What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1208706
"To me, creativity is what makes us human, and the ways we choose to express our creativity illuminate who we are," muses Sarah White. "In my work I try to explore our connections to the natural world, and what it means to be alive as human creatures who like to think ourselves apart from nature but we are really so connected to everything else, and our choices make a difference to the natural balance (or lack thereof) in the world." Find White's work: ourdailycraft.com, facebook.com/ OurDailyCraft, on Instagram and Twitter @ourdailycraft, pinterest.com/sewwriter, and minimalistcrafter.com. (Courtesy Photo) 10 WHAT'S UP! FEBRUARY 9-15, 2020 Alyssa Bird: These pieces were part of the collection I came up with for Spring 2019 NWA Fashion Week. This collection was created entirely out of test-print and misprint T-shirts from a local screen printing company, B-Unlimited. Our mission was about community and utilizing the resources we have in front of us rather than creating something entirely new that will ultimately create more waste. We wanted this to be a collaboration to showcase how working together as a community, with all our different skills and ideas, we can create something much more magical than we can individually. Trisha Guting: Inspired by ancestor mythologies, tarot symbolism and Pinay ingenuity, "Sagut ni Silaw" ("She Illuminates"), depicts a warrior queen. She is an image of victory and a bringer of light. Through linear and directional shapes and feather detail, she embodies the element of air. Her jewels are both protective armor and noble adornment. Her crown is a beacon of enlightenment. Sarah White: My piece is a two- piece summer dress knit entirely out of plastic shopping bags. I cut the bags into strips and then knit the fabric. Q. What inspired this piece? Elizabeth Koerner: The "fabric" inspired the jacket. I have so much fun designing. I think and pray a lot, and then I get after making a piece. Sometimes the design morphs in the process. This one did. This piece was designed for NWA Fall Fashion Week 2018. Brandy Lee: I was very inspired by the material itself. The shiny black side looks like a trash bag, and the embossed pattern is similar to what you would see on a window screen. I chose to do a cut-out pattern because the material is stiff and would allow the shape to really stand out. I went with the diamond pattern because it would loosely mimic the embossed pattern. I also chose the glitter vinyl to create a really bright and fun contrast to the black. I made this piece specifically for this exhibition. Sarah White: I was inspired by traditional dresses Haitian women wear, which have full skirts and are often decorated with rickrack or ribbon. I used different colors of shopping bags to make stripes to evoke that decoration. This was made for this exhibit. Q. Why is sustainability, upcycling or having eco-conscious practices important to you in your work? Alyssa Bird: I started my business because my background is in fashion design, and I saw firsthand the mass clothing production process in downtown Los Angeles and was shocked at the amount of excess fabric that gets wasted when the patterns are being cut. I knew I could create something useful from this waste and prevent it from going to a landfill, so I started making unique wearable art accessories. Trisha Guting: I started upcycling and repurposing materials out of necessity due to cost or availability constraints. But watching people interact with my work has taught me the material is valuable in more ways than just my budget. There is an inherent beauty in transformation. Viewers appreciate seeing "useless"/ used up objects in a new way. It's like the opposite feeling of seeing litter on the bike trail. It sparks their imagination and helps them start seeing solutions instead of just feeling overwhelmed by our massive global trash problem. FEATURE See Fashion Page 41 Fashion Continued From Page 9 "The concept behind the whole line was to create items entirely from the excess 'trash' T-shirts," Alyssa Bird explains of her designs. "I was inspired by all the different graphics. Some of the shirts had multiple graphics printed all over and layered on top of each other. I thought these were so interesting and created a whole new unique pattern." Find Bird's work at: regenerousdesigns.com, facebook.com/ RegenerousDesigns, on Instagram @regenerousdesigns, and at the Crystal Bridges Museum gift shop. (Courtesy Photo) "I playfully describe my designs as 'Rebel Island Trash Fashion,'" Trisha Guting reveals. "I was born in the U.S., but my roots are in the Philippine Islands. But 'Rebel Island' only exists in my art. Viewers who engage in and support my work are helping manifest this place where we can be rebels and warriors and queens together!" Find Guting's work: Trailside Village in Fayetteville (546 West Center, Studio J), or on Instagram @outofhandartistscollective. (Courtesy Photo/Kat Wilson)