OXFORD — Recycled trends seem to emerge every decade, from bellbottoms to big belts and tights. Oxford High School has taken it to another level with recycled and revitalized clothing.

On May 14, Oxford High School witnessed a new kind of fashion show—reused formal dresses, revamped t-shirts and even a dress made out of Capri Sun pouches.

Oxford senior, Olivia Czaplinski, organized a fashion show for her Capstone project. The Capstone project is a yearlong endeavor seniors undertake which includes a research paper, first-hand experience and a formal presentation.

Dr. Judith Palmer, Oxford Public Schools Superintendent, wrote enthusiastically on her website about the Capstone project. “Our students are personally connected to their topic and have the support of highly qualified community mentors,” she said, “a combination that will undoubtedly create a worthwhile learning experience.”

This “worthwhile learning experience” occurred during Czaplinski’s Capstone and strengthened her passion for the future. “I am happy I did it,” she said, “because now if I really do go into the fashion industry I can say, ‘I put on this whole fashion show myself, I have experience, I went through all of it.’”

The fashion show was even a learning experience for Beth Casey-Smith, teacher of fashion and advanced fashion classes at Oxford and mentor to Czaplinski. Casey-Smith has been sewing since she was four years old, works with fashion designers such as Ralph Lauren, but until now has never helped put on a fashion show.

While helping her students she has been able to live through the fashion show experience and is reminded of how she has helped the entire fashion program at Oxford to grow. “When I came here, there wasn’t a sewing machine or a piece of thread,” she said, “I had to start from the beginning.”

Casey-Smith helped create the “green” theme of the fashion show. Although not a new idea, recycled fashion is something she wants to continue. “You don’t need expensive materials or a lot of things to make something nice,” she said. “You just need that excitement and creativity and the will or love to do it.”

[slide] Photos by Ally Caple

The excitement was apparent in the energy of the models, the creativity in the fashion and in Czaplinski’s determination to put on an enjoyable show. There was an array of fashion pieces that included pajamas, aprons, dresses, favorite outfits, t-shirts, bags and a Lady Gaga Finale.

Oxford designers, Victoria Nichio and Bill Kenny created the finale dresses of reused clothing and Capri Sun pouches. They were inspired by their trip to the Fashion Institute of Technology museum in New York where they saw dresses designed out of recycled paper.

Kenny believes the future of the Oxford fashion program could be affected by the fashion show. “I think everyone needs to know that this program is really important,” he said, “Stuff like this is the first that gets cut, so we wanted to get as many people interested in the fashion show as possible, so that it can live on.”

While the show made old clothes and even Capri Sun pouches fashionable, it also seems to have achieved Kenny’s goals by revamping the fashion program in the minds of students and faculty at Oxford.

Oxford teacher, Maria Nisbet, was convinced by the creativity in the fashion show that the fashion program at Oxford needs to continue. “I think the applied technologies program needs to stay in the budget, because it helps kids to bring out their creativity,” she said.

A model and freshmen at Oxford, Kaitlyn Spaker, was also impacted by the fashion show. “Fashion doesn’t have to be all name brand, you can also make what you want to wear out of recycled stuff,” she said, “because it’s definitely the same, it’s just cheaper and it’s better for the environment.”

Oxford teacher, Dan Lovalo, believes that a smarter way of manufacturing clothes would be to use the recycling concept shown in the fashion show to save resources and continue the go green trend. Several clothing producers already employ these techniques.

More Trees Clothing Company uses hemp and recycled plastic bottles in their products. Similarly, designer for AuH2O, Kate Goldwater, makes all AuH2O products from recycled materials. It may only be a matter of time before Capri Sun pouches are used mainstream.

Whether audience members left the show ready to wear recycled clothes, excited for their own Capstone projects or simply happy to have seen an entertaining show, Czaplinski’s project definitely had an impact on the Oxford High School community. Perhaps, even Capri Sun pouches may become high fashion.