As students sauntered down the runway clad in hemp pieces, a wave of small gasps swept the audience. For the first, and hopefully last, time, designers partaking in the West Quad North Fashion Show were challenged to provide outfits made exclusively out of hemp and other recycled materials. That’s right, folks: hemp. Despite the communal uproar, all two E-Proctors and designers rose to arms and sleeves overenthusiastically. “We’re going for a natural look this year,” said designer Kate Mossy ’16. Her own piece was made with used trash bags sewn with wet paper towels. “I just emptied out a bathroom trash bin and started sewing! I hope it helps people remember to think about what they throw away.” Other outfits include clothing made from orange peels, used napkins and recycled onion shavings. One student was even found after sign-in collecting eraser shavings in Gelb. The student, Gil B. Cruzar ’14, explained that he was going to melt them down to make shoes for his model. Jewelry for the show seems to be a combination of hemp bracelets, eggshell earrings and necklaces made of all those spoons still missing from Paresky Commons. In addition, quinoa beans have been used to replace sequins in many ensembles. “I think this recycling is the best possible way to dispose of our trash,” said Commons employee Herb Goodthyme. “We were running out of ways to get rid of used banana peels and eggshells, and suddenly the hippies needed them for some project! Oh, sorry, not hippies… the designers, or whatever.” Recently, this has become a common mix-up in Commons. Both employees and students alike have been confusing the designers for local hippies. In fact, recent reports indicate that the students involved in the WQN fashion show have indeed grown more hip, reporting the use of increased pant inseams and longer belts. Descriptions of increasingly dirtied feet, untrimmed dreadlocks and garish peace sign jewelry have been features of this new trend. What’s more, several fire inspection workers were rushed to Isham last week after entering the room of one of these students, who are now deemed “Flower Children.” After entering the designer’s room, the shock of seeing hundreds of scented candles and what appeared to be an excess of hemp cloth for designing nearly killed the inspector. Other safety concerns have been raised, specifically about the controversial new hemp sunglasses. “Maybe they do make seeing a little difficult for the models, but when you think about it, don’t we all have trouble with really perceiving the world for what it is? As a society, I mean,” argued designer Michael Apple Kors ’13.
