Fashionistas to take flight

Creativity and ecology will collide when fashion meets art, Project Runway-style, at the Festival Runway Fashion Show, which takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday on the Festival of Arts grounds.

An array of participating artists, individually or in groups, will be given the challenge of creating garments from materials that are at least 80% reclaimed, reused or recycled, and will be scored based on creative concept and use of materials, presentation, innovation, artist merit, fantasy and imagination, humor and fashion as art.

Susan Davis, director of special events for FOA, said she hopes the challenging event will highlight the Festival’s eclectic and talented group of artists.

“We expect some very diverse designs,” she said. “The [requirements] of this show should make for an interesting and fun event.”

Bragging rights aside, artists are eligible to win a $1,000, $500 and $250 cash prize.

The “designers” will model their ensembles for judges Bolton Colburn, director of Laguna Art Museum, Sue Graham, manager at Macy’s of South Coast Plaza and Regina Jacobson, Laguna artist and former fashion designer, and will have two minutes to “sell” their creations.

Judges will ask questions, take notes and score fashions in the three minutes following. A “People’s Choice Award” will also allow patrons to cast ballots for their favorite designs.

Kathy Jones, who will collaborate with fellow “recycled” career women-turned-artists Betty Haight and Stephanie Cunningham, said her team will use old curtains, fabric remnants and paper bags to create aprons and dresses.

“It’s been an exciting challenge, and we’ve gathered all kinds of crazy stuff from the trash bin,” she said. “We’ll even embellish our garments with ‘jewelry’ made from things like paint tubes, beaded chocolate foil wrappers and key tags.”

The trio has worked on numerous art projects over the years at various festivals, and Haight and Cunningham currently exhibit their “Duet” paintings at FOA, in which the combine their landscape and figure artwork.

“Stephanie, a recycled homecoming queen, will be our runway model, and will be ‘stamped’ with titles of the Duet paintings,” Jones said.

Contestant Barbara Hendricks said she and partner, Luciano Bortone, felt eager to participate in such a fun project.

“We are making a high fashion party dress, but I don’t want to say much more about our design,” she said.

If You Go

WHAT: Festival Runway Fashion Show

WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday

SCHEDULE: 1:30 p.m. Runway Fashion Show; 2 to 3 p.m. Artists present ensemble in their exhibit space for judges’ and patrons evaluation. Artists have two minutes to describe their creation and judges have three minutes to ask questions, take notes and score the fashion. 3:30 p.m. Repeat of Runway Fashion Show and Announcement of Winners.

WHERE: Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Road

COST: Free with festival admission; general $7; $4 for seniors and students.

INFORMATION: Call (949) 497-1145 or visit www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org.