COTTAGE GROVE – An annual Cottage Grove arts event will not take place this year after an unsuccessful search for a director. Trashion at the OPAL Center for Arts and Education has been a fashion show for folks to flaunt unique upcycled materials turned clothing for nearly 20 years.
“I decided last year that I can’t do the show without a director who’s done Trashion before,” said Maya Burton, executive director. “So this year, I was just having trouble finding a director in time.”
Last year, Burton was a producer for the show, working alongside long-time Trashion vet, Terrisa West. This year, Burton said many of the original “Trashionistas” are either too busy or too burnt out to pursue the role of director.
Burton is also the executive director of Storybook Theatre of Cottage Grove, and has been directing “Steel Magnolias” at OPAL over the last two weekends.
Trashion is an event where designers of all ages and skill levels participate in creating apparel out of at least 75% discarded materials, including but not limited to aluminum, plastics, paper cartons, magazines and catalogs, and paper bags. The repurposed outfits should be durable enough to last the usual two weekends of catwalk fashion shows.
Previous creations from Trashion include a hand-sewn dress by designer Carmen Dowell made out of over 500 dryer sheets with a matching wig headpiece made of foam and plastic sheets, petticoats made out of plastic shopping bags and salvaged fabrics from the 1700s, and “Balloonciaga” made out of – you guessed it – old mylar balloons sewn into a quilted-style overcoat made by Kailey Creech.
“My goal is to bring it back next year, of course,” Burton said. “I just couldn’t find a director for the show. I just have too much on my plate to run the theater and also direct that show.”
