From Garbage to Garb at American Mural Project Gala

Old clothing, bedspreads, roping, turkey feathers and beaver bones may be trash to most, but to Debby Moore of Sharon, they are haute couture. Moore’s wearable art, “Marvelized Memorabilia,” was among the nearly 40 designs to grace the catwalk at the American Mural Project’s Art of Work gala fundraiser “Recycled Runway” on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The wearable art entries were created by people of all ages and levels of experience, and were modeled by women, men and children. The emcee for the evening, Jeffrey Geddes of Torrington Savings Bank, sported an eye-popping blue and white geometric-design suit and bow tie. He quipped that his outfit label indicated it was made of “100 percent polyester and 200 percent amazingness.” 

The recycled wearable art show was part of AMP’s fourth annual Art of Work Gala, an evening that drew a packed house of close to 400 attendees at ticket prices ranging from $35 to $350. Tickets also covered hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, desserts and a dance party later in the evening.

Kicking off festivities, Amy Wynn, the American Mural Project’s executive director, emphasized that the fashion show was not meant to be a competition. Rather, she said, it was an invitation for designers of all ages to express their eco-consciousness and creativity using discarded and recycled materials.  Proceeds, she said, will go toward AMP’s educational programs and construction on its Winsted mill site.

The designers adopted names for their fashions that were as clever as the outfits. Deborah H. Carter of Lenox, Mass., entered a stunning dress made from sunflower bird seed bags and newspapers, called “Seedy Side of the News.” Another of Carter’s designs, “Show Stopper,” featured a sheath dress made entirely of corks, and a third design, called “Chipping Away,” was made of potato chip bags and newspaper bags.

A design team from Pittsfield, Mass., entered “Off the Cutting Room Floor,” an outfit comprising hospital discards including draping, tubing, tourniquets, food wrappers and containers. 

One by one, the models strutted their stuff to the pulsating music and light and screen projections, while the audience offered enthusiastic applause. The designs blended innovation with stylistic flair, bringing to mind “Project Runway” meets your local recycling center. Who knew that plastic water bottles, soda tabs, foam insulation, bubble wrap, wallpaper scraps and even old luggage could be so chic?

Even American Mural Project artist Ellen Griesedieck of Sharon got in on the catwalk action. She co-designed, with Brooke Giordano, a spectacular gown made from defunct Newman’s Own product labels, bubble mailers, burlap and cheesecloth that was worthy of an appearance before fashion icon Anna Wintour, as was an over-the-top “Rococo-style dress” designed by Theresa Cannavo of Winsted.

“It was a great event and promoted recycling and the environment, and it supports a great asset to our area,” said Holly Cassaday of Winsted, referring to the American Mural Project. Cassaday, a member of the evening’s gala committee, attended with a group of friends, including Ann Naticha, whose daughter, Olivia, owned the catwalk while wearing a dress made from discarded 2019 graduation party materials — plastic forks, paper decorations, a vinyl poster and tablecloth.

“We worked on it for a month,” said Ann. “It was fun and it was a 100 percent team-building project.”