For the Inside Out Umbrella competition I started by collecting umbrellas from the Savannah, Georgia Goodwill. I recently moved and was donating items, so while I was there dropping off my stuff, I hunted for umbrellas throughout the store. In this way I did not need to make an extra trip to search for umbrellas. The dress I created has an asymmetrical hem and contains a mixture of several different umbrella patterns. It is paired with tights that have been constructed from a recycled long sleeved t-shirt, also purchased at the Goodwill. The main focus for my design was to transform the objects that I found, into a fun contemporary dress that did not appear, at first glance, to be constructed from umbrellas. The end result fulfills this personal design goal.

The challenge to take something that has been discarded and make it desirable again is what drives me to design clothing. There is so much material already out there waiting to be used, I do not find it necessary to add to the textile waste cycle. As the world's resources are rapidly depleting it is important to develop new attitudes in regards to design. It is essential to find ways to create clothing in a more environmentally sound manner. As a designer I focus my collections on how recycling can be applied to fashion design.

This project was a great way for me to explore using different materials in my designs. I normally focus on reusing discarded clothing and this has got me to think about what else I might be able to reuse in my designs. Reutilizing umbrellas to create new clothing is a unique and innovative way to selvedge the material that gets thrown away when the umbrellas break. This competition has helped me to think beyond recycling just clothing and explore other avenues and possibilities.

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