Object Runway Show Runaway Success

Fundraiser for art gallery shows Alaskan talent

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By Lauren Maxwell
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Story Created: Jan 25, 2013 at 5:42 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jan 25, 2013 at 7:26 PM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - It was a packed house Thursday night at the Bear Tooth Theatre for what turned out to be a most unusual evening. The entertainment was a fashion show, based on the popular television show Project Runway, only in Alaska the title of the show is “Object Runway.”

Object Runway is a fundraiser for the International Gallery of Contemporary Art in downtown Anchorage. Now in its fourth year, organizers say they’ve been amazed at its success. The show has sold out every year.

“The interest is just amazing,” said IGCA board member Holly McQuinn. “People are wanting to come and be designers, people are wanting to come to the show. People want to talk about it and participate in different ways and we really love that.”

The objective of Object Runway is to encourage local artists to make wearable art for a crowd that clearly appreciates it. But what’s “wearable” may surprise you: gowns made from plastic bags, branches and twigs, even a mock army uniform constructed from chewed chewing gum.

The show is a competition with a three judge panel that this year included celebrity judge Joshua McKinley from the original "Project Runway." McKinley said he’d seen some of the creations ahead of time but was very impressed by the 60 models and their clothing featured in part one of the competition.

“I didn’t get to see a lot of them until just now, and I’m blown away by a lot that I hadn’t seen before,” said McKinley. “It’s going to be a tough decision, just to do the top five. I don’t know how we are going to get there but we will.”

When the finalists were announced they included a dress constructed of red cocktail straws, another fashioned from manila envelopes, a plastic bag bridal gown and a driftwood tutu.

In the end, designer Zoe Schneider’s cocktail straw gown took it all, one of many amazing creations to walk the stage and make this year’s Object Runway a runaway success.

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