When Erin Gordon created and photographed dresses made of recycled material for a photography class, she didn’t expect her designs to grab the attention of the NBC network.
But they did. Last week, the University of Central Florida senior’s designs were on display at the NBC Experience Store, located in New York City’s Rockefeller Center.
Gordon’s dresses were created for a socially conscious project she was assigned in the fall for an Image, Culture and Society course.
“I usually shoot fashion,” Gordon said. “I wanted to pair the idea of keeping the environment clean with fashion and photograph it in an editorial manner.”
When the class ended, Gordon decided to sell her dresses online, with the hope that someone would find a use for them. She put them for sale on Etsy, an online outlet for artists selling handmade goods.
“I didn’t want to throw them away, but I didn’t really have space for them,” Gordon explained. “I put them online on the off chance that someone might want to buy or wear one of them to prom or something.”
Three months later, she was contacted by Etsy and NBC. Twice a year, the network hosts an environmental project that promotes recycling and green living. NBC partnered with Etsy and created a contest seeking photos of interesting recycling projects.
Although Gordon hadn’t entered her photos in the contest, her work caught the attention of NBC. Her dresses were showcased as part of the network’s observance of Earth Week.
“I hope that people saw my dresses in the NBC window and were inspired to think of recycling in a new way,” said Gordon. “Being ‘green’ can be fun!”