RECYCLED RUNWAY 2025: CELEBRATING THE NATIONS OF BIRMINGHAM
Bib & Tucker Sew-Op's Recycled Runway is a
celebration of fashion, innovation, and sustainability. In 2025, thanks
to a partnership with the Birmingham Museum of Art, we marked our
eighth year of this program with the theme, "Celebrating the Nations of
Birmingham": an upcycled fashion showcase", featuring designs created by
Birmingham's middle-high school students. The showcase took place on April 11, 2025 at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Our 2025 Designers
My look is inspired by two parks: The Botanical Gardens in Mountain Brook Village and Deer Park in South Korea. It represents the combination of my cultures as an Asian American, and has meaning for both sides of my ethnicity and heritage.
This is my first year participating in Recycle Runaway and I am so excited for my creative skills to be on display. My look is inspired by landmarks located in Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham is known for its industrial heritage, beautiful landscapes, and southern charm, which are all qualities I used in creating my upcycled design
For the theme of “Celebrating the Nations of Birmingham”, I wanted to design something that brings new life into a once-forgotten Princess Daisy Comic-Con costume and a ruffled cotton skirt, transforming them into a piece inspired by the vibrant movement and cultural richness of Mexican folklórico dance. Folklórico embodies history, passion, and resilience, with each swirling skirt and intricate detail telling a tale of heritage and identity. I then layered that on top of another dress I hand sewed roses to. This piece is a tribute to cultural expression, movement, and the artistry of reinvention—proof that beauty can emerge from what is left behind, dancing forward into new possibilities.
My look this year is a drag 80’s business wear inspired dress representing the queer community in Birmingham. I chose an 80’s theme because the idea of camp is so deeply ingrained in the culture of the 80’s in a unique way. This look incorporates themes such as identity, gender norms, and community. This outfit serves as a protest, to reject every hateful idea and piece of misinformation being spewed by the fascist Trump agenda.
Fashion is all about inspiration, whether it comes from yourself or from someone else. I was inspired by the vibrancy and warmth of the clothing and textiles of Colombia. Colombian textiles are eye-catching and captivating.
Charlotte is a 4th grade student. She loves art classes at school and all of the different techniques that Ms. Everitt and Ms. Gibson have taught her. She was inspired to do Recycled Runway last year to learn how to sew and create a one of a kind outfit. Charlotte says “I think I get to really show my personality through my clothes and so I love fashion”. She has enjoyed going to the Birmingham Museum of Art ever since she was a toddler and says that it is one of her favorite places in the city. This year she was excited for Recycled Runway to improve her sewing skills and push herself to try a more difficult design. “I usually like more feminine designs, colors and styles—so I picked a pretty blue fabric as my base and wanted to add some ruffles. I also liked that our theme this year was overlapping with some of the history I am learning about Birmingham in my school. I chose to do a fabric transfer method for my cape that showcases historic Birmingham events from newspaper clippings. Since I go to school downtown and feel connected to a lot of the civil rights movement that took place there, it was special for me to print these from the Birmingham Library Archives and then learn to transfer them to fabric. It’s a real work of self-expression for me and I can’t wait to show it on the runway.”
Outside of school Charlotte loves playing tennis and soccer, and she enjoys traveling to new places in the world with her siblings.
I designed a techwear style outfit for teens and young adults. Teens and young adults are deeply in tune with the online community and connecting with people easier now than ever. My outfit is designed to be functional, with lots of pockets to put trinkets and equipment. Being able to be online and connect with lots of people has allowed many younger people to find our own unique communities and styles.
Eliza is a 3rd grader. She loves to learn about culture and history and trying new things. When she went to Mexico and saw all of the colorful flower crowns and clothes people were wearing she was eager to learn more about Mexico. She heard about Recycled Runway and saw a great opportunity to share her love for fashion and trying new things. She chose Mexico because of the culture and beauty that she had saw. Her dress is made out of fabrics sourced from small towns in Mexico.
Hello, I go by the artist's name Kaii here to put a statement and impact in each piece I make, physically and literally. This piece on my model, Olivia, is a one of a kind wedding dress, symbolizing purity while also being vandalized and torn, tying back to the 60s civil rights movements where my people fought day and night for their rights, not letting anything, anyone, or anybody stop them. They shined through the hardship, just like this piece, showing what real black power is.
I created an outfit inspired by Clan Carmichael (my grandfather's Scottish roots), using recycled materials to give it a fresh twist. The plaid with its bright colorful pattern celebrates the clan's history while keeping it modern. Mixing different fabrics not only brings these old materials back to life but also adds a unique backstory to the whole look. Each piece fits perfectly, creating a fun vibe that respects tradition while being super stylish.
Vivian’s design is inspired by Italy. She incorporated multiple fabrics and colors to reflect the richness of Italian culture. The trim at the bottom of the garment features this variety, while the headband is made of bells, symbolizing Italy’s famous churches and their dazzling imagery.
This dress is inspired by my culture, which is Mexico. I add the colors of the flag on the dress but they aren’t in order instead spread around. Another thing that inspired me to make the dress was the tentacles or oral arms of a jellyfish and I did that by adding some ruffles on the inside and a flowy dress on the outside
My name is Hartley. I am a third grader. I created a western cowgirl look using a black jacket. I sewed sequins on by hand to give it a unique and modern look. I also added fringe on the back and sides. I paired my jacket with blue denim jeans, a cowgirl belt and boots to complete the look. I was inspired to create this outfit because one of my favorite things to do is ride horses. I enjoy fashion and making clothes, and I look forward to doing this program again!
nspired by traditional Colombian palenquera (pal-an-kera) wear, I created this fiery two-piece to celebrate my heritage. It is an ode to my Colombian roots and late abuela.
This style of dress, with flowing block colors, huge ruffles, and sweeping necklines, is named after Palenque, Colombia: the first FREE African town in the Americas. It was important as a designer that I honor them and all Afro-Latin people of Colombia.
To appreciate the tropical climate and native brilliant flowers, I used hearty, sunny colors. Although in contrast, using the cool feather pattern was to commemorate Colombia’s over 10,000 bird species! Among other small details, I added yellow butterflies as a symbol of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the famous Colombian author.
Through the construction of this costume, I was able to represent the vibrancy of Colombia, and connect to my lineage. I hope the audience is able to catch even slighter details and appreciate the message in my piece!
