Fashion Statement

The latest designs from the top fashion houses are trashy. And we're not talking about the current collection of see-through slip/dresses hanging off of slutty-looking models.

These really are trash. Some of the fashion world's most elite designers have forgotten all about silk and sequins, turning instead to garbage to create their trendy attire. The results will be displayed for the benefit of fashion lovers and recycling junkies alike at this weekend's Fashions From Trash show at the Denver Pavilions.

The featured attire, which ranges from evening gowns to everyday wear, was made by students with the help of Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Wang, Nautica and other prominent designers as part of the Master Apprentice Collection. The program pairs aspiring designers with professionals to make eco-friendly clothing out of EcoSpun, a fiber created from recycled soda and water bottles.

These funky fashions aren't for sale, though; the purpose of the show is to encourage people to recycle and to buy products made from recycled materials, says Sloan Clark, who's handling the event's public relations from New York City.

EcoSpun was introduced in 1994 by Wellman Inc., a nationwide recycler that reportedly has been able to save around three billion plastic bottles from landfills by using them to make the fiber, which is then used to make a number of products, including carpet, home furnishings and clothing. Denver is one of five cities chosen to host the Fashions From Trash show (which premiered four years ago) because of the success of Denver Recycles and because Mayor Wellington Webb has declared June Recycling Month. (Visitors who bring four plastic soda or water bottles to the Pavilions between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. will get a free T-shirt made from EcoSpun.)

"I was surprised, but these are top-quality fashions," says Charlotte Pitt, a spokeswoman for the Denver event. "They're high-class, modern designer clothes."

And trashy!