A bubbly fashion show

There were so many bubbles.

The littlest “bridesmaid” for Festival of Arts fashion show contestant N.C. Swan walked onstage Sunday carrying a flower basket that hid a mighty bubble machine. And boy did it bubble.

As the crowd chuckled politely, the bridesmaid gallantly strode down the runway covered in bubbles, but she remained undeterred.

Her compatriots soon followed and by the time they reached the end of the runway, the bubbles had overtaken everyone. The little one tried to swat them away discretely, but it was impossible.

For her creative efforts, N.C. Swan won the “Most Innovative Use of Materials” award for her wedding ensemble. The bridesmaid dresses were made from organic vegetable bags and leftover green trash bags. Bouquets and headpieces were made from colored plastic newspaper bags and the bouquet of flowers were made of drawstring tops of kitchen bags mixed with random artificial flowers and leaves. The bridal gown and veil were made of dry cleaner bags, white trash bags, faux lace, and Kleenex.

The annual fashion show – back after a two-year Covid hiatus – is one of the more quirky and fan-favorite events of the season. It highlights creativity, sustainability and innovation. There were nine contestants this year, evaluated by a panel of three judges.

In addition to Swan, the winners were:

• “Most Creative Concept” was awarded to painter Natalia Duarte for her summer dress inspired by leftover Keurig parts. The dress included pieces of Keurig cups, the ring, and the foil top. Duarte also added soda cans, red and black trash bags and colored threads.
• Oil Painter Kirah Martin won “Most Exciting ensemble inspired by 2022 Pageant of the Masters theme Wonderful World” for her earth-inspired gown. The head dress was crafted from items lying around Martin’s house during the pandemic. The bodice was made from grocery bags and duct tape with cereal box cut-outs as decoration. The skirt was made from a rescued wedding dress adorned in florals and leaves. Each leaf was individually hand sewn.
• Mixed Media artist Jayne Dion won “Most Glamorous and Elegant Met Gala Worthy Creation” for her The Heart of the Forest themed ball gown and matching parasol. Utilizing 1,500 folded pieces of packing paper, 125 green plastic bottles, newspaper and toilet paper, Dion’s gown was the crowd favorite, taking home the highly coveted “People’s Choice Award.”

Additional artists were Elizabeth McGhee with a masquerade ball gown hand sewn from hundreds of fabric masks; Cheryl Walsh had a wearable piece of art made up of test prints of her own underwater photography; Linda Potichke created an ensemble of upholstery fabric and cat food can lids; Sharon Jackman looked like an “Amazon Warrior” made from Amazon packaging materials; and Kirsten Whalen wore a dress made from coffee bean packaging, coffee filters, coffee cups and lids.

The judges were Lauren Shapiro, costume designer on the Late Late Show with James Corden; Diane Challis Davy, Pageant of the Masters Director, Suzi Chauvel, fashion executive, textile designer, documentary producer and creative director. The host of the show was film production designer Nelson Coates, known for his work on films such as “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Fifty Shades Freed,” “Flight” and “The Proposal.”

“We want to thank all the extraordinary artists who took part in the runway competition this weekend,” said Sharbie Higuchi, Director of Marketing/PR and Merchandising at the Festival of Arts. “The original, one of a kind, spectacular ensembles showcased by the festival artists are truly incredible. The judges had a tough job selecting the top choices, as every piece was awe-inspiring and so very creative.”