Author: Kathan

Dress for the Revolution – Mary Welch

When Mary answers the telephone with “What are you wearing?”, even a few daring telemarketers have been forthcoming with certain details. She has the Catholic church to thank for her early interest in runway fashion. After perusing the architectural structure and lighting in the cathedral she looked forward to the communion procession. Starting with the hat and working down to the shoes of everyone passing by, she became quite the connoisseur of Detroit church wear. And yet somehow, this wasn’t enough. Beginning in 1986 she has been designing everything from the divine to the ungodly. If not for Haute Trash, Mary would never have fully satisified her desire for adornment and recycling. She is currently living in Seattle and does design, sculpture and large scale installation.

Chako-San – Hisako Tarutani

Chako was first introduced to Trash Fashion when she modeled for Rayona Visqueen somewhere around 2004. She rapidly advanced to designer with her creation of the “Miyabi Kimono” created from the beautiful waste generated at her Sushi Restaurant in Seattle. Miyabi means “elegant” in Japanese, and it not only describes her designs, it’s also the name of her restaurant! In 2009 Chako’s photo in her Kimono appeared in a book of amazing stuff published by Guinness Book of World Records in London. Chako hosts a dinner & trash fashion show at her restaurant twice yearly, and invites you to join the fun!

Ivanna B. Greene – Dana Kiel

is a California native who was introduced her to Haute Trash at the age of 16. She is currently a senior at the University of Denver, majoring in International Political Economy. In her free time, she is the editor of the school business newspaper and a member of the debate team. Her interest in green living was strongly influenced by her exchange year in Germany, where she lived with a host family who introduced her to all of the sustainable practices that are commonplace in Germany.

Imported from Canada – Lorraine Kwan and Janet Lee

Lorraine and Janet have been Trash Fashion collaborators for the past two years. Janet is the plastics expert and Lorraine is the dressmaker. They met through ReVision the Art of Recycling, a group of artists dedicated to raising awareness of environmental issues by using discarded materials in new and creative ways.

Haute Trash at Pilot Peak Winery

Haute Trash Pushes the Envelope! We presented an evening of social commentary through trash fashion. This evening included our runway show, an eco-friendly picnic basket contest, and a 50/50 raffle, with all funds benefitting the Haute Trash Artists Collaborative, a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization.