From Landfills to the Runway
Sonoma Community Center Announces Trashion Fashion Month
Sonoma, California. It is the return of Trashion Fashion Season in Sonoma, a celebration of fashion, art, and sustainability culminating in a month of events. The 16th Annual Trashion Fashion Runway Show fundraiser will take place at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall on Saturday, April 18, with a 1:30 p.m. matinee and a 5:00 p.m. show with a post-runway bubblesand bites reception. Tickets will go on sale for Community Center members on Tuesday, March 10, and to the general public on Thursday, March 12. Ticket prices vary.
The month-long celebration kicks off with the “Barbies & Bags” Gallery Show and Auction in the Center’s Gallery 212. The public is invited to celebrate the opening on Thursday, April 2, during the Sonoma Art Walk from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The bidding will continue through Saturday, April 25, at the Trash Bash. This year’s gallery show extends beyond the limits of dolls to include bags: purses, fanny packs, backpacks… anything goes, as long as it is made from trash, recyclables, and upcycled textiles. Local artists are invited to submit their creations by Monday, March 13, for inclusion.
The Bohemian’s Cincinnatus Hibbard volunteered for this year’s “Barbie Spa Day,” a day when dolls rescued from the grips of Recology Sonoma Marin’s machines get cleaned up for the artists to reinvent them for this beloved show. “Thrown into the trash, these misfit toys would have been buried in the dump with the river of our vast refuse,” he said, continuing, “Barbie mixed up with the makeup compacts and Solo cups, blister packs and netting.”
For full-scale wearable art, the Trashion Fashion Runway Show brings together over forty artists to present their designs. Models and designers will have a training session with runway coach, Cat Austin, making them paparazzi-ready to strut down the 60-foot catwalk. The designs will be judged during the April 18 shows, and there will be prizes in a variety of categories, including the Republic of Thrift People’s Choice Award, which is awarded by audience votes.
Winners of the Trashion Fashion Runway Show are announced at the Annual Trash Bash Wrap Party. This free celebration invites the community to come to the Center and see many of the runway designs up close, get a last look at the Barbies & Bags, and find out if that one-of-a-kind auction item finds a new home with them. This year’s party will be held in partnership with the City of Sonoma as part of the inaugural Earth Day Celebration in Sonoma. Details will be released later this month.
All of the Trashion Fashion season is made possible by generous donors. Thank you to Vickie Soulier, Janet Nusbaum, the Williamsons, Republic of Thrift, Sonoma Garbage Collectors, Jan Erickson, Manuel Merjil, Recology, Bobbie Collins, the Red Grape, Sonoma Car Wash, Refill Madness, and EKI Environment & Water, Inc. for sponsoring.
“Barbies & Bags” Gallery Show and Auction in Gallery 212 will open with a reception on Thursday, April 2, and will close on Saturday, April 25. Deadline for inclusion in the exhibit is Friday, March 13. The Trashion Fashion Runway Show at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building will have two shows on Saturday, April 18, at 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Tickets are available beginning Thursday, March 12 (Tuesday, March 10 for SCC Members). Everything will close with a celebration on Saturday, April 25, during the Trash Bash and Earth Day Celebration. Visit TrashionFashionSonoma.org or call 707-938-4626 for more information.
Sponsorship opportunities are available in support of Trashion Fashion Events. Those interested should contact MC Cutcliffe, SCC Development Director, at 707-931-4289 or [email protected]. The Sonoma Community Center is located at 276 East Napa Street. All proceeds from Trashion Fashion events support the Center’s arts and educational programming.
About Sonoma Community Center
The Sonoma Community Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1953 to serve the communities of Sonoma Valley with the mission of cultivating a vibrant community through extraordinary creative, cultural, and learning experiences. Originally built as the Sonoma Grammar School, which opened in 1916, the Center is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Community – Innovation – Creativity – Inclusion – Leadership
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Media Contact:
Molly Spencer, Director of Engagement and Sustainability
Sonoma Community Center
707-938-4626
[email protected]
