The Big Sur Fashion Show is so much more than a fashion show.
(Designer, model, and dancer: Jamie Oksas)
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

A Cultural Encounter with the Spirit of Community<\/h2>\n

The Fashion Week buzz is brewing in Paris, New York, and London, where unsmiling models will soon walk briskly on catwalks with haughty disdain. But we, on the California Coast, are thousands of (metaphoric and real) miles away.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re at The Big Sur Fashion Show\u2014a vibrant and unconventional celebration of artistic imagination.<\/p>\n

Elaine Gateno and Daniel Munoz are Big Sur Fashion Show regulars.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

This event is not a no-smile zone, as in the fashion world of haute couture. This is a party. A cultural encounter with community spirit like no other. A fashion show for, of, and by the people. And everyone is smiling.<\/p>\n

Neva Case\u2014”Living the Dream” (in plastic, paper, tin, rubber, CDs, and glitter)
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

How can you miss with creations made out of local elements (shells, feathers, flowers, moss, bark, redwood) plus synthetic hair extensions, shish kebab sticks, plastic bags, feather dusters, chicken feed bags, bread bag twists, old kites, shoe laces, wine corks, doilies, origami paper, mirrors, coffee filters, vinyl records, CDs, and waffles?<\/p>\n

An elegant ball gown and wrap, designed and modeled by Christy Carico, made of
mosaic pieces found on the beach as well as an array of recycled items.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Anything Goes . . .<\/h4>\n

From the start of this event in 2009, there was only one rule\u2014\u201cAnything goes but clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Co-founder Lisa Goettel remembers the fashion-changing night, when she and co-founder Sara Carr hatched the idea in a Big Sur bar. The community had just been devastated by a wildfire and was in desperate need of a universal lifting of spirits. It was time for a party.<\/p>\n

Let the party begin! A Dionysian Resurgence designed by Roberta Forward and Tamara Franscioni.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Why not a fashion show? And why not expand the boundaries of art, as Big Sur folks often do, with the added challenge that the designs had to be made out of materials that weren\u2019t cloth or traditional fashion fabrics?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show was not about style,\u201d Lisa says. \u201cIt was about expression.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the beginning . . .
(Elle Brewer and Dji Shodgen)
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Friends and neighbors came together for the first show at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur. The designers, models, production crew, and rowdy crowd of a few hundred friends and neighbors confirmed one of the basic principles of the adventure\u2014\u201cIf it\u2019s not fun, it\u2019s not worth doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sadie Kvenild creates “Tentacles of Light” with crocheted plastic bags, plastic spiderwebs,
shish kebab sticks, and Spanish moss.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Just for Joy<\/h4>\n

The event, which began \u201cjust for joy,\u201d grew. Each year, something new was added and more people gathered.<\/p>\n

A kids\u2019 fashion show was born (the \u201clittles\u201d as they’re called in Big Sur). A jumbo stage screen came alive. A yearly show theme was created. A theme was offered even for the audience fashion (this year “Color Me Water”). And, the show became a fundraiser to help support several activities in the community.<\/p>\n

A fashion show for the “littles” leads the festivities. These kids can dance.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

New designers emerged. Although co-founder Lisa had never sewn anything in her life, she crafted a man\u2019s tuxedo out of porn magazine pages as her first creation, supporting another of the original values: \u201cWe empower people to craft their own vision and go big.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout this evolution, the mission remained steadfast: \u201cUnleashing creativity, worshipping beauty, and inviting the community to experience the joy of Big Sur\u2014and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shake a tail fin. Cassy August is the designer and model for a fish fashion made of sunrise photos, chicken feed bags, and bread bag twists.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

“Oh, I See” Moments Abound<\/h4>\n

Fast forward to 2018. The event moved to the Barnyard Shopping Village near Highway 1 in Carmel at the beginning of the dramatic winding road that leads to Big Sur. The 700 tickets sold out.<\/p>\n

The more than 300 designers, models, and production crew worked for days\/weeks\/months to put together a show of child designers\/models and 28 adult fashion acts.<\/p>\n

A peacock for the ages. The “littles” are our designers of the future. They have no fear.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Each act is two minutes of choreographed performance art. This is not a Fashion Week unsmiling catwalk. This is an exploding runway, and just about everyone ends up dancing.<\/p>\n

“Kids These Days” (designed by Livia Peterson and Kristen Fuentes) commands the stage.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Executive Director Elsa Rivera echoes the feeling of love the participants have for each other and for the community. Everyone is a volunteer. And everyone works tirelessly to make it happen.<\/p>\n

The hair and make-up volunteers work long hours to meet the production needs,
such as what kind of hairstyle goes with Erika Rosendale’s waffle bodice?
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Once again this year, the community has risen to the challenges of nature, as the Big Sur roads suffered two major landslides last winter, crumbling under the weight of the earth. And once again the neighbors\u2019 unifying spirit has prevailed.<\/p>\n

As the performance of Molly and Scott Moffat proclaimed, \u201cThe people of Big Sur are as tough and beautiful as the mountains where they live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Molly Moffat’s Big Sur strength, in a fashion made of car metal, tire rubber,
chain, and horse feed bags.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Age of Innocence<\/h4>\n

The theme this year was \u201cAge of Innocence,\u201d interpreted often as the purity of spirit we all need in these troubled times but interpreted by a few as a darker message that we are losing innocence in important ways that will have lasting effect on our future.<\/p>\n

Backstage with Kelsey Hansen, as she tries on her Victorian dress
made from vintage ads, pages from “The Age of Innocence,” and a laundry basket bustle.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

All the acts were unique and impressively imaginative.<\/p>\n

\n
• Skirts made from crayons, paper, plastic, bubble wrap, or parts of a Twister game<\/li>\n
• Bodices made with waffles, wine corks, or hand-crocheted plastic bags<\/li>\n
• A fish fashion made of photographs of sunrises from an international project, cut into circular scales that seemed to shimmer from their own light<\/li>\n
• Warrior armor made with plastic taken straight from recycle bins<\/li>\n
• An off-the-shoulder dress and shawl accented with mosaic pieces found on the beaches of Monterey Bay<\/li>\n
• And the grand finale outfit made with Big Sur cannabis (legal, of course, in California)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  

  All natural plant fiber (and legal now in California).
  (Designed by Heather Suzanne and modeled by Jill Donnelly)
  \u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

  In retrospect, the kids\u2019 introduction to the Big Sur Fashion Show (taken from a Dr. Seuss quote), revealed the essence of this unique cultural encounter.<\/p>\n

  “Today\u00a0you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than\u00a0you.”<\/em><\/p>\n

  

  Jamie and Scarlett\u2014No one youer than you.
  \u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

  The personalities and imagination of Big Sur are as unique as the land\u2014one of the most beautiful places on the planet.<\/p>\n

  And the Big Sur heartbeat remains strong.<\/p>\n

  

  The spirit of Big Sur (Jocelyne Muson)
  \u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

  Here is more information about the Big Sur Fashion Show.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

  

  The Big SuRCuS troupe performed spectacular pieces at intermission.
  \u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

  Thank you to Executive Director Elsa Rivera, The Big Sur Food and Wine Festival,<\/a> Creative Director Beverly Van Pelt, Fashion Show MC Magnus Toren of the Henry Miller Library,<\/a>\u00a0and Rosalie Webster of Big SuRCuS.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

  Comment<\/a><\/i>\u00a0on this post below, or inspire insight with your own\u00a0OIC Moment\u00a0<\/em>here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":31934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[162,199],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-encounters-culture","category-usa-mappoints"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31907"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31990,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31907\/revisions\/31990"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}