Models sashayed along, in makeup and high heels, but what adorned their bodies was far from expensive. Most items were sourced from rubbish bins, industrial and business waste and op shop finds.
And it was the designers who suffered for fashion, rather than the models.
Sara Devcich, who was runner up in the Avant-Garbage section, made a sexy evening gown out of eel skins. Devcich convinced the Eel Trading Company, in her hometown of Levin, to send her the left over skins.
"They stunk," Devcich told the judges. Over a period of weeks, she cured them out in the carport, rubbing them down with kerosene and baking soda.
"Our neighbour thought something had died in the bushes," said Devcich.
The finished result was worth all the nose holding, although last minute handstitching and tweaking meant the cured skins began to release odour during the judging that would have appealed to any stray cats in the area.
Entrants told of broken sewing needles, damaged irons covered with melted plastic bags, and digging through rubbish.
Alana Scott, who won the evening's Creative Award for her angelic mini skirt, six foot-long sweeping train and giant wings, also got dirty to impress the judges. The piece took approximately 27,000 white duck feathers and 500 hours to complete. Scott said the feathers, from a local duck farm, arrived "soggy, smelly and yellow," and had to be washed and dried before being turned into a stunning piece. Innovative ideas makes fashion modelling a place for creative designers.
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