Re-Tell shows importance of recycling
Models graced the runway in the TSC Ballroom on Monday, dressed in handmade outfits as part of a semesterly recycled fashion show.
Known in the Spring 2013 semester as Re-Tell, the show featured 73 models sporting handcrafted outfits – all created by the 120 students in assistant professor Lindsey Shirley’s FCSE 3080 class.
“In part four of the class, we look at creating dress,” Shirley said of her Dress and Humanity class. “They apply the elements and principles of design to creating an article of clothing for a 3D form.”
Re-Tell’s outfits were grouped into nine categories: Action, Adventure and Comics, Children’s, Classics, Fantasy, Mystery, Reference, Romance, Science Fiction and Western.
A dress called “Miss Spy,” created by Amy Denison and Krecia Jessop, won Best of Show.
The idea for the full-length, black dress was born from the “I Spy” game.
“I loved ‘I Spy,’ so I figured we’d make an ‘I Spy’ dress,” Denison said.
Jessop said she and Denison designed the dress so anyone could play an actual game of ‘I Spy’ with it.
“It was cool to make an interactive dress,” Jessop said.
Mary Lynn, a senior majoring in FCSE who helped run the show, said she was amazed at the creativity of some of the designs.
“It might sound cliche, but I love what people can come up with that just seems like junk,” said Lynn, who has helped with more than five FSCE 3080 shows.
Lynn said Re-Tell can show people how recycling can be important in other aspects of life than their clothing.
“Maybe we could repurpose more things, and not necessarily just in fashion,” Lynn said.
Despite the fashion-show element, Shirley said Re-Tell is also designed to help students explore sustainability.
“Their garments are made out of recycled materials,” Shirley said. “Looking at the textile industry, we have a lot of clothing that we throw away.”
Shirley said she doesn’t want to charge an admission for the show, but an effective alternative is letting students purchase tickets for one can of food – all of them going to help stock the Student Nutrition Access Center’s food pantry, which helps feed students who have to choose buying textbooks over dinner.
“It’s an easy thing to do,” Shirley said of the food donation. “We might as well keep it here on campus because students really want to do things for their peers and the community.”
Will Shugart, director of SNAC, said he thought roughly 6-700 cans of food were collected at the door.
“We just got a ton of canned food and that is very, very helpful for us,” Shugart said. “As a student, times can get very tough.”
Shugart said while the fashion show has been established as a regular event, he thinks SNAC’s involvement is crucial to helping students suffering from hunger.
“This is one of our biggest events for the semester,” he said.
The next fashion show will take place Sept. 16 during Ag Week of the Fall 2013 semester.
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @StuckiAggies