Recycled Clothes on Display at Tamarindo next Month.

Tamarindo, the popular beach side town that is reversing negative press by cleaning up its act, will be the center of attention once again with the inauguration of an event never seen before in this country. An avant-gaurd fashion show, presented by Trashion Fashion, a new line inspired by the idea of converting recycled material into trendy threads, will turning heads on Sept. 11 in Bar1 at 7pm. Kata Kis, a town fashion icon and owner of Papaya con Leche, and Petra Beuthner of Uno Solo will present their new line of clothing made of reusable materials.

The idea was born following a recycling campaign that started a few months ago in Tamarindo. Tamarindo Recicla, as it is called, managed to collect over nine tons of recyclables, including plastic bottles, aluminum, newspapers etc. over the six collection sessions they have had, with a total of 1.7 metric tons of material resulting from their last tour. The recycled material is usually sent back to the Central Valley where it is later processed to be re-used.

Tamarindo has had bad press this year, starting when the Blue Flag, an indicator awarded to ecologically sound Costa Rica beaches, was removed and many hotels had to close down following an investigation that showed that untreated sewage was being disposed of directly in the sea. Since then, the community seems to have woken up and is now getting its act together.

The locals, Ticos as well as foreigners, are working together to provide a clean and healthy environment for fellow inhabitants as well as for the tourists. Tourism is the number one source of income of the region and Tamarindo cannot afford to gain a bad reputation. The Chamber of Commerce of Guanacaste (Caturgua) has worked hard to reinforce the public awareness and is also working towards a cleaner and ecologically sound Tamarindo.

Trashion Fashion may not be available in the shops as the latest Pret a Porter, but it is certainly innovative and inspiring. While the community of Tamarindo is moving in the right direction, anything to promote recycling is welcomed.

There is a lot of work still to be done in Costa Rica as far too much reusable material is still going to waste. Public awareness is more often than not the culprit. Indeed, Trashion Fashion may inspire others to explore their creativity, when all they need is at arms reach, waiting to be taken. In a world where everything is replaceable it is important that the younger generation become accustomed to the old becoming new again! There is, after all, never going to be a shortage of goods needing to be recycled in the consumerist world we live in!

The entrance fee for Trashion Fashion is 5,000 colons ($10), and includes one free drink. There will be a raffle, and music by Fabrice Vanegas. As an extra incentive to attend this show, all benefits will go to the Tamarindo Recycle organization. It is wonderful to see that a beautiful place like Tamarindo is after all going to make it. Once a peaceful fishing village with only a few humble simple houses, it is now becoming a buzzing sensational little town, and that is ok, but it needs to learn to care for and maintain its environment. That is, after all, what makes the area so profitable.

Photo courtesy of Thorneon Cohen.

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Filed under: Cultural Events on August 22nd, 2008