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PHOTOGRAPHY Yasmine Skalli
The United States Environemntal Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that almost 17 million tons of textiles from fashion ended up in landfills in 2018. That same year, the recycling rate for all textiles was only 14.7 percent, according to the article.
To bring awareness to the environmental impacts that fashion can have, Fashion Week Columbus (FWC) hosted a “Recycled Runway” Wednesday evening, which highlighted six designers who each curated one piece made from materials considered to be trash.
The event brought awareness to the large amounts of clothing and accessories that end up in landfills every year and combated it with a show featuring upcycled and recycled pieces, proving that fashion can and should be sustainable.
The show, sponsored by Nurtur Salon, included unique hair and makeup looks created by employees of the salon, whose mission is to create holistic beauty and wellness while simultaneously caring for the planet.
To begin, the first model walked the runway wearing an orange, off-shoulder, floor-length gown and a white fishnet high-low skirt adorned with black bows trailing along behind the model.
Following behind was a red and blue corset-style dress made out of water bottles and newspaper. The dress was asymmetrical and featured a boasted off-shoulder, yet sleek look.
Next was a purple and green dress, juxtaposing a high-leg slit and a low-cut v-neck. This piece also had a matching headband and was composed of vinyl from Columbus Coated Fabrics, a factory that produced fabrics in the Columbus area before its demolition in the early 2000s.
Following along was a crocheted and rose-adorned dress made entirely of plastic bags. The bags were cut into thin yarn-like strips which were used to weave together the piece.
“I have never worn placstic bags as an outfit before,” said Kadar. “The experience actually felt quite normal.”
Model Paige Kadar strutted down the runway while boasting plastic bags from commonly shopped stores, including Target and Marshall’s.
“I have never worn plastic bags as an outfit before,” said Kadar. “The experience actually felt quite normal. It felt like I was wearing just a normal corset-style top which makes me think that we could possibly see more fashion made from repurposed materials since I felt that my garment was very wearable.”
Kadar’s hair was tied back using plastic bags and she had a short train of plastic following her down the runway.
Kadar said that she had volunteered at the Finale Runway show in 2022 but that this was her first time getting the opportunity to be in one of the shows.
“The designer I modeled for, Alex Trembay, is a part of the Fashion Production Association here at Ohio State and that is where we first met,” said Kadar. “Alex asked me to model and I was so excited to be a part of a professional runway show, which is something I have never done before.”
The next model who took to the stage, walked the runway displaying a two-piece set created from masks and gloves, which filled landfills during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to an article in the scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology, during the peak of the pandemic, around 129 billion masks were being used globally each month and many of them ended up discarded on sidewalks and the sides of the roads.
This look, meant to draw attention to the amount of waste that came from mask litter throughout the pandemic, was topped off with a mini handbag designed from an old Stella Artois case.
The final designer of the night used newspaper to create an extravagant Cruella de Vil-inspired piece.
Motifs of leather were incorporated throughout the look, from the gloves to the skirt underneath, giving a sense of luxury to something as simple as a newspaper.
The piece also included a large bow made from newspaper in the front, and a newspaper train running behind the model, proving that recycled fashion can be just as elegant.
FWC continues until Saturday, with upcoming shows including the Philanthropy Meets Fashion event held at the Columbus College of Art and Design, FWC’s Mixer and the 14th annual Finale Runway, which highlights headline designer, Prajjé O. Jean Baptiste.
For Scarlette’s full gallery of photos from this year’s Recycled Runway show click here.
PHOTOGRAPHY Yasmine Skalli
Columbus is known for its chic restaurants, premier sports and lively entertainment. Some might not know that the city also hosts the country’s third-largest concentration of fashion designers and is home to a flourishing fashion scene.
Fashion Week Columbus (FWC), a flagship program of the Columbus Fashion Council, aims to highlight both established and emerging designers’ works while bringing the community together and supporting local businesses. Hosted at The Joseph Hotel, The 14th Annual High Tea Runway Show featured the works of four designers and treated patrons to a tea lunch to kick off FWC.
The first featured designer was Xantha Ward, owner of a boutique at Common Thread, a downtown shopping destination.
Ward, a Columbus native, said she was a quiet child who found fashion as a means of self-expression and the pieces in her “Earth, Wind, and Fire” collection spoke for themselves: bold colors representing the elements, detailed patterns, and materials including tulle and feathers materialized her eclectic approach to fashion.
One of Ward’s designs paired a camouflage print top hat and jacket with a billowing green tulle skirt, a combination that not many would think to pair together.
Ward will showcase her next collection, “Ghetto Blues,” during the FWC Finale Runway Show this Saturday.
In addition to Columbus shows, Ward has presented her designs worldwide. Ward recently participated in London Fashion Week and has plans to partake in Paris Fashion Week next year. While she enjoys attending international shows, Ward spoke highly of her hometown’s fashion week.
“I love Columbus Fashion Week because they let me do what I want to do and be free,” Ward said.
Following Ward was Sydney Peters, a self-taught designer based in Columbus.
Like Ward, Peters has participated in FWC before—not only as a featured designer for the Passport 2 Fashion Show last year, but also as a bartender for the High Tea Runway Show in 2021. Peters said she strived to exhibit her growth as a designer in her High Tea Runway Show collection, titled Le Jardin, this year.
“This collection will definitely showcase my progress as a designer because it is completely different from anything I’ve ever done before,” Peters said. “I’ve pushed my own limits with testing new shapes, new dyeing methods, new fabrics, the whole gamut.”
Peters said she aimed for the audience to feel “whisked away” to a whimsical garden through her collection, which she found inspiration for from childhood memories of planting fairy gardens with her mother.
The soft pastels, tulle and ribbons prominent in her designs were certainly reminiscent of whimsical garden fairies. Peters’ developing versatility was evinced through various silhouettes and styles, which range from a tailored gingham jumpsuit to a stunning corset gown.
Peters’ mood after the show reflected the dreamy world she aspired to create through her designs.
“I feel relieved,” Peters said. “I created the image and the feeling that I really was hoping to and I was so happy I cried at the end.”
Peters’ next show, “Sole Celebration Finale!,” which will take place on Oct. 26 at the Columbus Museum of Art, will benefit the nonprofit In Christy’s Shoes, which aids central Ohio women facing struggles including cancer, homelessness, and addiction.
Rachna Chandra, fashion designer for Indian bridal boutique Taj Cottage, was another one of the featured designers of the event. For her showcased collection, Chandra said that she was inspired by grand occasions, in particular the Met Gala.
“These [pieces] are designed for people who want to walk [a] red carpet, or a special party or an occasion,” Chandra said.
Chandra’s designs were appropriate for such formal events and included highly detailed dresses, two-piece sets and menswear; multiple included glamorous silver and gold details.
Chandra’s Indian-fusion touch was evident not only in her clothing designs, which meshed traditional pieces such as saris with various cuts, colors, and fabrics but also in the models’ makeup.
Some of the models sported striking beaded eyebrows, which Chandra explained is a nod to the traditional bindi.
“Usually, in Indian culture, the Hindu culture, we put a red dot on our forehead in between the brows, and that has its own significance,” Chandra said. “But, instead of that, I thought of putting the balls on their…eyebrows, so it enhances [their faces] a little bit.”
Although Chandra, a Michigan resident, said she is done showcasing her work in Columbus this year, she hopes to present at FWC again next year.
Peruvian designer Juan José Sanez-Ferreyos was the last designer to present at the event. This marks his sixth year participating in FWC, which he said is always a wonderful event to be a part of.
Ferreyos’s pieces, inspired by his parents’ elegant parties in Lima, Peru, exuded glamor through rich jewel tones, metallics, ornate designs, and daring silhouettes. Though all the designs were high fashion, some were more practical and conservative than others, reflecting what Ferreyo explained as the COVID-19 pandemic’s influence on fashion.
“People like something more ready-to-wear,” Ferreyo said. “Now in my collection, I mix the simple with the elegant.”
Ferreyo owns two boutiques in Lima, Peru, and his couture brand FerreyosLife in the United States. Ferreyo will also be showcasing both his men’s and women’s designs during the FWC Finale Runway Show this Saturday.
While the High Tea Runway Show has been a tradition throughout the history of FWC, one new aspect of this year’s event was its executive director, Keira Chatman, who is also executive director of Columbus Fashion Council, who recently took over the role from FWC founder Thomas McClure. Chatman said she is excited to take on this role, given Columbus’s burgeoning fashion scene.
“I love it because I’m from Columbus, born and raised,” Chatman said. “I went to school for fashion merchandising and at the time when I first lived here and graduated from college, there weren’t many opportunities in fashion so I’m happy to be a part of the city I grew up in, building the community in fashion. I’m proud of how far we’ve come.”
Chatman said that FWC has grown a great deal over the past 14 years, largely thanks to support from the community.
“Because so many people want to be a part of what we [are] doing, it’s easier for us to spread the message about what we [are] doing because people are starting to catch on, they’re starting to see how influential we can be with our designers, with our models, photographers,” Chatman said.
The relationship between the Columbus fashion community and the city as a whole was emphasized throughout the show with help from local businesses who enhanced patrons’ experiences.
The Guild House provided tea sandwiches, Posh Teatime Co. supplied tea and Sistars Treats and More contributed an array of desserts for guests.
FWC has only just begun and there are many events still to come.
For details on this celebration of fashion and community, visit Fashion Week Columbus’ website.
For Scarlette’s full gallery of photos from this year’s High Tea Runway Show click here.
PHOTOGRAPHY Sandra Fu
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PHOTOGRAPHY Sandra Fu
“Lookin’ at you got me thinkin’ nonsense,” may be the way fans feel when looking at Sabrina Carpenter’s recent wardrobe choices.
The “Nonsense” singer has recently taken the world by storm, following her fifth studio album, “Emails I Can’t Send,” ultimately landing her a spot opening for Taylor Swift’s infamous Eras Tour.
However, Carpenter may be more well known to the older half of gen-z for playing Maya Hart in Disney Channel’s hit show “Girl Meets World” or for her appearance in the Netflix film “Tall Girl.”
Carpenter made her musical debut with her EP, “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying,” in 2014, and faced instant support from many Disney Channel watchers.
Many people mention the “Disney curse” when referencing many of the child actors who tried to break free from Disney’s pressing boundaries on their youth. It is very evident in Carpenter’s fashion choices when she was beginning to distinguish boundaries between her acting career and her personality.
Many of Carpenter’s early red carpet looks showcase more of a business style, all of which fit the intended image for the artist at the time. Her looks were timeless and captivated many on the red carpet.
Many of these early looks from the star matched what she was portraying within her music as well. She had been making more light-hearted songs, with happier concepts.
It was in 2016 that Carpenter began to step outside of this comfort zone, releasing the album “EVOLution,” which included songs “On Purpose” and “Thumbs” which had much deeper concepts, questioning love and the way of the world. This is when we began to see her push the envelope a bit more in her red carpet looks.
Not only has Carpenter begun to experiment a bit more than what one might expect, but she seems to be experimenting with colors and patterns in a brand new way.
In consecutive years, Carpenter released two albums. The first was “Singular Act I” in 2018, followed by “Singular Act II” in 2019. It is here that the pop star stunned long-time fans with the release of “Sue Me,” with a music video based on the hit movie “Legally Blonde.” The music video features Carpenter rocking a pink suit, talking about having an ex “sue her” for moving on from them.
“Sue Me” quickly became an internet hit and many fans loved to see this new side of the Disney star. It seemed as though she was truthfully coming into her own, and beginning to test her fashion boundaries.
The singer still had songs talking about similar themes as she referenced before, as fans also adored the fellow release from the album, “Exhale.” The song speaks about her troubles adapting to the world, and wanting to “exhale for a minute,” an emotion many fans could relate to.
As she continued to act, making an appearance in Disney’s film, “Clouds,” released in 2020, she showcased how to separate herself from the Disney image, while also still associating herself with the corporation.
In 2021, she made her debut on the Billboard Top 100 chart with the song “Skin,” following the immense internet hate she was receiving about her rumored relationship with Joshua Bassett.
Carpenter at the time of the hate train had been working on her fifth studio album. It was in the release of “Emails I Can’t Send” that fans began to see the new era of Sabrina Carpenter.
She released the song “because i liked a boy,” the music video featuring her in a completely bedazzled outfit speaking about the hate she received all because she liked a boy.
She goes as far as to say, “Dating boys with exes, no I wouldn’t recommend it.” In this album, Carpenter was taking a stand on prominent issues pressed on women within the industry while also taking leaps in her outfit choices to prove she was fully in her own skin.
Another song from the album, “Nonsense” became an infamous TikTok song, as the singer speaks about a love interest captivating her so much they have her speaking nonsense.
The song was her second to make it into the Billboard Top 100 chart, and she recently performed a montage of “Feather” and “Nonsense” at the 2023 VMA’s, not only stunning the audience with her vocals, but also with her silver sequined outfit.
The dress she wore before the performance also captivated fans with the combination of the sequins she has been stunting recently, but also the flow within the skirt.
As Carpenter continues to create innovative looks, calling upon recent trends, she continues to showcase herself evolving. Fashion for each individual is a process of discovering what makes you feel the best in your own skin.
Carpenter recently spoke with Vogue about her wardrobe transformation and went as far as to reference sleek skirt sets having the duality for a classy event, while also wearing it for errands.
“Honestly, I’d wear this to Whole Foods… I feel like I’d make a friend in this in the produce aisle,” stated Carpenter.
Carpenter is the true embodiment of being unequivocally yourself, and not reprimanding yourself for taking time to do so. Carpenter pushes her fans to love the idea of experimentation, no matter the outcome. She truthfully is a fashion icon and fans can not wait to see what is in store for the pop star next.