When you think of places where a fashion show by an up-and-coming designer might be held in New York City, a sanitation facility may not be at the top of the list. But that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday night, when designer Heron Preston launched a new collection at the Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY) acclaimed Spring Street Salt Shed, the creation of Dattner Architects.
Even the collection itself was a bit of an oddity: It’s a collaborative effort with DSNY, using "repurposed DSNY uniforms and upcycled clothing," according to a press release. The collection marries the very utilitarian materials used and pieces worn by Sanitation workers with a high-fashion aesthetic, creating "uniforms" of a sort that are hipper than what you’d typically see a city worker wearing.
Preston told Vogue:
I’ve always wanted to redesign uniforms, but I wasn’t really sure with whom. I just thought that a design-made uniform for a real agency service would be awesome, because I had never seen that before. Service workers are so visible. I had this kind of dream of seeing these designer-made uniforms all around the city.
The Salt Shed itself provided a fascinating backdrop for the presentation—though there are plenty of the inevitable photos of people climbing atop the massive mounds of salt that are stored within the space. But still, for those of us who are interested in the inner workings of the city’s infrastructure, this provided a good peek behind the scenes.
Check out more images below: