There it was. The bizarre, possibly hallucinogen-inspired piece meant for shock value more than wear. The voluptuous girl gliding down the catwalk doesn’t seem to know she’s wearing a bikini fashioned from decapitated stuffed animals. Her walk says she is Uma Thurman in a Donna Karan original. She turns slowly so the audience can admire her from all angles. I goggle at the number of teddy bear heads the artist must have ripped off to make the lingerie set. The model throws us a flirtatious wink and wiggles back off stage.
The crowd is now going berserk with rambunctious praise. Apparently the artist is well known and so, instantaneously, is surrounded by fans. I’m still staring at the empty stage in horror. I am never letting this woman near my Beanie Babies.
Later, I loiter around the champagne table until she wanders over to get a refill by herself. Cate Kelly, creator of Fuglies and the controversial piece, says she likes using recycled material because it’s organic so nothing feels forced. “Everything has already been said and done,” she says. “Doing something like this is looking at it in a new light.”
That, I felt, was the understatement of the year. Still, I gained an unexpected appreciation about fashion from all the artists. These men and women try to teach resourcefulness in an industry that is known for creating waste by its transient nature.
On my way out, I find college student Karen Veronneau by the recycled packaging tote bags. She came for something to do with friends on a Friday but her experience was echoed by several other attendees. Veronneau says she’s realizing recycled clothing isn’t necessarily frumpy or unsanitary, like she’s thought in the past. “Tonight I saw a great supply of unique styles I’d love to try,” she says.
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