Swap-O-Rama-Rama in New York City
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09.28.05
October is right around the corner (can you believe it?) so if you live in the New York City area mark your calendars for October 9th. From 2pm-7pm at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center (located in Manhattan's lower east side) Swap-O-Rama-Rama kicks off its yearlong series of seasonal do-it-yourself style events along with a massive clothing swap, in which the public exchanges, redesigns, recycles, and re-brands used clothing in a process of collective creativity.
Participants are asked to bring a bag of unwanted clothing and $5 to the event and are then encouraged to modify their finds, on site, by visiting sewing stations manned by knowledgeable seamstresses and costume designers who are there to provide free how-to lessons and assistance with alterations. Participants are also offered a list of workshops taught by local artists and designers to learn how to embroider, crochet, etc. At the end of one year of seasonal swaps, a line of clothing featuring the creations of Swap-O-Rama-Rama's participants will be gathered for a public fashion show in which "designers" show their styles and share how-to tips with an audience of like-minded people. Swap-O-Rama-Rama promotes a utilization of existing surplus of clothing to create "new" recycled goods, at little cost, without consuming raw materials. All leftover clothing will be donated to local charities. For more information about this DIY event you can visit their Website. ::Swap-O-Rama-Rama
Sounds like oodles of fun - I'll see what events I can be a part of before I move in May :) Thanks for the tip!
Swap-O-Rama-Rama was postponed last week due to a snowstorm in NYC. Yes, it was snowing sideways for several hours. The event has been rescheduled for Monday February 20th (Presidents Day) 2pm to 7pm.
Hope you can make it!