Dublin’s first Swap-O-Rama-Rama fashion event in Trinity’s Science Gallery introduced visitors to the concept of “upcycling” or creatively adding value to recycled clothes.
People were invited to bring bags of unwanted clothing to the gallery where scientists, fashion students and textile designers were on hand to demonstrate how to transform, embellish or even “electrify” them.
Seán Kilbride, a neuroscientist, for example, showed how to convert sound waves into printed decorations using computer programmes. “It’s about getting people to use technology”, he said at the event on Saturday.
Founded in New York by Wendy Tremayne, an anti-consumerist performance artist, her idea of organising a free public clothes swap with artists and designers in attendance armed with sewing machines, stencils and other DIY customising aids, attracted 500 people in October 2005.
Its success led her to franchise the name worldwide and since then the idea has spread to more than 50 cities in the US and in other countries.
“I thought it would be a laid back way of introducing people to sustainable fashion and getting them to recycle,” Liz Allen, programme manager of the Science Gallery said. Unlike other cities where the event attracted crowds, the Dublin event was more low key with the attendance being fewer than the 200 expected, but no less enthusiastic.
Two friends Stacey Bradley from Rush and Edel Carolan from Drogheda were busy making 15 neckties from recycled floral shorts for a hen party. Emma Kelly (5) headed straight for a long orange knit and with the help of her mother and an NCAD student had it transformed into a sundress decorated with pink ribbon and matching hair band.
At the bag station, Lisa McGann, a third year NCAD student turned old jeans and corduroy trousers into bags.
