of architecture at FIU. She hopes to open her own firm following graduation. Alonso will accept the scholarship for future endeavors here at FIU.

Kanter is a senior marketing major who is set to graduate this semester. Her dress design was inspired from an Alexander McQueen collection, where the designer used many feathers and created a 3-D look. The top half of the dress was made of 1,500 soda tops and bottom half of the dress was made out of zip ties.

“Everyday I spent about three hours, a total of 40 hours on top half and that includes resizing because, Kanter kept dropping weight,” said Alonso.
The soda tops came from a life-long collection that Alonso’s grandmother had been keeping for years.

Alonso said, “My favorite part was watching Adrienne Walk down the runway, it was so surreal.” The show concluded with Ajoulni joining the winners on stage for photos.
During this show FIU students were able to think outside the box and collectively create fashionable designs for the runway from an average person’s waste.

About Post Author

FIUSM Staff

subscriber

See author's posts