Recycle Runway Photos

You are welcome to use any of the photos below, please credit the artist (Nancy Judd), the photographer (if indicated) and the Sponsor (if indicated). To download the photos: right click on the photo you want listed next to “Download Photos”, choose “Open Link in New Window”. In the new window place the cursor on the photo and right click, choose “Save Image As”.

The Artist

Photo of Nancy Judd

(Download Photos: Head Shot)

Garments

Opal

(Download Photos: Full Garment, Detail)
Photos by Nicole Morris

Created from a picnic basket, a vintage dress, plants collected at the Conservancy’s Santa Fe Canyon Preserve, and dried flowers from the Santa Fe Farmers Market.
Completed in 2013.
Read the blog post about creating Opal to see more photos and learn details about how this piece came to be.

Sol Man

(Download Photos: Full Garment-side, Back, Detail-front)
Photos by Nicole Morris

Created from energy efficiency waste materials.
Completed in 2013 in 100 hours.
Read the blog post with additional photos and project details!

Re-visoning Erté

(Download Photos: Full Garment, Detail)

Made from silk scraps, leftover from a jacket my mother made over 30 years ago, and aluminum cans. This dress stands only 33 inches tall, half the size of my full-size garments.
Completed in 2012 in 100 hours.
Read a blog post about creating Re-visoning Erté.

Eco-Flamenco

(Download Photos: Full Garment, Detail)

Cereal boxes painted with recycled paint have been transformed into cascades of ruffles that contain over 5,000 eco-pledges—commitments of actions that people will take to help the environment. The ruffles cover a dress made from parachute scraps.
The garment took 650 hours to make.
Read a blog post about creating Crime Scene.
Completed in 2011.

Crime Scene

(Download Photos: Full Garment, Detail)
Photos by Jay Sturdevant.

Tape from police crime scenes across the west, cover a dress made from torn table cloths. This cautionary costume took 50 hours to create and was completed in 2011.
Read a blog post about creating Crime Scene.
Completed in 2011.

The Environmental Steward-ess

(Download Photos: Full Garment- low resolution, high resolution, Detail- low resolution, high resolution)
Photos by Jay Sturdevant.

The uniform, hat and purse are sewn from worn-out leather seat covers from Delta planes. The cape is made from replaced safety cards, Sky Magazines, old plane tickets, and pretzel wrappers all cut into strips and sewn onto worn pillow cases. The cape was then lined with a discarded Delta blanket. Both the cape and purse appear to fly in the wind thanks to armatures created from metal wire used for yard signs during the last presidential election. Recycled aluminum cans were used to create the vintage Delta symbol on the purse, hat and belt. The Purse was designed and made by Tierra Ideas.
The entire suit took 200 hours to make.
Completed in 2011.
Commissioned by Delta Air Lines.

Youth Eco-Dress

(Download Photos: Full Garment- low resolution, high resolution, Detail- low resolution, high resolution)
Photos by Jay Sturdevant.

During Ms. Judd’s youth presentations about recycling and the environment, she asks the kids write their names and something that they would do to help the environment on a strip of recycled paper. These eco-pledges were turned into long paper link chains to cover the dress.The base of the dress is made of discarded sheets from the historic La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, NM, dyed sage green. The garment has two petty coats made from these same sheets as well as old table cloths. A four layered hoopskirt supports the two petty coats, the dress and the chains made from the pledges. The wire in the hoopskirt came from the frames used for yard signs during the Obama campaign. Before the pledges were made into the chains, each one was adhered to the white table cloths (also used in the petty coats) to assure that the chains do not get crushed over time.
The entire suit took 400 hours to make.
Completed in 2011.

Convertible Trashique

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Photos by Eric Swanson.

The jacket, skirt and blouse were created with material from a soft-top convertible. The “faux fur” on the jacket was made by curling electrical wire and hand-sewing it on the lapel. The hat was sewn from a front-end mask and accented with electrical copper wire. As a tribute to Toyota’s founding family, who originally sold looms, the purse was woven out of electrical wire and the metal “paper” which is found in electrical cable.
The entire suit took 150 hours to make.
Created in 2007.
Commissioned by Toyota.

Jellyfish Dress

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Photos by Jay Sturdevant.

Green dry cleaner bags and blue plastic newspaper bags were ironed together to create the aquatic skirt. The bodice, skirt, tentacles and necklace were made from white grocery bags. The garment was partially created in public workshops in Lincoln City, on the Oregon Coast.
Created in 2010.
Commissioned by Lincoln City.

Glass Evening Gown

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Photos by Don Marr.

Crushed glass jars and bottles from the City of Albuquerque recycling program were glued to the gown and second-hand shoes. The 1930s style gown was made from upholstery fabric remnants. This couture fashion took 400 hours to create.
Created in 2002.
Commissioned by the Glass Packaging Institute.

Faux Fur Coat

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

Cassette tape was woven onto the fabric of a second-hand coat to create the looped texture. The collar and cuffs are accented with the larger discarded video tape. A thrift store prom dress was cut up and sewn for the lining of the coat.
This cold weather garment took 310 hours to create.
Created in 2005.

Aluminum Drop Dress

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Photos by Eric Swanson.

Hand-cut teardrops and circles from aluminum cans embellish both dress and shoes. The 1920s retro flapper dress was sewn from a used cloth shower curtain.
This matching combo took 200 hours to make.
Created in 2004.
Commissioned by Novelis.

Junk Mail Fan Dress

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

Catalogues, solicitations and newspaper ads were folded into fans and sewn onto the Spanish style dress. The skirt and bodice were constructed from canvas scraps. The thrift store shoes were covered with used postage stamps. This ensemble is topped off with a vintage mantilla embellished with junk-mail fans and origami peacock earrings.
This creation took 200 hours to make.
Created in 2000.

Paper Lace Dress

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

Paper selected from office recycling cans was hand-cut into an original lace design and glued onto the flared skirt, hat and vintage shoes. The skirt and hat were made from canvas scraps. The skirt is layered over a 1950s vintage “little black dress.”
The entire ensemble was created in 120 hours.
Created in 2003.

Couture Plastique

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

Plastic bottles are recycled into Eco-spun, the fabric in this gown. The eco-spun evening wear is covered with used plastic packaging film and accented with small circles cut from post-consumer plastic detergent bottles. The stole is knit from used clear plastic bags and lined with fabric from a second-hand white satin prom dress.
This Oscar winner for best use of plastic film took 225 hours to make.
Created in 2006.

Pop Can Couture

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

Aluminum cans were hand-cut into leaves, petals and vines then hand-sewn onto the dress, purse and vintage shoes. The 1950s retro cocktail dress and purse were created from canvas scraps. Coke can aluminum earrings and necklace top off the ensemble.
This fashion creation took 135 hours to make.
Created in 2006.Commissioned by the Coca Cola ® Company.

Plastic Bathing Beauty

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

The plastic from various colored detergent bottles was cut into circles and punched with two holes. Each piece was hand-sewn onto a vintage 1950s bathing suit and second-hand umbrella.
This eco-friendly beachwear required 150 hours to make.
Created in 2004.

Recycled Cowgirl

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

Pages from old phone books were woven together to make the western style skirt and vest. The look continues with the pages applied to the used cowgirl hat and vintage “pee-wee” cowgirl boots. Used CDs create the silver accents on the outfit.
This rough and ready suit required 125 hours to make.
Created in 2002.

Recycling Fiesta

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

The skirt, armbands and top were made from an employee’s old shirt and accented with plastic Target bags. Paper beads were created from cardboard product displays. The Carman Miranda style headdress was made with plastic bags, old cardboard displays and a returned baseball game.
This festive combo took 100 hours to make.
Created in 2002.
Commissioned by Target®.

Rusty Nail Cocktail Dress

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Photos by Sandrine Hahn.

The rust adds a little color to these nails that were hand-sewn or cut and glued to the matching dress, purse, vintage shoes and hat. The 1950s retro cocktail dress and hat were created from canvas remnants. The hat features a sharp chicken wire veil accented with nail “feathers”.
This ensemble took 125 hours to complete.
Created in 2001.

Tireless Couture

(Download Photos: Full Garment- low resolution, high resolution, Detail-  low resolution, high resolution)
Photos by Jay Sturdevant.

Inner tube tires from bicycles were cut into circles on and sewn onto the shirt and where cut into fringe and sewn to the bolero. Larger car tires create the undulating fabric on the skirt. The base of the shirt, bolero and shirt are all sewn from torn hotel sheets.
This garment was created partially in public workshops as part of University Mall’s Scraple Hill Art Contest. Nancy Judd was asked to design and create a new Recycle Runway garment from inner tube tires to showcase the City’s commitment to sustainability by encouraging citizens to leave their cars at home and use the beautiful pedestrian and bicycle paths.
The garment took 175 hours to make.
Created in 2010.
Commissioned by University Mall and Madison Marquette.

Obamanos Coat

(Download Photos: Full Coat, Detail)
Photos by Jay Sturdevant.

‘the Obamanos Coat is part of the Smithsonian’s permanent collection!
Door hangers from the 2008 Obama campaign were cut into 2 inch strips and machine sewn to panels made from canvas scraps. The panels were hand stitched on the vintage man’s winter coat.The Obamanos Coat is part of the Change Couture Collection which was showcased at numerous inaugural balls in Washington D.C. in 2009 for the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. Click here for details.
This voter gear took 25 volunteers over 400 hours to complete.
The Coat was created in 2009.

Obama Cocktail Dress

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Plastic campaign signs from the 2009 presidential election were collected for this party line dress. An old cotton sheet was repurposed for the lining of the dress. The plastic signs were cut into strips and attached to the lining in overlapping layers from bottom to top.  The Obamanos Coat is part of the Change Couture Collection which was showcased at numerous inaugural balls in Washington D.C. in 2009 for the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.
This campaign dress was designed and made in 50 hours.
Created in 2009.

Voter Swing Coat

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The coat is made from voter registration posters cut into half inch wide strips and woven together. This “paper fabric” was adhered to canvas remnants and the finished coat pieces were hand-sewn together. The collar, outer sleeves and bottom edge of the coat are accented with “lace” which was cut and punched from recycled matching voter registration reminder cards. The Voter Swing Coat is part of the Change Couture Collection which was showcased at numerous inaugural balls in Washington D.C. in 2009 for the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.
This coat was made with the help of 10 volunteers in 200 hours.
Created in 2009.

Exhibitions

Atalanta International Airport Exhibition

(Download Photos: Case 1, Case 2)

Eighteen Recycle Runway garments are on display in the Atlanta Airport through April 2012. The exhibition is installed  in nine cases located throughout International Concourse E. A 30 second video about the exhibition is playing on the CNN channel at all of the gates throughout the entire airport for the duration of the exhibition.

See more photos of the exhibition installation on the Recycle Runway facebook page.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Exhibition

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Fourteen of the Recycle Runway garments were on display in the Phoenix Airport Museum from February -September 2010. The theme of the exhibition was: “Waste does not exist, only waste resources.” Recycle Runway is displayed in high-traffic public locations such as airports, shopping malls and museums across the United States to bring environmental awareness to millions of people.

Presentations and Eco-events

Environmental Presentations

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Nancy Judd of Recycle Runway has been giving inspiring eco-presentations across the country for the last ten years. From TEDx and children in class rooms and docents in museums, Nancy shares photos of her elegant recycled fashions and talks about how we can each help to solve the environmental crisis.

Nancy at TEDxABQ 2011

Download Photos:
Full photos: low resolution, high resolution
Photo by Dawn Allynn.
Close-up photos: low resolution, high resolution
Photo by Perter Norby.

Recycled Art and Fashion Workshops

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Nancy Judd of Recycle Runway provides hands-on workshops for youth and adults. Her dynamic workshops range in duration from one hour to five days, and always include a 20 minute presentation of her recycled fashions and environmental message. The workshop focus on recycled art projects, trash fashion design or up-cycling second hand clothes into new garments!