AMP! to host alternative fashion show

Thursday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. AMP! student org is hosting an alternative fashion show in the IGG Student Center Gallery.

The idea was originally Libby Smith's, a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University, who approached AMP! last year about collaborating to create the event.

Last semester, for an arts management class, Smith worked with EMU students Zenah Mitchel, Basia Mack, Julianne Simon and Forrest Osborne to make the show come to life.

“I think students will enjoy this collection because the designs are new and exciting and made out of materials that you would never expect. Also, it is not your typical Fashion Show,” said Mitchel.

At the reception, models will be actually wearing the designs to bring them to life and the designers will be there too so people can ask them questions about their inspiration and the process. One of the designers has a skirt that was weaved out of plastic bags and that is only one example of the hard work that was put into this collection.

“I have one design in the show myself, and all of the ReUp team worked really hard on the facts that go along with the show/exhibit. As you enter the room you will see different information that tells you about the really surprising effect that the fashion industry has on the environment,” Mitchel said.

The exhibit will display the garments and facts for another week and a half after the reception so if you can't make the actual event, you can still visit the designs in the gallery.

“While some of the designs in this collection may not be exactly practical, I think that recycled fashion overall is getting more popular. The main point we are trying to get across in this show is to take a step back and see if what you may consider trash can actually serve a dual purpose. Chances are, it definitely can,” Mitchel said.