A school in the Western Cape were wowed by a duo who donned dance-ready attire made out of materials rarely seen on a runway, re-purposed shopping bags! Thanks to a talented upcycling fairy godmother, the pair went on to win an award.
Western Cape, South Africa (21 May 2025) — South Africa’s creativity continues to link arms with sustainable endeavours! Recently, Boland Landbouskool were treated to a fashion show in which shopping bags transformed into ball-ready looks thanks to an upcycling fairy godmother; rightfully stealing the runway.
At the Mr & Mrs Boland modelling event, a student-duo donned the paper bags we all know well with plastic bag accents; wowing the crowds and the internet in the process.
Couple Beate van Wyk and Jacques Brand may have been the models, but it was the craftsmanship of Hesmari van Deventer (AKA, the upcycling fairy godmother in this story) who brought the blazer vest and gown to life.
Hesmari’s work was so detailed, she even made sure to craft pleats and plastic ruffles for the dress!
The pair went on to win Mr and Mrs Creative for their unique looks that understoof the show’s theme ‘From Trash’ to the tee.
@heeemaw I’d even say they were better dressed than most celebrities 👀🛒🩵🤣 @Checkers_Sixty60 @Checkers South Africa @Jacques Brand675 ♬ original sound – Checkers South Africa
This is the latest of numerous fashion-inspired craft projects that have used retired shopping bags, highlighting a keen interest toward repurposing items once thought to have a narrow use into fashion.
Recently, South African artist Ricollin Moodley (best known for his lipstick portraits) also flexed a different kind of creativity when he turned unassuming fabric shopping bags into fashion pieces, adorning them with artwork.
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The bigger conversation here isn’t just about clever creativity; it’s about the shift in narrative that says ‘waste is a pathway to so much more when you think about products not linearly, but circularity-wise’.
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