Today we’d like to introduce you to Joan Cabarrus.
Joan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am now a Trash Fashion Designer and I made that title up.
I first moved to Austin in 2021 to build a creative niche in polymer clay sculpting. I wanted to teach people how to recreate their own pets, to teach kids, parents and beginner crafters to make resourceful sculpting projects, host workshops in the community while continuing to grow my social media following in this particular niche.
In the early months of 2024, I inquired at the Austin Creative Reuse to host a sculpting workshop for the public and got accepted. They also informed me about their search for an artist who would host a collaborative workshop with highschool students to create a “bat art” made of trashes and plastics collected from our rivers. This bat art will then be displayed in the Austin Creative Reuse’s store.
The workshop was a collaboration between the International Bat Conservation, Austin Youth River Watch and the Austin Creative Reuse.
To connect my sculpting niche to this bat art, I decided for all of us to create a large bat sculpture made out of 100% recycled and up-cycled plastics. Even the binding materials had to be some sort of plastic material.
The art was successfully created and has been displayed in the ACR’s entrance, greeting everyone who enters it.
That experience has sparked something more in me. It slowly brought me back to a repressed talent and skill that I had when I was young of creating artworks out of recycled materials. I’ve created artworks like these on and off throughout the years but it was only for decorations at home and for fun. It wasn’t something I had to do a lot and to teach people with it.
The Austin Creative Reuse hosts a show called Reuse on the Runway every year where the designers create any wearable art out of reuse materials.
When I first found out about this show in 2024, I was a bit late to apply so I had to wait for the next one in 2025.
It was my first time joining an event like that and surprisingly, many people had recognized me quickly for participating from that event. The people around me and my friends seemed to be more excited and fascinated by this type of craft that I started doing. It could be that anything related to sustainability is big in Austin and the craft is also a skill not many people do. It is unconventional.
As I get to know more and more about me as a person and a creative, I realized that I thrive in any craft that requires problem-solving. I have to be creating something new in order for me to be mentally stimulated and happy with the craft. In return, people recognize my skills and are inspired to try it.
Along with this new sparked interest, I am happy to have met many like-minded people who are also into this type of craft called Trash Fashion or Trashion. With this, we’ve created a creative community called Austin Trash Fashion Designers where we gather all our local sustainable designers, supporters, and beginner crafters who would want to try this craft.
It surprised me to how many hidden talents we really have here in Austin and trash fashion is such a great movement to spread awareness about slowing down the wastes to the landfills people generate on a daily basis.
I did not abandon my polymer clay sculpting niche. Creating wearable art out of recycled, up-cycled and unconventional materials is also a form of sculpting because the creators have to design artwork in a three dimensional perspective.
I am now a Trash Fashion Designer but it’s not going to make a living for a while because I am attempting to build a market niche for it. I do not have a degree in fashion designing and trash fashion is unconventional so I will have to keep persevering until many people see the value and impact of this type of craft.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been smooth as of now. I quit my nursing job to pursue this full time and build the community. I do not know what the future holds related to funding future events for it but I will figure that out down the road. A lot of my ideas on getting the word out about Trash Fashion to our local community are also unconventional and looking to get them funded will be difficult.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a registered nurse, an author, and an artist.
At this time, I am pursuing my creative journey and build a community, support others, inspire and teach people, and many more related to Trash Fashion.
What makes you happy?
Uplift and empower others, share my talents and skills, teach people how to do what I am good at, create and innovate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.JoanCabarrus.com
- Instagram: @austintrashfashiondesigners And @joan_cabarrus
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BRB6Dc8Zi/?mibextid=wwXIfr
