Slideshow: ‘Junk to Funk’ Fashion at Go Green Conference

Ifanyi Bell | October 11, 2011

Ifanyi Bell

The Junk to Funk Trashion Collective, which is based in Portland, first launched in 2006 with a runway show featuring fashion made from recycled materials. Dubbed "trashion" by the artists and designers, this concept piqued the interest of fashionistas as well as the environmentally friendly.

In addition to showcasing the inventiveness of "trash can couture," Junk to Funk strives to cultivate environmental awareness and inspire change. As part of that effort, they teamed up with event organizers Social Enterprises to bring their trashion show to this year's Go Green Conference.

The Go Green Conference's goal was to bring together leading local green businesses to help inspire other organizations to invest in renewable and reusable business solutions.

So where does trashion fit in?

"We're using the dresses and the designs as a means to capture people's attention and build awareness in a fun and artistic way," explained Lindsey Newkirk, founder of Junk to Funk. "We've become a society that doesn't think about the consequences of throwing things away. It's not just that part, but also the upstream part of manufacturing that does damage to our environment during the creation of our things."

"Junk to Funk is great because it's educational and informative," added conference organizer Bethany Wagonner. "During the conference, all of the participants on the panels are about hitting zero waster. It's really good to get another perspective and get some fun into it. It's a change of pace for the attendees and Lindsey does a great job balancing fun and education."