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Plastic bottles and food wrappers hit the runway in Lagos "trashion" show

  //food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/10/23 .. ppers-hit-the-runway-in-lagos-trashion-show.html
  Published in Food and Wine on Thursday, October 23rd 2025 at 13:34 GMT by Associated Press
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From Trash to Trend: Lagos Trashion Show Turns Plastic Bottles and Food Wrappers into Couture

In a dazzling display that fused creativity with conscience, Lagos hosted a groundbreaking fashion show in which garments were stitched from discarded plastic bottles and food wrappers. The event, staged on the bustling streets of Victoria Island, drew attention from fashion critics, environmentalists, and local residents alike, underscoring the urgent need to tackle the nation’s waste crisis while celebrating the potential of upcycling.

A City Burdened by Plastic

Nigeria’s most populous city, Lagos, is often cited as one of the world’s most plastic‑laden megacities. With an estimated 3.6 million tonnes of solid waste generated annually, the majority of which is plastic, the city grapples with overflowing landfills and polluted waterways. In 2022 alone, Lagos reported the dumping of over 250 kilos of plastic waste daily, much of it from single‑use bottles, sachets, and food wrappers. The problem is not only environmental; it has far‑reaching social and economic consequences, from stunting local biodiversity to impeding the development of clean water infrastructure.

The trashion show emerged as a direct response to this reality. By converting discarded plastic into high‑fashion pieces, the organizers aimed to demonstrate that waste can be repurposed into beauty and that creative industries can play a pivotal role in sustainable waste management.

The Show: A New Wardrobe for Old Problems

The runway event, titled “Reboot: Plastic to Panache,” was held at the iconic Lagos Convention Center on a Saturday evening in October. The venue was transformed into a minimalist exhibition hall, where the glow of recycled LED fixtures highlighted the colorful collection of outfits.

Over 30 local designers—many of whom had previously worked on streetwear or traditional Nigerian fabrics—presented their creations. Each designer was given a selection of plastic bottles and wrappers, collected from a community clean‑up drive that was organized weeks before the show. Their task: to craft garments that were not only visually stunning but also functional and comfortable for models to wear during the performance.

The runway was a narrow strip lined with recycled wooden planks. As models sashayed across, they wore flowing dresses woven from transparent PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, jackets stitched from crisp food wrappers, and accessories made from broken bottle caps and bottle necks. A particularly striking ensemble featured a floor‑length gown that used layered, translucent plastic beads to create a sparkling illusion of light. Other pieces incorporated vibrant patterns reminiscent of Nigerian textile traditions, achieved by cutting and re‑stitching wrappers in traditional geometric motifs.

The Creative Visionary Behind the Movement

At the center of this initiative is Oluchi Nwachukwu, a Lagos‑based designer who has been pushing the boundaries of sustainable fashion for over a decade. She says that the trashion show is “a visual declaration that what society discards can become what society values.” Nwachukwu, whose previous collections have featured hand‑loomed Ankara prints, has now turned her studio into a laboratory where plastic is the raw material and art is the output.

“Fashion is an industry that thrives on novelty,” Nwachukwu explains. “If we can make the novelty out of waste, we not only reduce environmental impact, we also educate the public about the power of creative recycling.” She also highlights the economic potential: “There is a growing market for eco‑friendly fashion, and by training young designers in upcycling techniques, we create new jobs and skills.”

Nwachukwu’s story is documented in an interview published in The Lagos Herald earlier this month, where she spoke about the challenges of sourcing waste, collaborating with local waste collectors, and ensuring that the garments met safety standards for wearability. That article, linked directly from the AP piece, offers deeper insight into the logistics behind the show, including partnerships with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority and local NGOs that run the city’s plastic collection drives.

Global Context and Links to Wider Efforts

The trashion show is part of a global trend in which fashion houses and street designers are turning to upcycled materials. The AP article includes a reference to “Trashion,” a term that blends “trash” and “fashion” and is now used worldwide to describe runway shows and pop‑up shops that repurpose waste. The link, when followed, leads to a global database of trashion events, featuring notable shows in Amsterdam, Nairobi, and São Paulo. The database also provides a framework for designers looking to start their own upcycled collections, offering tips on material sourcing, textile safety, and marketing strategies.

Another link in the AP piece directs readers to the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) “Plastic Free Planet” initiative, which highlights success stories of cities tackling plastic pollution. The page discusses how Lagos’s trashion show is aligned with UNEP’s call for “creative solutions” to waste, encouraging local governments to integrate fashion-led initiatives into their environmental policies.

Community Impact and Future Prospects

The trashion show was not only a spectacle but also a community engagement tool. Local volunteers, who had helped collect the waste materials, were given the opportunity to participate in the design process. Several participants mentioned that they were inspired to start small upcycling projects in their own neighborhoods, such as creating decorative baskets from used plastic bottles or making clothing patches from leftover wrappers.

In the aftermath of the event, a “Trash to Treasure” scholarship was announced, offering free training in upcycling techniques to students from Lagos’s top design schools. This initiative is expected to nurture a new generation of designers who can merge aesthetic vision with environmental responsibility.

A Call to Action

The Lagos trashion show stands as a testament to the power of creative thinking in addressing environmental challenges. By transforming discarded plastic bottles and food wrappers into runway‑ready fashion, the event not only showcased stunning designs but also delivered a powerful message: that the future of fashion—and the future of our planet—can be shaped by the way we treat what we once discarded.

For the residents of Lagos and beyond, the show provides a concrete example of how individuals and industries can collaborate to reduce waste, stimulate economic growth, and foster sustainable lifestyles. As the lights dimmed and the final applause echoed through the Convention Center, the message was clear: it is time to reimagine waste as the next canvas for innovation.