Dec. 8, 2025 -- The Lackawanna County Arts & Culture Department is partnering with the City of Scranton Recycling Department, the Everhart Museum and Swap Scranton for “Repurposed,” a fashion show and exhibit promoting sustainability, raising environmental awareness, and showcasing creativity by transforming waste materials into wearable art. The fashion show fundraiser will be held this Friday, Dec. 12, at the Everhart from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets cost $75 and proceeds will be donated to Friends of the Poor and the Catherine McCauley Center and Swap Scranton.

Swap Scranton, a community-driven initiative focused on sustainable fashion, hosts clothing swap events where people trade pre-loved clothes, keeping them out of landfills, building community and providing free wardrobe updates, often alongside other local markets or events. Participants bring gently used clothing to designated drop-offs, receive tickets for each item, and then "shop" for new items at a swap event. Leftover clothes are donated to charity.

“Repurposed” will feature original upcycled designs by local textile designers with outfits ranging from formal wear to street styles, historical fashions and costumes. Models also will showcase thrifted and swapped outfits for an eclectic mix of fashion. The aim of the fashion show is to educate people about how the fast fashion industry affects the environment while also encouraging people to thrift, create their own clothes or purchase higher quality and sustainable clothing.

Fast fashion is the rapid production of cheap, low-quality clothing and one of the greatest causes of waste and global pollution, creating 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. Less than 1% of clothing is recycled back into new clothing due to challenges with the current recycling systems. It can take more than 200 years for synthetic materials like polyester to decompose in a landfill.

In addition to the fashion show, artists commissioned by the Arts & Culture Department, will show their work in an exhibit titled “Beauty in Ordinary Things.” Pieces were created using only cardboard and recycled items. The exhibit runs through Jan. 3, 2026.

To purchase tickets, visit ‘Events’ at everhart-museum.org. For questions email arts-culture@lackawannacounty.org.