[SustainableTompkins] MEDIA RELEASE: Ithaca Ecofashion Contest Targets Cotton

[Wendy Skinner]

February 4, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Wendy Skinner, 607-277-7611

Ecofashion Design Contest Targets Cotton

ITHACA NY -- Hopefuls in a fashion design contest that promotes reuse of cotton have until March 1 to complete their entries. The Green T Reuse Design Contest invites entrants of all ages and skill levels to design, make, and refashion clothing or household items from unwanted cotton t-shirts, jeans, or other cotton material. Contest categories include evening and party wear, children's clothing, men's wear, teen fashions, and items ranging from the practical to flights of fancy. 

"Anything goes, as long as it involves reused or organic cotton," said contest organizer Wendy Skinner. This is Skinner's third Ithaca-based ecofashion design contest and each one has held its own surprises. In 2006, the grand prize winner was a wedding dress made of 16 men's dress shirts. The 2007 top prize went to an evening gown covered in tiers of shredded paper.

The focus of the 2008 contest is cotton, explains Skinner, to call attention to the amount of chemicals used in growing the conventional cotton crop. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, cotton requires the use of more pesticides and herbicides than any other fiber crop. 

"It takes about a third of a pound of poisons to produce the cotton in one t-shirt," said Skinner. The Green T contest promotes creative reuse of existing cotton in the form of second-hand, unwanted, or repurposed clothing and material, as well as organic cotton which is grown without toxins. The contest is a project of SewGreen, a new group that promotes reuse and sustainable practices in sewing and needlecrafts.

A cash prize of $200 is offered to the grand prize winner, and many other prizes provided by local and green businesses will be awarded. Winners are invited to participate in ecofashion shows at the Ithaca Earth Day celebration and Ithaca Festival. Contest entry forms are available online at www.sew-green.org; at the SewGreen Studio at Tuff Soul, 516 West State Street, Ithaca; or by contacting Skinner at 607-277-7611.

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