Mon, 04/21/2025 - 4:00pm

Polly Nadeau-Miller and her team interact with a young voter at BRES's 2nd annual Trashion Show. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Cali McDuff takes home the people's choice award. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Kate Hallinan snatches 2nd place with her potato sack dress. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Kate Hallinan snatches second place with her potato sack dress. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Ashlynn Andrews and her design team won first place for their upcycled chip bag dress. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Polly Nadeau-Miller and her team interact with a young voter at BRES's 2nd annual Trashion Show. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Cali McDuff takes home the people's choice award. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Kate Hallinan snatches second place with her potato sack dress. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Ashlynn Andrews and her design team won first place for their upcycled chip bag dress. ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register

Boothbay Region Elementary School’s (BRES) 2nd annual “Trashion Show” saw middle schoolers channeling their inner Project Runway contestants by turning clutter into couture. Potato sacks, milk cartons and chip bags were all the rage as models strutted across the gym for a crowd of their peers and community members.

The event was a fundraiser for a trip to nearby Egg Island to see the puffin habitats. This trip is part of middle school science teacher Alyssa Mitchell’s current puffin-themed curriculum, which aims to get students out into the field to see science at work.

“The more kids can go out into the community ... the more they're going to end up learning,” she said.

The fashion show aspect was inspired by a social-emotional learning idea of being grateful for what we have. From there, it evolved into reexamining things people take for granted.

Mitchell explained, “How do we take something (like trash) that means nothing to so many people but is impacting the world in this huge way ... and bring awareness to it, bring something new out of it?”

The competition had two judging portions. A top three were voted on by a judge’s panel based on sustainability, aesthetic/creativity, technical fabrication and walk/presentation. There was also a People’s Choice Award determined by which design had the most money in their post-show voting bin. Each BRES student got a dollar to cast their vote, which caused a frenzy as models and designers beckoned their indecisive peers. The show raised $961.

It was a close race, but judge’s choice went to:

First place: Multi-colored chip bag dress worn by Ashlynn Andrews. Team: Savannah Alley, Sarah Moran and Madi Alley.

Second place: Ruffled red potato sack dress worn by Kate Hallinan. Team: Sophie Gatner, Olive Tomko, Audrey Robinson and Stella Koller.

Third place: Oceanic gown worn by Polly Nadeau-Miller. Team: Mabel Kaler, Corinne Rogers, Elise Wilson, Emma Doucette and Emma Scott.

People’s choice was the chip bag mini dress worn by Cali McDuff. Team: Blythe Miller, Kayla Watts, Astrid Pochee, Meabh Hennessey and Sammy Doucette.