By ALANAH MAY ERIKSEN
What do you get when you cross flowers and onion sacks? A dress of course.
Natascha and Erica Hartzuiker proved all you need is a little flower power and the judges will dig you.
Mrs Hartzuiker won the Supreme Award for Best Overall Design for her 'Zest Dress' at the Trash 2 Fashion parade last night, a joint project between the Rotorua District Council's Keep Rotorua Beautiful and recycling committees.
They were the only mother and daughter team.
"She was my accessory, my mini-me, she wanted to be part of it so she was in on the action," Mrs Hartzuiker said about Erica, 8, from Owhata Primary School.
Everything from tea-bags to lamp shades, nappy-wrappers to pizza coupons, car keys to playing cards were on display last night.
Held at the Convention Centre concert chambers, the event attracted MPs, councillors, proud parents and budding fashion designers.
The Zest Dress which took two days to make, was made from Zespri Kiwifruit packaging, onion sacks and couch packaging which Mrs Hartzuiker got from Saint Vincent de Paul on Te Ngae Rd.
She is a third-year art student at Waiariki Institute of Technology and always enters the Waste 2 Art fashion parade but this is the first time she has won anything.
Last year Trash 2 Fashion was a category of Waste 2 Art but with almost double the amount of entries participating this year, it ran solo.
Mrs Hartzuiker wants to donate some of her $1000 prize to St Vincent de Paul and will probably spend the rest on art supplies.
But what's in store for this budding artist next year?
"I want to do something with aluminium but you never know, things change," she said.
Keep Rotorua Beautiful Christine Findon co-ordinator said Mrs Hartzuiker's creation was "absolutely fabulous".
"I don't know how she thought it up, she stole the show.
"It was a nice touch having her daughter there.
"The exhibitors have gone up a notch in terms of creativity. People have gone all out.
"There is some good stuff coming out."
Sub-category winners claimed prizes of up to $500.
Garments had to be made from household, industrial, manufactured or man-made waste and recycled clothing and objects. Entrants were also encouraged to use environmentally friendly glues, dyes and paints.
Categories included primary, intermediate and secondary school and an adult section.
The garments go on display today at RAVE and will be there for a week for the public to view.
Flower power a runway success
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