trashion

 The word, a blend of trash and fashion, was coined in New Zealand in 2004 for high-art objects made from trash which were part of a fashion show called Trash to Fashion.  Trashion fits into the found-object genre of art  where junk and debris is turned into something with artistic value.  It made its way into haute couture where dresses, jewellery and accessories could be made from junk, and along the way it acquired green credibility by adopting the philosophy of recycling and making the maximum use of what we have before we irrevocably throw it away.

 The final step to make this affordable and part of the prêt-à-porter fashion world has come relatively recently but it is seen as a way forward for the fashion industry, which had been assessed as wasteful and a big polluter, to do its bit in saving the environment.