Trashion (a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsNew Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

in 2004 and gained in usage through 2005. Trashion is a subgenre of found object art, which is basically using objects that already have some other defined purpose, and turning it into art. In this case, trash is used. Initially trashion was used to describe art- couture costume usually linked to contests or fashion shows; however, as recycling and 'green' fashion have become more prevalent, trashion has taken a turn for the more wearable. The term is now widely used in creative circles to describe any wearable item or accessory that is constructed using all or part materials recycled materials, including clothing that has been thrifted and reconditioned.

Philosophy

LURE 3 from the Lure series a sculpture by Ithaka Darin Pappas at Gallery WOA Portugal photo by Ithaka Darin Pappas

Trashion is a philosophy and an ethic encompassing

environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad Philosophy of life, philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment (biophysical), environment, par ...

and

innovation Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed enti ...

. Making traditional objects out of recycled materials can be trashion, as can making avant-garde fashion from cast-offs or junk. It springs from a desire to make the best use of limited resources. Trashion is similar to

upcycling Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value ...

and refashion, although it began with specific fashion aspirations. Like upcycling, trashion generates items that are valued again, but these items may be either low-cost or high-cost. The environmental aim of trashion is to call attention to and reduce the polluting outcome of fashion waste.

History

Indigenous people throughout the world have used salvaged materials to create new objects for an indeterminate number of years. Africans have made bags from rice and juice packets, Haitians have made sculptural jewelry from old oil cans, and American settlers have made quilts and rugs from cast-off clothing and feed sacks. People were making something from nothing long before the word "trashion" was coined; however, Trashion usually refers to "making something from nothing" for aesthetic purposes, not for practical use. Trashion has become a style of art since the 1990s. Trashion is also the subject of school projects, local fashion shows, community center exhibits, and fundraisers, among other purposes. Some contemporary trashion artists include

Marina DeBris Marina DeBris is the name used by an Australian-based artist whose work focuses on reusing trash to raise awareness of ocean and beach pollution. DeBris uses trash washed up from the beach to create trashion, 'fish tanks', decorative art and o ...

and Nancy Judd.

References

{{Fashion Recycling Fashion 2000s neologisms