Garden Island Arts Council invites artists, designers, makers, students and creative community members from keiki to adults to turn rubbish into fashion for the 2026 Trashion Show: Design Contest and Fashion Show.
The free show is slated for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 3 at Lydgate Main Pavilion at Lydgate Beach Park in Kapaʻa.
Registration is open through midnight Sept. 20.
Complete rules, submission requirements and additional details are available at the Garden Island Arts Council website.
Participants are challenged to transform crud into couture, rethinking everyday rubbish or what otherwise might become trash — everything from plastic packaging and crumpled cardboard to discovered doohickeys and household hardware — by creating imaginative, unexpected and wearable art from discarded, recycled, reused or repurposed materials.
“Making fashion from trash requires innovative thinking and creative experimentation,” said Garden Island Arts Council Trashion Show Organizer Shannon Hiramoto in the call for entries. “We want to see what our community comes up with when creativity meets sustainability.”
Garments must be made of at least 80% trash and cannot include animal byproducts or green waste. Materials also must be non-toxic and safe for participants and the public.
Trashion designers are encouraged to begin creating their wearable works and register now. Contestants must be present at the show event and are responsible for modeling their outfit or providing a model to walk the runway to show off their creation.
Entrants can work as individuals or in teams to create and present their trashy wearable art.
There are three divisions:
- Kids (ages 8 to 12 years old).
- Teens (ages 13 to 17 years old).
- Adults (18 years old and older).
Cash prizes will be awarded to honor Best in Category, Best in Craftsmanship, Best in Creativity and Best in Presentation.
Live music by Desperado Orchestra will add energy to the runway as models strut the trashy creations for the audience.
Community members are invited find a seat at the picnic tables or bring their own beach chairs to enjoy all the fun and check out the flotsam fashion designed by some of their creative neighbors.
The Trashion Show is made possible in part by funding from Kauaʻi County Solid Waste Division.
