One Bermuda High School girl’s rewarding experience in the school’s ecoRUNWAY fashion competition

By Leslie Campbell ‘15

For the Bermuda High School’s third annual eco RUNWAY, on November 23rd 2013, at The Bermuda High School, the task was to create two outfits: one Avant Garde look and one Ready-to-Wear.

All teams had to use at least 50 percent recyclable, found or unconventional materials and the winning categories were for the Best Ready to Wear, The Best Avant Garde and the best overall collection. Everyone who participated did a phenomenal job!

I chose to take part in this year’s eco RUNWAY because I have always enjoyed designing clothes and thought that this would be a great opportunity to physically create one of my designs.

I was not sure of the exact look for an Avant Garde garment, so I researched other designers’ work online and noticed that all the garments were very bold, inventive and unusual; not what you would see someone going out in on a day-to-day basis.

I got my inspiration from a designer named Rosa Maria, and a shirt that she created which looked very futuristic with 3D features.

I created the avant garde look with black trash bags, brown paper bags, wire hangers, a hula-hoop, card board and old white paper.

I created a vest with broad shoulders to create its bold look then rolled up paper into cones and spray painted the cones black and gold which I used to stick off of my shoulders and on the front of the vest to create a spike effect.

Then I used the hula-hoop to help create the skirt and used the wire hangers to help keep its round shape. Creating this outfit was so much fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of making it even though it was certainly not easy. It was extremely challenging to make time for it and keep up with my regular school work.

In the end my work did pay off when my Avant Garde garment was declared the winning look!

I was both designer and model with the help of Kristen Claude wearing my Ready-to-Wear design.

Having the experience of also walking my own design down a runway in front of all the guest and judges that attended was exhilarating.

I have never been on a runway before and it was quite nerve racking for most of us but I turned that fear into confidence and once I got out in front of every one.

I had a blast! This will be an experience I will never forget and if I am able to do it again next year I definitely will.

The Ready-to-Wear winner was Eco-Chic: Revamped (Jade Blyden, Karissa Burrows and Keesha Miller The overall winner of eco RUNWAY 2013 was Victoria Clarke and her ‘Playful Fashions’ concept which included a wooden skirt, dollhouse, puzzle-piece top and shorts made from the popular Twister game.

A new category was added by judge Alexandra Mosher (who was joined by Tara Burgess and Lyn Winford); the Alexandra Mosher Award for Fabulous Accessories and Functional Details which was awarded to Re-Written (Courtney Browne, Charlotte Griffiths, Kristen Dill and Sophia Schwertl).