One person’s trash can be another person’s treasure – or it can be another person’s fashion.
Queens Center mall will hold the “Recycle the Runway: An Econista Challenge” in April and is currently looking for participants.
Three people will be selected to participate in the event, where they will be asked to transform recycled items such as newspapers and soda can rings, among other items, into a piece of high fashion. And they will have to do it all in just one hour.
“We just thought it would be a great opportunity for us to celebrate Earth Day in a fun and interesting way,” said Queens Center Senior Manager of Marketing Dawn Simon.
Simon described the event as “‘Project Runway’ meets Earth Day.” She said the event will help engage “fashionistas” and noted that many people, including Queens Center, have become eco-conscience, which is how this event came about.
In order to enter for a chance to take part in “Recycle the Runway,” those interested must submit a summary of 100 words or less that explains why they “think it would be fun to participate in the challenge.” Relevant information about the person’s artistic background should also be included in the summary.
Simon also said that the summaries should include a list of the recycled materials that the person would like to use during the contest.
Submissions can include photos showing the person’s past works.
“We’re looking for them to just come to the table with ideas [and] ways to make a fashion piece,” Simon said, adding that they should be creative about making something that’s eco-friendly.
Those selected must be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the day of the event, which is Thursday, April 22. It will be held in the food court of Queens Center, located at 90-15 Queens Boulevard.
Submissions can be emailed to terry.shalewitz@macerich.com and are due by March 25. The three participants will be notified of their selection by April 1.
The first place prize of “Recycle the Runway” will be a $500 Give Style Gift Card to Queens Center. In addition, the person’s work will be displayed at the mall for at least a week.
Gift cards in the amount of $200 and $100 will be given to the runners-up.
Simon said that “Recycle the Runway” will be a fun event that will meet the needs of both the community and the retailers at Queens Center.
“We’re just looking for people to be aware that it’s Earth Day and to really understand the importance of the environment,” she said.
