Kristen Alyce is an eco-conscious designer who converts all kinds of trash, like discarded drink cartons, leaflets and concert tickets, into fashionable outfits for women. Her quirky designs include all sorts of clothing – right from cocktail dresses to floor length gowns, made under her label ‘Garbage Gone Glam’.
Kristen said that she started dreaming about recycling garbage into garments when she was still in college, after realizing just how much trash we humans produce every single day. “I realized as a college student living with three girls, we created so much waste it was incredible,” she said. “So I started saving the mass amounts of plastic bags, magazines, boxes and packaging we went through on a daily basis.”
She then began to use the stuff she collected to make clothes, just as a fun project. “I created the first dress – mainly for fun to test my creativity – out of plastic bags and rolled magazines.” But as she began to work in the fashion industry, Kristen realized that her idea had commercial potential.
“People go crazy over styles, colors, new looks, vintage looks, gowns, pretty people and gorgeous designs,” she said. So after years of production assisting and watching shows from the side-lines, she decided to create a line of 12 garbage-inspired dresses. Her instincts were right – people went crazy for her designs.
Her company, now based in both Florida and New York, has thousands of fans – women who love fashion but are environmentally conscious as well. They regularly purchase Garbage Gone Glam pieces from the company’s online shop, where dresses retail anywhere from $500 to $1,500. Custom-made creations start at $2,000.
That might seem expensive to some, but according to Kristen, her customer’s aren’t put off by the price. “Now everyone wants a dress – small businesses, larger companies, teenagers, and socialites – all waiting for something they can buy,” she said. “We specialise in cocktail dresses and ball gowns, but we do have a line for men. Ties of all kinds and custom suit jackets, trousers and board shorts.”
Photos: Garbage Gone Glam/Facebook
Sources: Sun-Sentinel, ABC
