Trash dressing becomes London’s latest fashion fad

"Dressing like trash" has taken on a new meaning at London Fashion Week as two of the capital's most exclusive designers took the opportunity to reveal a unique couture outfit made entirely out of recycled materials.


High profile brothers Jacques and Joseph Azagury teamed up to make the first recycled fashion statement, dubbed “TrashFash”, as part of the Recycle for London campaign (see related story). The stunning couture dress and shoes were made entirely from materials bought at flea markets and second hand shops across London.

Jacques, who typically sells outfits at his Knightsbridge boutique for around £25,000 and had not exhibited at London Fashion Week for over ten years, joined brother and fellow Knightsbridge store-owner Joseph at his first LFW show to unveil the TrashFash ensemble.

Recycle for London hopes that the bold recycling fashion statement will remind Londoners that they can recycle virtually anything at work or at home, such as old clothes, rather than just empty bottles and old newspapers.

“Whilst I’ve been giving my offcuts to fashion colleges for years, there’s so much more we fashion designers could be doing,” Jacques Azagury pointed out. “TrashFash is there to inspire people to look beyond the shop windows and think what they could do with clothes and accessories they might otherwise simply throw away.”

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said he hoped that the “green” evening gown and shoes would inspire people to find out more about their local recycling services and get more creative with their rubbish rather than just throwing it all away.

“I hope these designs will make us stop and think again about what happens to our rubbish, and to think about how we can recycle more,” the Mayor commented. “The Azagury brothers represent the very best in design and I am pleased that they have chosen to support this campaign.”

Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron added that many Londoners were still throwing away a lot of things that could easily be recycled.

“The fantastic dress and shoes created by the Azagurys show that recycling clothes doesn’t mean compromising on design and sends a clear message that you can recycle more than you think,” she said.

Recycle for London runs alongside the nationwide Recycle Now campaign (see related story) to remind people in the UK to reuse as much of their rubbish as possible.

By Jane Kettle

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