Turning Trash into Fashion with Triveni Institute Director Jordan Parker

Triveni Institute Founder and Director Jordan Parker visited the Climate Science and Environmental Justice class to discuss its mission of addressing the wastefulness of today’s world, its effects on mental health and the Institute’s unique way of raising awareness through storytelling and art. The nonprofit hosts “Trashion Revolution,” an annual fashion show and competition in which designers use post-consumer, plastic trash to create their looks.

The show not only features these incredible works of art with a message, it is also an inclusive showcase of models of various identities. Some are “special invitation models” and have included community leaders, activists and alderpeople. Each annual event has a profound theme; the most recent focused on myths, and some pieces debunked the recyclability of plastic. 

While the “trashion” show is a highlight of its work, the Institute also participates in grassroots activism. Jordan Parker has a history in environmental activism and previously worked on the Bring Your Bag Chicago campaign, which resulted in the checkout bag tax in place across the city. 

“Raising awareness is the start, but policy is where real change happens,” Parker said. The organization is currently helping with the Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance, which aims to safeguard communities from the impact of pollution. 

In addition to its advocacy, the show also aims to shed positive light on the current climate situation, while also trying to make the topic more appealing to the masses. “We hope to change the narrative away from despair,” they said.

Speakers like Jordan Parker bring real-life experience to the civic engagement and social justice themes of the school’s mission. Her work hopefully will continue to inspire change in a range of communities.

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