Aluminum cans and yard waste transformed into designer materials at the Recycle the Runway fashion show, hosted by Mecklenburg County Solid Waste and Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful on May 3. The event challenges high school students to create and model custom fashions made of at least 85% recycled materials. This year’s competition featured seven designs from four schools, held at Northlake Mall.
Mallard Creek High School emerged victorious, winning both the Best in Show and Crowd Favorite awards. Their design, titled “Veyra,” featured a skirt made from recycled paper, aluminum tabs, and shredded tires; a bodice crocheted out of plastic bags; and horns crafted from packaging materials. The team dedicated 400 hours to this project.
Northwest School of the Arts received the Most Creative award for their piece “Ember,” which utilized garbage bags, cardboard, and yard waste to illustrate the impact of wildfires. Providence High School was recognized for having the Greatest Variety of Different Recycled Materials with “Ocean Tempest,” a mermaid-inspired gown primarily made from newspaper and soda cans. Hough High School earned the Judges Award for “Armored Maiden,” an ensemble constructed using over 350 cans.
The judging criteria included creativity as well as knowledge about recyclable materials in Mecklenburg County.
Recycle the Runway is open to students from public or private high schools within Mecklenburg County. Those interested in participating next year can contact [email protected].
