The West Virginia Sustainable Fashion Show (previously known as Earth Day Fashion Forward) is an annual runway show that celebrates sustainability in the fashion industry and features the work of local and regional designers. It will return to the Lewis Theater in Lewisburg on Saturday, Apr. 26, at 3 p.m.
This event is an opportunity for amateur and professional fashion designers, fiber artists, and fashionistas to stretch their wings and tackle the challenges and rewards of creating eco-friendly garments and designs that are in harmony with Nature. Team entries are welcome, and mentoring is available.
Contestants will be inspired by this year’s show theme: Foraging. We want to showcase unique and sustainable designs, accessories, materials, and processes that can be found in nature or secondhand. Look deep in your closet, at yard sales, at thrift stores, or find materials in nature or the urban landscape.
Thomas Ruggiero, head of the judges’ team for The West Virginia Sustainable Fashion Show, mentioned that, “in addition to organic materials from nature, and beyond the use of cloth, you can forage for unconventional materials at industrial parks and browse castoffs of the manufacturing process for embellishments as well as base materials.”
In addition to the Apr. 26 runway show, entries will be considered for the companion exhibit at the Greenbrier County Visitors Center on display through April. Visit wvsustainablefashion.com for more details and to sign up as a contestant in this creative and unique event.