LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An elementary school in Shively is giving students a lesson in fashion. But with tight budgets, they're going outside the classroom for help in making their designs a reality.
Mill Creek Elementary art teacher Micca Gordon started teaching the class about a year ago as a way to draw kids to art using fashion, or trashion.
"I got this crazy idea that we're going to do Project Runway, because sometimes they make crazy things out of like candy wrappers or movie tickets, so we can do that because we can find trash," said Gordon.
No idea is off limits for her students who use all sorts of materials and inspiration for their designs. "I feel like there's a lot of stuff in my mind and it's just going to flow out, and flow out," said student Mazaree Blackburn.
In this class, the motto is mistakes are proof you're trying. "You don't make mistakes. You can just take it apart and remake it," said student J'Marie Mulligan.
They spend their time in the classroom making something out of nothing. "It's a bunch of trash and we can make something out of it. Like I can make a dress out of this," said Blackburn, showing a piece of tissue paper.
But Gordon wondered what her students could make with more materials. "If they can make a suit jacket out of newspaper, imagine what they could make with real stuff," said Gordon.
With tight budgets making it difficult to get more supplies, she took a chance and reached out to the Hat Girls, the official hat designers of the Kentucky Derby Festival.
"I said I need their trash," said Gordon.
"She wanted like the ends of our feathers, leftover thread, glue," said Rachel Bell of the Hat Girls.
"And we generally have a lot on the floor when we're finished with a project so we had so much," said Kate Smith of the Hat Girls.
Not only did they donate supplies, they came in and taught a class. "When we left we were just as inspired by them as cliche as it sounds," said Bell.
They decided to go a step further. "I think when we came into that first class we realized oh yeah we got to raise some money for these girls because while they're making really great things with what they have, they needed more stuff," said Bell.
They put out the call to their clients asking for sewing machines and they delivered, helping the class reach their goal of getting eight new machines. But it doesn't stop there. Gordon's hoping to bring in other designers and artists from the area.
"For them a lot of times they don't realize there's life outside this little area," said Gordon. "To be able to have that outreach come in to us, instead of us having to go out is great."
She's hoping community support will keep her kids creating.
"You'd think a glue gun's not that expensive, but when you buy 25 of them for four dollars, it gets a lot more expensive," she said.
Click here to help fund these future fashionistas.
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