Upcycling Competition 2024 Recap
The first official Lite Foot Foundation Fundraiser (say that 3x fast) occurred on Thursday, October 17th at Savannah Station.
Historically the Upcycling Fashion Show is an event hosted by the LiteFoot Company that allows designers to showcase their talents of taking items that appear useless and making them into new, trendy fashion.
This year, the foundation took this event one step further and built in an opportunity to fundraise. Virtually raffling off an assortment of local experiences, gift cards, and products. The big ticket item was a weekend getaway at Little Mountain A Frame in Old Fort, NC.
The raffle included items from Shop Starland, the Savannah Bananas, a personal healing session, and a chefs tasting and wine pairing for 2 at Flora and Fauna and so many more amazing products and experiences from local business owners.
With a full bar and a selection of small bites, cocktail hour offers guests a time to bid on their favorite items and socialize with other attendees.
From start to finish, this event had the environment in mind. Compost buckets, minimal decor just a few flowers from a florist friend(because the venue was so beautiful, additional decor was not needed). Attendees were encouraged to wear upcycled and thrifted outfits to show off during the show.
After the cocktail hour, guests proceeded into the main space, where chairs were set up in rows to form a runway. And the upcycling competition began!
Winners in each category receive a $300 cash prize and the opportunity to sell their winning product, along with its subsequent line, at Lite Foot Company.
Moreover, our Lite Foot Foundation will provide support to participants in developing sustainable business models and connecting them with other eco-conscious retailers.
The Cardboard Scrap Category
The first category of the competition was cardboard. 110 million metric tons of paper and cardboard waste are tossed out in the United States every year. In the Cardboard category, designers had the freedom to create anything using only cardboard. Judges will evaluate the quality, purpose, and whether the designs can be replicated.
Participant #1: Boyce Seals
Boyce's cardboard design features different travel bags: a rolling suitcase, a book bag, and a purse. He aimed to give life to the ordinary cardboard box by reimagining how boxes can travel, while also incorporating personal significance into the design. Each bag is crafted entirely from cardboard and functions just like traditional bags. The rolling suitcase includes rolling wheels, an extendable handle, and an opening and closing flap. The book bag zips open and closed on both the top and front pouch features a bottle holder, and has adjustable straps. The purse boasts a simple design with inside pockets, capable of holding everything a person needs for their daily activities.
Participant #2: Connor Bybee
Connor’s piece is called "cardboard helm" This helmet design explores the intersection of fashion and technology, made through a process that began in Gravity Sketch, a VR design software. The 3D model was then laser cut of cardboard pieces. The result is a wearable, non-functional fashion helmet assembled using hot glue. The use of a digital model and replicable pattern makes it easy to reproduce, ensuring that this bold, modern piece can be efficiently recreated for other fashion contexts.
Participant #3: Rose Mooney
Rose's design is crafted entirely from Amazon and USPS package boxes collected from her apartment. This dress serves as a commentary on consumerism, highlighting how cardboard symbolizes both the protection of our desires and the confinement of our homes due to the convenience of delivery. In this way, cardboard becomes both a friend and a barrier.
Each participant exhibited truly unique designs that enamored the audience. It was Boyce Seals’ functional travel bag set and his attention to detail that ended up winning the cardboard category of this competition.
Scrap Fabric Rules
2,150 textile pieces are discarded per second across the country. And a single garment is only worn 7-10 times. Participants in this category could only use fabric scraps no larger than 5x5 inches. They had the option to cut larger, unwearable garments down to this size. The designs are judged on quality, functionality, and replicability.
Participant 4. Victoria Sandoval
Victoria’s design is created from various fabric scraps, including knit, woven, and spandex materials. The main components feature a hoodie for stretch and functionality, combined with a graduation gown that provides a dark background. For added shine, holographic spandex sourced from SCAD's scrap bins was incorporated, along with reflective details from a previous project designed for a festival.
Participant 6 Maggie Franz
Maggie’s design is inspired by the 1960s shift dress style. For the base, she upcycled four pairs of blue jeans to create a patchwork-style fabric. The flower pockets and colorful accents add a playful touch, made from fabric salvaged from her dog Penny's torn-up toys. Instead of discarding the fabric, Maggie creatively incorporated it into her design for a fun and sustainable twist.
Participant 7 Catherine Zubler
Catherine’s design is an ode to the tradition of quilting, This dress was constructed from various scrap fabrics in different shades of blue, including cotton, satin, chiffon, and pieces of an old quilt, all giving these materials a second chance at new life.
Participant 8 Indi Seabrook & Brookie May
Indi and Brookie’s design is an upcycled denim ensemble that combines denim scraps with old curtains. The outfit features a bubble skirt paired with a corset top, and is completed with stylish leg warmers, showcasing their creativity in repurposing materials.
Participant 9 Piper Casagrande
Piper’s design is a streetwear look crafted entirely from second-hand white jeans sourced from thrift stores, which the designer has dyed pink. The distressed denim patchwork is adorned with second-hand lace and trim from Starlandia, and further embellished with glass beads and sequins for added texture and flair.
Participant 10 Diana Wong
Diana’s upcycled fashion garment is inspired by a collection of fabric scraps saved from her previous sewing projects. These scraps include a blend of woven and knit fabrics, both heavy and light, as well as textured yarn-dyed and printed materials. By using the technique of embedding cut fabric scraps within water-soluble stabilizer, she embroidered them into a whole new fabric, which is showcased in the skirt of this dress. Paired with inverted denim, the dress is accented with custom-made flowers and upcycled t-shirt braided straps, creating an upcycled dress perfect for a glamorous night out!
Participant 11 Elise Alligood
Elise’s dress, designed and constructed from squares of textile waste, embodies a commitment to sustainability and creativity in fashion. By repurposing materials to create a wearable piece, this design challenges conventional fashion norms while promoting awareness about reducing waste in the industry. Its versatile structure can be easily replicated using different fabrics, whether for a patterned cotton apron or a more luxurious overdress. Through the combination of style and sustainability, this piece demonstrates the potential for a more beautiful and eco-conscious future.
The audience and judges alike were truly impressed with the thoughtfulness and creativity that went into each of these pieces. The contestants not only wanted to create trendy pieces - they went above and beyond to upcycle fabric of various kinds to create sustainable clothing. Maggie Franz’s 1960’s- inspired shift dress won the scrap fabric category. The flowers on the dress upcycled from her dogs toys added a personal and unique touch.
From start to finish the Upcycling Design Competition and Fundraiser had sustainability in mind. This event brought together a community of people that all share the same passion to decrease our waste and the world’s overconsumption.
Thank you to our sponsors, Forsight Eye, East Taylor Creative and ABC Waste who helped make the event possible.
You can click here to learn more about our Upcycling initiative.
