Refuse & Fashion Intersect on the Runway
Registration is open for the 16th Annual Trashion Fashion Runway Show
Sonoma, California. Applications are now open for the 16th annual Trashion Fashion Runway Show. With space limited to just 40 designers, early applications are encouraged ahead of the March 20 deadline. The 2026 Trashion Fashion Runway Show is an annual fundraiser for the Sonoma Community Center, dazzling audiences with both matinee and evening performances on Saturday, April 18, at the Sonoma Veterans Hall. Show tickets will be available mid-March. Sponsorship opportunities are available now.
Every winter, the Sonoma Community Center offers workshops and events celebrating sustainability. The other fundraising aspect of the season is the annual upcycled Trashion Barbie gallery and auction, which takes place April 2-25 in the Center’s Gallery 212. This year’s theme, Barbies & Bags: Reclaimed & Reimagined, broadens the creative focus beyond dolls to include bags of every shape and style, all made from unexpected, reclaimed materials. Deadline for submissions is Friday, March 13.
The challenge in creating for the runway show and/or the gallery exhibit is that the artists must use discarded, abandoned, and rescued items from garbage and thrift stores to create their entry. No new materials are to be used because the point is to reuse and recycle. Both shows have a small entry fee.
Dolls can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose. While the Center accepts Barbies and other twelve-inch doll donations year-round, a key partner during Trashion Season is Recology Sonoma/Marin. Since 2019, Recology has diverted well over 500 dolls from its sorting process, giving them new life through the annual Trashion Barbie exhibits.
“I’m especially excited for the bag auction,” said Cat Smith, who works at the Center and will be participating in the runway show for the sixth time. “Accessories are my favorite part of creating Trashion Fashion. While the over-the-top runway looks can be tricky to wear again, accessories can add a clever, artistic touch to everyday life.”
To support participants seeking inspiration and guidance, the Center will offer three Trashion-themed activities. Two are open studio days: Trashion Fashion 101 for adults and teens on Monday, January 26, and Barbies & Bags workshop for all ages on Sunday, February 15th. For designers ages 9 to 17, a 4-week Trashion Fashion Runway Design Class for Kids and Teens, beginning Saturday, February 21, is now registering.
Showtimes for the Trashion Fashion Runway Show are 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, at the Vets Building, and tickets will go on sale in mid-March. Barbies & Bags: Reclaimed & Reinvented exhibit and auction will open in Gallery 212 on Thursday, April 2. The gallery will remain open daily until the auction closes on Saturday, April 25, at the free “Trash Bash” celebration. For entry forms, rules, class registration, and information, visit TrashionFashionSonoma.org or call (707) 938-4626, Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For sponsorship details, call 707-931-4289 or email [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.
Community – Innovation – Creativity – Inclusion – Leadership
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Media Contact:
Molly Spencer
Director of Engagement, Sonoma Community Center
[email protected]
707-707-938-4626 ext 4
SonomaCommunityCenter.org
