Garbage bags, which represent the collection of trash, are meta-symbols of societal waste. I wanted to play on the symbolism to start a collection based on that. Raccolta, Italian for collection, seeks to inspect ways garbage bags can be recycled into something new. Inspired by leather, the outfit comprises imitation leather pants with suspenders and a ruffled crop top. As a challenge to minimize further waste, only four garbage bags were used in the design process: mistakes that were made were incorporated into the design as part of the idea that nothing should be thrown away if it can be salvaged in some form.

Raccolta was a design for the MIT Trashion Show, a fashion show that promotes sustainability in design. It won an award (Best Hair/Makeup) at the show. I designed and sewed together the outfit, and modeled it for the fashion show.