everydaytrash

This week Trashtastic Tuesday features Miss Malaprop, a pioneer of “Trashion”.

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everydaytrash: What is a “Trashion street team” and how did you get involved?

Miss Malaprop: Etsy.com, an online marketplace for all things handmade, has all sorts of member organized “street teams” who try to help get the word out about Etsy and their own shops there.  The site is just 2 years old and very community oriented, so the street teams are a great way for members who live in certain regions or have similar interests to join up and spread the word about their work.

I believe the Trashion Street Team formed sometime during or shortly after Etsy sponsored an “upcycling” contest this past January.  The challenge was for users to create something beautiful and functional out of materials that otherwise would have been thrown away or recycled.  There were over a thousand entries, and everyone got really into the “upcycling” idea.  Some of us decided to create a street team devoted to this idea, terming our work “Trashion”.  As in, trash + fashion = Trashion.  Of course for our group that’s not just limited to recycled clothing and jewelry.  We have members who create just about anything you can think of using recycled & “upcycled” materials.

everydaytrash: What kind of politics and values go into your work?

Miss Malaprop: The more I get into the green movement and become more conscious of my environmental footprint, the more creative I become.  Lately every little thing I throw away makes me think, “how can I turn this into something functional and fun?”

I’ve always been interested in environmental issues (I tried to start an environmental club when I was in 4th grade), but lately I’ve really been trying to make some changes and reduce my impact as much as possible.

Since Hurricane Katrina, I’ve also been creating a lot more New Orleans and fleur-de-lis themed pieces, as a show of support for the area’s recovery and to help remind people elsewhere how far we still have to go.  (And that yes, it is worth saving and fighting for.)

everydaytrash: What’s your favorite piece you’ve reimagined from trash?

Miss Malaprop: I think it would have to be the outfit I made from recycled FEMA blue tarp for the Etsy upcycling contest [pictured above].  I won 3rd place in the contest because of it (out of more than a thousand entries, remember), and I got a lot of press and the chance to attend the Maker Faire in San Francisco because of it.  Plus I was just really pleased with the way it turned out.  I’d made an outfit from blue tarp before, for a local fundraiser, but I really liked this piece because it was made from discarded offical FEMA tarp and it helped bring some attention to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area.

Related links:

MissMalaprop.com – indie finds for your uncommon life

dismantled designs – original and reconstructed clothing & accessories

New Orleans Craft Mafia

Etsy Trashion