I first began covering the Festival of Arts’ innovative and wildly creative Recycle, Reuse Festival Runway Fashion Show in 2015, and over the years it has become one of the events I look forward to most. What makes it so fascinating is the challenge at its heart: How do you transform discarded, recycled, and reclaimed materials into wearable works of art?
On August 9, beneath the Festival of Arts’ outdoor canopy, exhibiting artists traded their traditional mediums for the runway, turning unexpected materials into imaginative, show-stopping couture. After months of creativity, experimentation, and craftsmanship, their creations came to life in a high-energy fashion show filled with bold designs that pushed the boundaries of sustainable fashion.
This year’s participating artists included Mika Denny (mixed media), Valerie Killeen and Jonathan Boyd (sculpture/woodworking), Becky Ryan (painting), Carole Boller (painting), Dylan Howard (sculpture/woodworking), Anne Moore (printmaking), Elizabeth McGhee (painting), Sharon Whalen (photography), and McKenna Johnson, representing the Junior category.
Returning to host the event was Emmy Award-winning production designer Nelson Coates, whose acclaimed career spans film, television, and theater, with credits including The Morning Show, Hocus Pocus 2, Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights, and On the Basis of Sex.
Selecting this year’s winners was a panel of judges featuring Pat Kollenda, a longtime Laguna Beach arts leader; W. Bradley Elsberry, a former Festival exhibiting artist and Pageant scenic artist; and Susan Davis, former Festival of Arts Special Events Director.
The event also combined creativity with community giving. In partnership with Working Wardrobes, the Festival offered free admission to guests who donated a gently used clothing item at the gate, with one admission provided per person. The partnership added another layer of purpose to an event already centered on giving materials—and fashion—a second life.
Artist: Carole Boller
Model: Shelley Atwood
Look: Celebration
Inspired by the joy of life’s special moments, Carole Boller transformed recycled gift bags, tissue paper, ribbons, and bows into a dazzling work of wearable art. Many of the materials were saved from celebrations with family and friends, while others were donated by neighbors. The result was a colorful tribute to the memories and happiness that come with life’s milestones.
Artist: Mike Denny
Model: Chela Banuelos
Inspired by this year’s Pageant theme, The Greatest of All Time (GOAT), Mike Denny gave forgotten VHS tapes a glamorous second life. His dramatic gown featured nearly 500 individual strands of shimmering magnetic tape in the skirt alone, creating incredible movement as the model walked the runway. A colorful cummerbund made from recycled movie-box covers completed the nostalgic look—a clever nod to the era of video stores, rewinding tapes, and movie nights at home.
Artist/Model: Dylan Howard
Drawing inspiration from reclaimed wood collected throughout the local community, Dylan Howard transformed overlooked natural materials into an extraordinary wearable work of art. For this year’s design, he ventured beyond traditional woodworking techniques, using more than 1,000 eucalyptus leaves and small end-grain tiles cut from reclaimed Ficus wood.
Built upon his own work clothes, the finished ensemble celebrated both craftsmanship and the beauty of materials that might otherwise have been discarded.
Artist/Model: Elizabeth McGhee
Designer/Model: Elizabeth McGhee
Elizabeth McGhee transformed everyday packing materials and discarded school supplies into a whimsical woodland-inspired creation. The bark-like dress and branches were made from paper packing material that came with delivered textbooks and were painstakingly hand-stitched using a needle and thread.
Paper towel rolls formed the structure of the standing tree, while leaves and small booklets were cut from old university textbooks. Even the butterflies and insects were created from snack wrappers discarded by students, turning ordinary campus waste into imaginative fashion.
Artists: Valerie Killeen & Jonathan Boyd
Model: Quinne Boyd, age 7, niece of the artists
Look: The Sycamore Fairy
The Sycamore Fairy was a magical creation by Jonathan Boyd and Valerie Killeen. Crafted from reclaimed California sycamore wood sliced into delicate, paper-thin veneer, the enchanting gown gave new life to one of Southern California’s most storied trees.
The wood came from San Juan Capistrano’s legendary Trysting Tree, a California sycamore believed to have stood for nearly 300 years.
The artists drew inspiration from the extraordinary natural beauty of the wood itself—from its dramatic spalting and warm reddish tones to flowing waterfall grain and soft golden hues. Each piece of veneer revealed a different aspect of the tree’s character, resulting in a gown that felt both sculptural and organic.
With seven-year-old Quinne Boyd modeling the creation, The Sycamore Fairy looked as though she had stepped straight out of an enchanted forest.
Artist: Anne Moore
Model: Allison Adams
Look: Gimmie the Cuppa Joe
Anne Moore’s playful design celebrated the daily ritual that fuels artists everywhere: coffee. From that first morning sip to late-night bursts of creativity, coffee has long been a trusted companion in studios around the world.
Using hundreds of recycled coffee filters sewn onto a repurposed bedsheet, Anne created whimsical bohemian-style pants filled with movement and texture—perfect for a Brazilian samba.
The top, fashioned from authentic burlap coffee-bean bags, paid tribute to the global origins of our favorite brew. Trimmed with coffee filters and colorful recycled Nespresso pods, the vest seemed to dance right along with the model.
Artist/Model: Becky Ryan
Becky Ryan looked to the grand fashions of 17th- and 18th-century Europe for inspiration, choosing the iconic pannier gown known for its dramatic, wide side hoops and unmistakable silhouette.
What began with a closet full of dry-cleaning bags evolved into an extraordinary couture creation made almost entirely from recycled and repurposed materials.
The gown incorporated flowing plastic garment bags, drawstring delivery bags, reshaped wire hangers, cardboard tubes, paper hanger covers, and foam shoulder protectors. Even the dramatic sash at the back was constructed from interlocking metal hangers.
The result was a wonderful collision of historical high fashion and modern-day recycling.
Artist: Sharon Whalen
Model: Melanie Sciarra
Sharon Whalen brought Art Nouveau elegance to the runway with a red-carpet-ready gown constructed from recycled brown packing materials, vintage photographs, and gleaming gold leaf.
The design combined the dramatic silhouette of a 19th-century hoop skirt with the luminous beauty of a Tiffany lamp. Its structure created black-framed “windows” filled with a mosaic of more than 500 individually placed colorful photographic tiles.
The finished look blurred the line between fashion, photography, architecture, and decorative art.
Junior Runway Category
Artist/Model: McKenna Johnson
McKenna Johnson took to the runway in a vibrant bougainvillea-inspired creation celebrating resilience, growth, and beauty in challenging circumstances.
Just as bougainvillea can thrive in unexpected places, McKenna’s design reflected the idea that creativity can transform ordinary discarded materials into something beautiful.
Created over the course of two weeks, the design featured a hand-sewn tube gown made from recycled trash bags. A dramatic cascading train came alive with handmade flowers crafted from recycled tissue paper and cupcake liners.
The youthful design delivered a fitting message for the Recycle, Reuse runway: with imagination, even the most ordinary materials can be given an extraordinary new life.
And the Winners Are…
After all the creativity, craftsmanship, and show-stopping looks hit the runway, the judges announced the winners of the 2026 Recycle, Reuse Festival Runway Fashion Show:
- Most Creative Concept: Anne Moore, Gimmie the Cuppa Joe
- Most Exciting Ensemble: Mike Denny
- Most Innovative Use of Materials: Dylan Howard
- Most Red Carpet Worthy: Valerie Killeen & Jonathan Boyd for The Sycamore Fairy
- People’s Choice Award: Valerie Killeen & Jonathan Boyd for The Sycamore Fairy
It was an especially memorable afternoon for Valerie Killeen and Jonathan Boyd, whose enchanting Sycamore Fairy earned both Most Red Carpet Worthy and the coveted People’s Choice Award. Their imaginative use of reclaimed wood from San Juan Capistrano’s historic Trysting Tree clearly captured both the judges’ attention and the hearts of the audience.
Once again, the Recycle, Reuse Festival Runway Fashion Show proved that with a little imagination, discarded materials can become something truly extraordinary. I’m already looking forward to seeing what these talented artists create next year.
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