Earth-Friendly Fashion

The crinkling sound of people unwrapping Starburst fills the room. The U.S. History students quietly eat the candy while listening to presentations; even their teacher has a couple. The occasional whisper instructs to pass the candy bag or to pass these wrappers down. At the end of the hour, junior Chandler Vaughn has collected stacks of Starburst wrappers. But she knows that she’s going to need a lot more. After all, it takes thousands to make a dress primarily out of Starburst wrappers.

Growing up, Vaughn had always been fascinated by costumes. From admiring the costumes of Disney princesses to actually making Halloween costumes for her siblings, Vaughn has loved every aspect of making costumes.

“I’ve always been crafty when I was younger,” Vaughn said. “But this is the biggest [project] I’ve ever [taken on]. I’ve embroidered my backpack and done other little things, but this one’s pretty intense.”

In 7th grade, Vaughn took FACS but it wasn’t until taking sewing classes at Harper’s Fabric and Quilt Co. the summer of her junior year that Vaughn started expanding her interest in designing, making and sewing costumes. Vaughn took part in the NAHS Fashion Show this fall and discovered the fun of fashion shows.

“That was a really good experience,” Vaughn said. “Definitely over the summer I’m going to try and see if I can find some [more fashion shows]. I just want to keep doing it because it’s good practice. And it’s really fun meeting the new people and seeing their designs.”

Vaughn’s previous experience in the NAHS Fashion Show led her to take interest in the Re-Fashion Show. Hosted by the Environmental Club, the Re-Fashion Show will be at noon in the gym during the Earth Fair on April 21. The clothing must include some type of repurposed material to coincide with Earth Day. Materials can range from conventional materials like clothing and fabric to unconventional materials like flowers and paper. Vaughn decided to make her dress completely out of Starburst and newspaper strips.

Watching “Project Runway” has given Vaughn a sense of the difficult tasks involved in designing something unconventional, but Vaughn still wants to do it. This fashion show has given Vaughn the opportunity to try something she had never done before, while applying skills and techniques she has learned.

“I’m in high school and I have a job so obviously I can kind of spend money willy-nilly,” Vaughn explained. “As when I’m older, I won’t really have the time or maybe the resources to do this. So, it’s kind of a good time – a very good time to do this.”

Using a technique a friend taught her in 8th grade, Vaughn is going to weave a dress completely made out of Starburst and newspaper. Vaughn got the idea when she made Starburst bracelets using the same technique when she was younger.

“I was looking through my drawer of sewing stuff and there was a huge bag full of wrappers [leftover] and was like ‘this could be pretty cool, if I could get it done,’” Vaughn said. “Which I think I can.”

Vaughn has worked hard to make the individual links. Although she doesn’t do much of the eating, Vaughn brings in huge 14 oz. bags of Original and Tropical Starburst to her classes so they can eat the candy and she can have the wrappers.

“I bring them to class and they’re gone in no time,” Vaughn said. “It’s crazy but it’s good.”

Vaughn has folded so many Starburst wrappers that it has become second nature to her.

“It’s kind of like origami,” Vaughn said. “I’ve taught some people in my classes and it’s really not that hard. People are really amazed by it but to me it’s like I can just do it by now.”

After folding multiple individual links, she quickly attaches them together to make a chain. Vaughn doesn’t consider the folding processes hard work but just very time consuming. This approach to finishing the dress is more efficient.

Vaughn took inspiration from the 1800s to make her dress. She wanted to combine modern styles with the style of the 1800s. Vaughn’s plan for the dress is that the bodice will be made of newspaper and fade into a Starburst skirt. Although Vaughn doesn’t have a specific pattern for weaving the Starburst, she makes sure there aren’t similar colors.

“I mean I think it’s really cool cause far away people are going to be like ‘oh, that’s cool’, but when they get up close it’s like ‘oh my gosh, it’s trash but it looks really cool,’” Vaughn said.

Vaughn will have to use a combination of weaving and sewing to finish the dress. She’s already worried about sizing and because she is using Starbursts, she won’t be able to make quick changes. Any major changes that Vaughn wants to make will have to require taking apart links.

“I’m going to be working up until then. I’m probably going to have to sew my model into the outfit,” Vaughn said. “It doesn’t matter if I don’t get enough sleep, miss some school maybe, but I’ll get it done.”

Vaughn wants to design costumes in the future and do it as a career. She was recently contacted about styling for a 1800s themed calendar.

“I like the range that you get from costuming because you can basically do whatever,” Vaughn explained. “It’s your imagination — you can basically come up with whatever.”

Apparel teacher Marsha Boyer thinks that Vaughn has a future doing this.

“She is a very hard worker and is very creative,” Boyer said. “She has the ability to envision things in her head and then figure out how to make it and turn out to be an actual dress or project.”

While her classmates chew their Starburst, Vaughn quietly collects the wrappers and starts weaving. The noise of wrappers, chewing and folding quickly become background noise to the presentations. Vaughn continues weaving throughout class, only stopping when the bell rings. Nobody gives it second thought.

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