CdA fashion show benefits environmental alliance

The outfit Rebecca Patano designed is a testament to two of her loves: roasting coffee beans and working with metal.

The hoop skirt frame evolved from an upside-down tomato cage and is adorned with grinder burrs from a commercial espresso machine. The belt that holds it up was cut from an old bicycle tire. A sleeveless black top and matching choker decorated with small metal washers complete the ensemble.

This creation by Patano, co-owner of Doma Coffee in Post Falls and a metal artist, will be one of 20 outfits shown on a fashion runway at the Junk 2 Funk show Saturday in Coeur d’Alene.

A fundraiser for the Kootenai Environmental Alliance, the show will be held in conjunction with Art from the Heart, a celebration of the arts. The intent is to draw attention in a lighthearted way to the amount of trash that is recyclable, said Janet Torline, a KEA board member.

“Only about 20 to 25 percent of people in Kootenai County recycle,” Torline said. “I’m hoping it will be the first annual event and next year will be junkier and funkier.”

Artist Laurie Schafer, a partner in Coeur d’Alene’s Cheryl Burchell Gallery, creates “wearable” art and designed two outfits for the show. One includes a skirt and sleeveless top made from an old burlap coffee bag adorned with ruffles created from used, dried coffee filters, which give the dress an antique look.

“Tea has been used on fabric (as a dye) for a long time,” Schafer said. “But I haven’t heard of coffee being used before.”

Torline copied the “trashion” show idea from several communities across the country. A core group of artists and volunteers are working together to put on Coeur d’Alene’s event, Torline said.

Patano’s 12-year-old son, Dominic, came up with the name Junk 2 Funk. Artist Shelly Croswhite, who created an outfit from milk jugs, old maps and newspaper, designed a poster and the tickets.

“Kootenai County has a lot of waste, and we could use an awareness of recycling and reusing products,” Patano said.