Wear What You Eat is Theme for Fashion Strut
by Rowan Beck,
September 8, 2011, page 16.....

The 19th annual South End Art Hop kicks off this Friday evening, September 9. It is a two-day event held in Burlington that attracts approximately 30,000 visitors from the area. Approximately 500 artists display their works in various spaces along Pine Street. One of the many highlights of the Art Hop is the Fashion Strut, a fashion show held Saturday at 6:30 p.m., under the South End Arts and Business Association (SEABA) tent behind the Maltex building. More than 20 local clothing designers “strut” their work down the runway.
Tom Baginski, a local Charlotte artist, will be participating again this year. Last year was his first year in the show, and his designs were inspired and created with the help of his daughters and their friends. In 2009 Tom attended the Strut for the first time when it was promoting fashion from recycled materials. “Most of the show was just ripped jeans and some dresses out of plastic bags,” he said. After seeing it, his daughter Jenna, a student at the Charlotte Central School (CCS), whispered, “Dad, I think we can do better.” He looked at her and simply responded, “If I make it, will you wear it?” From there the ideas were hatched. It became a family affair, with Jenna in particular generating ideas and getting her friends involved.
When the day arrived last year, Tom, daughters Jenna and Rachel, and several of their friends had created 14 dresses out of recycled materials. Two dresses were made from bubble gum wrappers Rachel had saved all year. “They had a shiny, silvery, rainbow effect,” Tom said. He created another two from coffee cups and foil bags supplied from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. The rest of the dresses were made from recycled gift cards from Best Buy, Dunkin’ Donuts and Home Depot. “We collected 2-3,000 gift cards. The girls had a great time.”
What’s not to love for a young girl? There is excitement about walking a runway and being in a fashion show. Tom did not allow their hair and makeup to be done. “These are young girls. It was so exciting backstage and all the girls came up to me and said that they wanted to do it again next year, so here we are,” Tom chuckled.
Tom has continued with the recycle theme, only this year he is working with food. His theme is “Wear What You Eat.” Not to worry, he assured, there would not be any Lady Gaga steak dresses. Working with food has posed a challenge for him because he has to worry about stickiness and spoilage. “This year Jenna has really latched onto the idea. She has helped me push new avenues.”
Tom admits that it is somewhat intimidating being in a show with professional designers, and by no means does he proclaim himself one. He participates because it is fun and his children enjoy it. Some day he would like to hold a design camp and have the final result shown at the Strut; such a camp would have only a small number of participants. The whole process takes about a month to come up with an idea and bring it to fruition. Jenna and Rachel and their friends Jane Servin, Noel DesLauriers, Naomi Burhans, Anne Bidell, Shannon Helfman, Amira Silverman and Ivy Arnold will model this year’s outfits. “It’s the kids who motivate me to come back, and the creative ideas just start flowing.”
Tom is listed in the program under “Who the Hell is Tom Baginski?” – a name coined from a backstage joke last year. Many people in Charlotte know him as an artistic guy looking for a creative outlet. He has designed several murals at CCS and decorated the front of the school throughout the years. The “Galactic Neighbors” float created by the Baginski and Denton families won first place in the Shelburne Halloween Parade last year.
This year’s South End Art Hop is being dedicated to Bentley Davis Seifer, the young boy who drowned at the Bolton Potholes in July. The dedication honors his talent for art as well as his love and enthusiasm for the South End Art Hop.
For more information on the event or listings of artists visit the website seaba.com.