Bag tags outfit floats to top awards

JEREMY WARD

SUPREME AWARD: Model Ashleigh Bauerfeind in Elizabeth Hosking's winning entry for ReStyle 2010, made out of 2500 bread bag tags, bound with fishing nylon.

ELIZABETH HOSKING

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It took Elizabeth Hosking more than three years and 2500 bread bag tags to make her mermaid-style gown.

But it was worth the effort. On Saturday night the Raglan woman was named supreme winner in ReStyle 2010 at Hamilton's Founders Theatre for her eco-conscious ensemble, Tag and Release. ReStyle 2010, now in its 10th year, encourages people to recycle waste to create wearable art for its annual fashion show.

Judges were impressed at the amount of work that went into Mrs Hosking's design, and its strong environmental message focusing on ocean pollution.

The gown is inspired by levels of plastic and pollution in the ocean. "There is something like 2.4 million pounds of plastic entering the ocean every hour," said Mrs Hosking, a mother of two who is expecting her third child in October.

"It's a statistic that shocked me. I wanted to use the bread tags to show how one little item can be destructive. Living in Raglan, the ocean is a big part of our lives." Tags were donated by friends and family, as well as the public. "Friends would come over for a cup of tea and bring just one; other times I would find an envelope stuffed with them in my letterbox."

Mrs Hosking drilled holes in the four corners of each tag and welded pieces together using fishing nylon, creating a "fabric" resembling shiny fish scales.

The design at the front of the dress depicts waves and pieces of plastic floating in a white ocean.

There were six categories at ReStyle 2010, including sections for primary and secondary school students, and three open sections.

Mrs Hosking's outfit won the Avant Garbage open section on Saturday, before going on to win the supreme award.

She received $1000 cash from The Body Shop and a trophy designed by Hamilton artist Marti Wong.

Te Awamutu College student Laken Semmens, 15, won the Young Designer Award; Hamilton hairdressing student Grant Ashley Davy, 19, won the Creative Award; Morrinsville College students Laura Thomas and Lilly Wieggers, both 17, won the award for the Best Use of Recycled Materials.

- © Fairfax NZ News