5 Inspired Dresses Made From Recycled Materials

Guest Post by Gloria Dawson of The Daily Green

For the second season of The GreenShows during New York Fashion Week, models strutted down the runway showing off the best in sustainable, recycled and really awesome attire. This year the events were held at a new yet-to-be inhabited eco-friendly apartment building in New York City's East Village.

The GreenShows opened with a unique showcase of Gary Harvey's recycled couture. Newspapers and laundry bags rustled down the runway, along with old sweatshirts and baseball jackets repurposed into gowns.

The collection was designed to challenge people's perception of secondhand clothing. Gary, who was previously creative director of Levi Strauss and Dockers Europe, believes, "Too many garments end up in landfill sites. They are deemed aesthetically redundant and get discarded at the end of the season when there are often years of wear left." So, we say, long live the trench coat! Long live the baseball jacket! Long live whatever else Harvey uses to create his collections! The Daily Green featured 18 recycled dresses by Gary Harvey. Here's a look at five of the most interesting.

The GreenShows was sponsored by natural beauty company Weleda, and their Skin Food lotion was honored in this creation. It took 350 boxes of lotion to create this masterpiece.

Who says print is dead? It's alive and well, living as eco-couture. This dress was created using 30 copies of the Financial Times.

The Denim Kimono was created using recycled denim jackets and jeans.

It took 21 laundry bags to create this dry-clean-only garment.

The Baseball Puffball dress was created using 26 nylon baseball jackets.

Do you think Gary Harvey is a green hero? Nominate your local hero for a Heart of Green Award, and he or she could win a trip to New York City to be honored alongside celebrities and dignitaries working to make green go mainstream.

More from The Daily Green:

• 18 Hot Recycled Dresses
• 10 Stylish Ways to Wear the Same Little Black Dress
• One-of-a-Kind Recycled Home Decor
• 15 Things You Should Repair Instead of Replace
• 30+ Ways to Save Money

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications.