ArtPop Street Gallery’s annual Upcycled Fashion Show is back for its fifth year on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Blume Studios. The event raises funds for year-round initiatives for its mission like public art installations and community events. It is part of the Charlotte International Arts Festival (CIAF) that runs throughout September.
Fifteen designers, including two student designers, will showcase one-of-a-kind couture dresses made from upcycled vinyl ArtPop billboards in a live runway show. The immersive evening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and will also feature a silent auction and interactive artist activations.
“This show is special because it provides me the opportunity to design from an uninhibited ‘more is more’ perspective,” says Will White, a designer returning for his third show.
ArtPop Billboard Program
Each year ArtPop Street Gallery chooses 20 regional artists to participate in its billboard program. Artists get their own static billboards and digital displays which can be seen throughout the greater Charlotte area and in locations throughout the country for a year. It’s a unique opportunity for artists to receive widespread exposure for their art.
Retired billboards then become the canvases for designers in the Upcycled Fashion Show. The vinyl material is reimagined into haute couture-looking dresses, using the designers’ vision and a team of creatives, and brought to life on the runway. More than 400 guests will see the repurposed looks at the Upcycled Fashion Show on September 6.
By upcycling billboard materials, ArtPop keeps more than 13,000 square feet of vinyl out of landfills each year while also giving the billboard artists’ work new life.