Upcycle Couture, A Reuse Runway Event

Description

Upcycle Couture is a fashion contest and fundraiser to support programming at the Santa Barbara Art Collaborative. Seven design teams will showcase handmade clothing from recycled materials. Participants will be a combination of emerging youth designers from the local community. Judges will evaluate these artfully made pieces by innovation, whimsy, technique, and percentage of reused items in the final pieces. This event hopes to bring creative responses to the problematic ecology of fast-fashion. The event will include a runway show, music, food and drink, and a contest. All designs will be up for sale by auction with the proceeds going directly to artist subsidies for Arts Collaborative programs. The artful fashion reimagining will be held at the Community Arts Workshop on October 16th, 2026.