A coral reef brimming over with sea creatures and a tribute to Florence Nightingale made from disposable medical gear were the two stand-out exhibits at this year’s Central Otago Trashion Show.
The aim of the event, held in Cromwell on Friday night, was to showcase trash turned into fashion and this year’s show attracted 15 entries.
Most entered the "Anything Goes" section, which was won by Gillian Shaw, of Roxburgh, with her entry Coral Cave.
Mrs Shaw spent between 150 and 200 hours on her outfit which was inspired by a National Geographic article titled "Coral reefs in peril".
"The article, with amazing coloured photography, inspired me to recreate my image of a magnificent undersea garden and coral cave, with its delicate ecosystem, plant life, colourful fish and luminescent organisms," she said.
It was made from recycled materials, including an umbrella, bridesmaid dress, bubble wrap, plastic bottles, fabric and paint sample cards.
The judges were Elise Velenski, Anne Lyon and Megan Huffadine and Ms Velenski said Coral Cave won its section because of the use of materials and the creativity "and because a bit of passion had gone into it".
Dunstan Hospital staff won the business section, called Too Good to Waste, which featured garments made from used packaging and materials from businesses activities.
Its detail and construction stood out, the judges said.
The entry, designed by Keitha Warren, was called Homage to Florence and was described as a mix of grunge and pop art.
The gown’s skirt featured a mosaic of Florence Nightingale’s face, made up of 900 vial lids.
The outfit also used plastic tubing, ampoules and syringes.
Jordan Bottriell, of Alexandra, won the best performance prize.
She wore a denim steampunk-style bustle dress, made by the Alexandra Hospice shop.
Other entries included a hat which used a dog’s bowl and basin as the base, an outfit made entirely of old handbags and a wedding dress made from 70 Coke bottles.
The total contents of those bottles equated to 57 cups of sugar, designer Julie Morton, of Cromwell said.
She titled the dress White Poison and the model carried 57 glasses to highlight the sugar content.
The event was organised by the Cromwell Community Arts group and it was the fifth year it has been staged.
About 200 people viewed the show.
