As many of us know, technology changes at a rapid rate. What was desired a year ago is now suddenly slow and outdated. Or six months ago. For the Bloomington Trashion Refashion show, a fellow graduate student and I wanted to explore another use for those sorts of “e-trash” in a garment.

Like many things that use reclaimed mixed media materials, the materials themselves lent a lot to the design. We started with a box of broken or outdated tech, some discarded clothes, and several other trashed materials. What took shape was an expandable overskirt (from old umbrella parts), a jacket, skirt, and top. It drew from a variety of fashion sources (anime, military, performance wear) as well.