REPURPOSED garbage bags, phone directory pages, newspapers, and woven banana leaves took centre stage on Friday as employees and summer interns at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) turned used materials into cultural expression during the State entity’s Trash to Art fashion show, held at its Half-Way-Tree Road office.

Staff on the building’s five floors were challenged to create one full outfit inspired by a specific culture, along with additional items as either accessories or musical instruments, using recycled or repurposed materials.

The energetic ‘Maroons’ from the first floor emerged victorious among the five groups which included representations of the Chinese, Taino, African, and Indian cultures.

Richordinho West, a model representing the Maroons, wore handcrafted black trousers made from garbage bags and scrap yarn, along with a black sling bag crocheted from garbage bags. A machete made from cardboard and foil completed his look. His female counterpart, Tyra Alcott Salmon, wore a flared tube dress made from black garbage bags and pages from an old phone directory.

The duo also captivated the audience with an energetic dance and a rendition of a traditional Maroon song, to open their presentation.

Designer of the Maroon outfits Jordine McFarlane said she was thrilled by the unexpected win.

“I am elated. I did not expect them to win after I saw all the creative pieces. I was really not expecting first floor to come first but I am more than excited to know that we actually won,” she said.

The Maroons claimed both the titles of Best Overall Design and Most Creative Presentation.

In second place were the Tainos from the fourth floor. The male model wore a woven crocus bag, a shirt made of natural fibres, and a headpiece crafted from repurposed fabric and feathers. He also carried an arrow made from sticks and natural stuffing. The female model wore a skirt made from garbage bags and plaited banana leaves, a tank top fashioned from repurposed fabric, sandals made from cardboard and banana leaves, and a headpiece featuring fabric and feathers.

The African-themed team from the third floor took third place. Their female model wore a turban made from cloth scraps, and a large cardboard earring in red, black, and green depicting the African continent. Her skirt was assembled from fabric remnants and waste paper. The two male participants carried spears made from cardboard and newspapers.

The judging criteria included creativity, cultural representation, use of recycled materials, craftsmanship, and environmental messaging.

Executive director of the NSWMA, Audley Gordon praised the initiative, calling it both educational and enjoyable.

“Trash to Art is always a good thing for us. I am always happy to see how creative we are and how we can put our minds together. It is great seeing, and it is important that we are having fun and we are learning in the process,” he said.

Sheenique Johnson, corporate services director at the NSWMA, explained the motivation behind the competition.

“We have had the competition over the years. This year is no different — the only difference is that we have incorporated our interns to ensure that their creativity and their design can shine and be a part of the NSWMA. The NSWMA is a very unique agency and so when you come here you learn about waste, and we try our best to incorporate that into their learning. They generally visit a disposal site and they will see various items, and in their everyday life [they explore] what they can do to turn it into usable materials,” she said.

Johnson also extended her congratulations to all participants, stating: “I must commend all the contestants and the creativity that went behind the production. They got a total of three weeks to prepare, and so their creativity came out. I know there were challenges, but the important thing is that they were able to present a very usable material and fashion so that their creativity can go forward.”