LIVE: Discard Avant Garb, Grand Street Community Arts Center, 10/17/09

OK, we freely admit that we don’t know much about fashion, but we sure do love Discard Avant Garb‘s annual recycled fashion show. Since the first bash back at the late great QE2, the event has been as much about imagination as any art exhibition around town, and let’s face it, these folks know how to throw a party, too.

For the past couple of years, the event garnered some serious prestige and mainstream credibility by holding the bash at Albany’s Capital Repertory Theatre, but this year Discard decided to get funky on yo’ ass, moving over to the Grand Street Community Arts Center, bringing the audience closer to the fashions. Lots of space. No seating. A fabulous runway. Room to party.

And for the 10th anniversary bash Discard, they really pulled out all of the stops. There was music from MotherJudge and some very cool art installations from Chris Harvey and Sara Worden. And of course there was plenty fine, funky recycled fashions:

Eileen Clynes‘ iconic “Bathtub Mary” worn by model Jessica Arnold:

Katie Pray‘s fantasia of zippers, “Zip Tease”

Laurie Maimone‘s weatherproof “No Rainy Days” created with recycled umbrellas:

Elise Nadeau looked super-sexy in Jimmy Cassaro‘s “Gladiator Get-Down Dress”

And there was the black and white juxtaposition of Val P. Funk‘s “Black Thorn” and Lillian Mulero‘s tandem wedding dresses, “Where’s My Man?”

Not only was it the social event of the season, but it was all for a good cause, too. Actually, four good causes: The Tom Nattell Peace Poetry Prize Fund, the Grand Street Community Arts Center, the Christopher Ryan Art Scholarship and Albany Center Gallery.

Photographs by Bryan Thomas. To see more of his photos of Discard Avant Garb – more than 200 in all – click here.