A New Type of Couture

The term “fast fashion” was first coined in the ’90s when a New York Times writer used it as a way to describe the stateside arrival of Spanish brand Zara. Since then, hundreds of brands such as H&M, UNIQLO, and Shein have popped up, enticing consumers to buy runway wear at a fraction of the cost. 

But the result of mass-producing runway replicas using synthetic materials goes well beyond overwhelmed secondhand stores or overflowing personal closets. According to an Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, up to 85 percent of textiles go into landfills each year. But it isn’t just the industry to blame — consumers have been keeping those garments for half as long as they did in 2000. 

So, what does that mean for our community? The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative is hoping to shed some light on the “ecological disaster” of fast fashion with a reuse runway fashion fundraiser at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW) on October 16. 

Upcycle Couture, in partnership with Explore Ecology (EE), will showcase original designs from six emerging and established designers who’ve been tasked with building their collections using recycled materials. Each designer had the opportunity to shop at EE’s Art from Scrap to collect items, gathering everything from traditional textile supplies to quirky knickknacks for accessories. 

“Explore Ecology is looking forward to encouraging more people to embrace upcycling and unleash their own creativity when it comes to how they express themselves,” said Explore Ecology’s development director Morgan Coffey.

Part social hour and part fundraiser, guests are invited to mingle with cocktails while learning about programing offerings from partner booths. “The focus of the event is to raise funds for our programming,” said Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative programs and fund development officer Adrienne De Guevara. “However, it is also to task artists with reimagining how we can reuse and conserve our resources using beauty and craftsmanship while also bringing awareness about the detrimental effects of fast fashion on the environment.”

The final creations will be available to purchase via silent auction, in addition to work from the fabric-based art experience Recycled Show. The brainchild of local artist Jami Joelle Nielsen, Recycled Show is celebrating its fourth edition and tasks artists to use recycled materials in their work. It’s a symbiotic partnership that will allow guests to enjoy both wearable and non-wearable art built from recycled goods.

Spinning nothing into something has been the passion for designer Morgan Roberts for years. The Santa Barbara–based designer loves doing “thrift flips” for her fashion brand Borgo by Morgo. A seamstress since childhood, she’s been working tirelessly to get her first mini-collection ready for October. Just days away, the nerves may be setting in for her first show, but she’s “excited to see it all come together.”

The same could be true for the four other participating designers, including Celeste Castillo, Moriah Gardner, Erica Huff, and Marie Pier-T. Likewise, Explore Ecology isn’t just sitting on the sidelines; the entire staff, full of creatives, wanted their own opportunity to inspire and delight, and brought in established Los Angeles–based designer Yohannes Yamassee to help showcase the program’s creative reuse core message with his own line of clothing.  

Their work will be judged by filmmaker Toban Nichols; local stylist Nina Quiros; Allison McCann, the costume studio director at SBCC’s Theater Group; and fashion storyteller Heidi Clements. “I love Santa Barbara. I love fashion. I love young designers,” says Clements, who gets dressed for her 1.1 million followers on Instagram while telling stories. A secondhand shopping advocate (her favorites in town are Crossroads, Neighbor Neighbor, and The Closet Trading Company) who doesn’t want to add to the massive landfill of clothing, she was an empathetic “yes” when asked to judge the show. “Project Runway was always my favorite show, so I feel like this is my Project Runway moment.” 

The winners will have an opportunity to win a series of prizes including internships with Catherine Gee or Nina Q Styling, or showcasing their clothing at Loveworn or Neighbor Neighbor.

To purchase tickets for the October 16 event ($25-$80), see sbartscollaborative.org/upcycle-couture.