MARIST College ETHICAL FASHION FAIR 2017
©Shelita Birchett Benash
Ancestor Necklace Series 2017
Richard Benash
Recycled truck tire rubber bag
©Shelita Birchett Benash
Recycled truck tire unisex rubber bag by Richard Benash
©Shelita Birchett Benash
Richard Benash
Recycled truck tire rubber belt
Richard and I were honored to have been among the invited artists for the Marist College Ethical Fashion Fair 2017.
The Marist College Ethical Fashion Fair was a unique opportunity to engaged with Marist fashion majors, along with the greater student body and faculty. Conversations were lively. I made a point of asking each student and faculty member about themselves, when they approached my table to browse. Subsequently, we benefited from exchanging authentic personal points of view. I wasn't just there to sell. My interactions were intentionally meaningful and beyond transactional.
As artists who live and work green, it was a pleasure to share our sustainable wearables with the Marist College community. Richard and I enjoy the smiles and 'aha' moments as our ingenuity sparks curiosity in those who encounter our recycled works. Marist College students plan and run the entire event. They should be commended for their hard work and dedication to exposing the Marist campus to sustainable culture through fashion. Richard's recycled truck tire rubber bags and belts, made people think. My old record necklaces inspired conversations about recycling plastic materials for art in a non toxic way.
The sustainable works on display made an impression. Shopping sustainably can turn one away from blind/thoughtless consumerism, while leading toward connecting what we wear directly to individuals who make; while also celebrating the beauty of narrative based cruelty free remnants and legacies.