At the intersection of trash and fashion, the celebrated annual Moab tradition called the Trashion Show is just days away. Grand County trashionistas 21 years of age and over will turn out at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29, at Woody’s Tavern (221 S. Main St.) to see and be seen in one-of-a-kind handmade recycled outfits.
There will be a $10 cover charge which will go to benefit the Resiliency Hub, a Moab nonprofit dedicated to creative reuse and environmental sustainability.
“The Trashion Show is a Resiliency Hub fundraiser, a community gathering, a dance party and an art show where people are encouraged to dress in upcycled costumes,” said Claire Core, organizer of the show and president of the Resiliency Hub. “People come in all kinds of different creative costumes made of things they’ve pulled out of the trash can and made into wonderful outfits.”
Moab’s Fiery Furnace Marching Band promises to crank up the brass and bass again this year, and DJ Bob, the host of the Horizon Line show on KZMU Radio, will be pulling everyone to the dance floor with his eclectic electronica.
“This is the fifth year in a row that Fiery Furnace has played for the Trashion show,” said Core. “They’ve been working on a whole new set of music that they’re going to roll out special for the show. That’ll be amazing to experience and dance to!”
Core said that three Trashion Show judges will patrol the crowd; each judge will pick three favorite outfits for an “impromptu runway event” in which contestants will parade down the runway with a live MC. The judges will each score the outfits, and score tallies will determine winners in the categories of “trashiest,” “sassiest” and “classiest.”
“Judges are really looking at the craftsmanship and aesthetic appeal, interesting items that are repurposed, taking a look at whether the items really are recycled,” Core said, adding that the top 4 winners will be awarded prizes, which in the past have included gift certificates and other prizes.
This runway event harkens back to the origins of the Trashion Show – formerly hosted by another Moab nonprofit, WabiSabi, whose mission includes minimizing waste – in which people designed elaborate upcycled costumes and modeled them on a runway for event attendees.
The show has since evolved and now everyone dresses up in upcycled garb.
“There are some really memorable costumes,” Core said. “One year, a man came on stilts that made him 9 feet tall, dressed as a wood nymph. He’d created the outfit out of items he wildcrafted.”
She added, “It’s amazing to see what people have access to that otherwise might have gone to the landfill. Two men last year made a dragon costume.”
While the Trashion Show is for ages 21 and over, there will be a family-friendly craft session at the WabiSabi community building, located next to the thrift store (160 E. 100 South) during which anyone can come and make their own upcycled fashion pieces. Core said WabiSabi has been collecting items that aren’t able to be sold at the thrift store and has set them aside to make “some amazing recycled items.”
The crafting event is free and sponsored by both WabiSabi and the Resiliency Hub. In addition to materials, snacks will be provided.
For more information about the Resiliency Hub or the Trashion show, send an email to resiliencyhub@gmail.com. For more information about the WabiSabi Trashion craft session, email outreach@wabisabi.com.
What: Trashion Crafting
When: Tuesday, Feb. 25, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Where: WabiSabi Community Engagement Center (adjacent to the Thrift Store), 160 E. 100 South
What: Trashion Show
When: Saturday, Feb. 29, at 8 p.m.
Where: Woody’s Tavern, 221 S. Main Street
Cost: $10
For more info, email resiliencyhub@gmail.com
