Students Strut Their Stuff for Sustainability
By Mileen Zarin
A charity fashion show without any clothing?
The Sustainable Business Studies Club, which aims to connect students with local sustainable companies and organizations, teamed up with San Jose-based nonprofit organization Resource Area for Teaching to host the Anything But Clothes fashion show on Tuesday night.
Over 30 models and designers, as well as RAFT volunteers and local teachers, gathered at the Locatelli Center and showcased costumes made of any sort of recyclable material other than clothing to a small crowd, which was almost outnumbered by the models themselves.
The runway portion of the fashion show kicked off with Right Said Fred's one-hit wonder, "I'm Too Sexy." One by one, the models showed off their handmade creations — outfits that consisted of trash bags, aluminum foil, plastic red cups, world maps, beer boxes, Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets and wrapping paper, among many other materials. The show's playlist continued with Shania Twain's hit "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," despite the fact that all the models except for one happened to be male.
The small audience laughed in pleasure and shock as each model worked the runway. One of the models, senior Patricia Nevers, who wore a costume made of a map of the world and a 3-D, paper maché star, explained the rationale behind her outfit: "I want the kids to go global and reach for the stars."
Before the show's start, RAFT volunteer Chris Romero introduced the nonprofit organization. According to the organization's official website, RAFT — one of 330 businesses certified as a Bay Area Green Business — develops project idea sheets and compiles donated materials that would end up in landfills into low-cost activity kits that are sold to teachers in hopes of facilitating more hands-on learning in the classroom. For example, RAFT sells 30 Light Spectrum kits, which are made of a paper towel roll with two holes punched on both sides, tin foil and a piece of plastic film, for $3.
"RAFT's mission aligned well with our (club's) goals," said Adrienne Syme, SBSC president. "With the funding cuts to schools, especially in impoverished areas of San Jose, RAFT transforms the learning experience by providing teachers with affordable materials that make learning joyous, inspiring and engaging."
After Romero's introduction at the show's beginning, local teachers approached the podium and shared how they had benefited from the organization's work. "Instead of recycling old binders, they can become an art journal for students, and old T-shirts can become reusable bags," said Katherine Renee, a local teacher.
Ellie Harnow, who teaches at a school in Campbell, also uses RAFT's kits in her classroom. "Without RAFT, I could not have run any program, public or private — period," said Harnow.
After about 20 to 30 minutes, the fashion show wrapped up, and the judges chose the best five designs. After the top five models worked the runway one more time, the judges deliberated and selected freshman Nicholas Reed, dressed in a brown paper scarf, as the winner for the most original design and the recipient of an Amazon Kindle.
All the models were asked to donate their creations to help RAFT's efforts, as long as — as co-host Charles DeNault said — "you have clothes on underneath them."
Contact Mileen Zarin at mzarin@scu.edu.