Ever donated unwanted items to The Green Shed? They could have been turned into designer items about to go on display in Civic.
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Reclaim is an exhibition of high-end, functional and wearable objects, created by nine local designers who were let loose in The Green Shed.
Exhibition curator Mel George said the designers were challenged to create something, "that doesn't look like trash".
"A current issue for makers at the moment is issues of sustainability and using waste as a resource, and also how do you create new things in a world that already has so many things," she said.
The collection includes on-trend necklaces made from shower curtains and blind cords, a walking stick made from a bike, and a working turntable made from 70 pieces of waste material including crutches, golf clubs, laminated T-shirts, egg cups, old Nintendo buttons and screws.
"All Canberrans might have contributed to this exhibition because they might have thrown out the items that are in it," said George.
The exhibition also has a guest international contribution from Filipino "trashion'' designer Francis Solano, who is in Canberra for the Design Canberra festival.
"I feel that artists have to be at the forefront of climate change awareness and because I love fashion so why not trash fashion," he said.
"Back in our city there's a lot of garbage around the streets, it's quite common... I felt that Filipinos love fashion as well so using fashion as an expression or a channel for environmental awareness is a very good channel of communication – it resonates [with] them."
His pieces in the collection include useable bags and accessories made from chip and confectionary packaging.
Reclaim is part of the Design Canberra Festival, a month-long event focused on landscape design, architecture, industrial design, technology, fashion, jewellery and homewares.
Sollano is also hosting free, pop-up workshops on November 3 from noon-3pm in Garema Place, where members of the public can make their own designer objects from recycled goods from The Green Shed.
Reclaim is on at Craft ACT, level 1, 180 London Circuit, from November 3-December 17 and is free.
