High Fashion made a grand entrance to Lopez Island last week, and got dumped.

Literally. The Second Annual Trashion-Fashion event is a fundraiser for our beloved Dump, and all outfits must be made from materials gleaned either there or at the Thrift Shop. And boy, were they ever.

I didn’t get to go last year, but I had seen some of the winning entries displayed at our library, so I couldn’t wait. And I was NOT disappointed. I knew we had some amazingly creative folks around here, but this blew me away.

The decor alone, featuring chandeliers of found objects, was jaw-dropping. Here’s a taste:

Bike tire rims, lamp shades, neckties…you name it, they chandeliered ’em. (All photos courtesy Anne Whirledge-Karp)

As for the outfits…I think I’ll give the ol’ adjectives a rest and let the visuals do the work for once:

Ever wonder what to do with that old Twister game in your closet?

Isn’t she ADORABLE? Those are CDs on her head. She could belly-dance, too. Definitely a prize-winner.

Not even a broken leg could keep Sheila off the catwalk. She ditched the wheelchair and used crutches to model her bead-curtain Cleopatra ensemble.

Isn’t this outfit the last straw? Seriously, she must have used every last straw in the dump. It’s ALL straws!

A grand prize winner…made of deer fencing! Not too comfy, but Maria wore the hell out of that dress.

…and a lil’ something for the ladies too!

I wish I could say these designers and models inspired me to make my own outfits out of castaway stuff, but the closest I’ve ever come to that kind of creativity is sewing old Levi’s pockets onto the back of my green jeans for patches. Sigh. At next year’s Trashion-Fashion event, I will be happily occupying my rightful place in the audience once more.

But I’ll bet I have some creative readers out there. What’s the coolest item you’ve ever re-purposed? Brag a little!

(And thanks again to my friend Anne Whirledge-Karp for all the great photos. Next year I’ll bring MY camera!)