Recap of Reuse on the Runway: The Exhibit

After six glorious weeks of reuse couture gracing the Julia C. Butridge Gallery at the Dougherty Arts Center, our gallery show, Reuse on the Runway: The Exhibit, has come to a close. On view from January 17-February 28, 2026, the exhibit featured 24 reuse couture designs created by 18 local designers which were selected from our September 20, 2025 runway show held at Branch Park Pavilion. See our past blog post to learn more about the runway show.

Photo: Lalo Rosillo

Photo: Lalo Rosillo

Photo: Lalo Rosillo

Over the course of the viewing, a total of 3,655 visitors came to the exhibit, with 142 attendees at the Reception on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, where visitors they got to see the designs up close and speak with many of the designers in-person about their work and design philosophies.

There were 81 attendees at the Artist Talk on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, where designers provided the audience with a behind-the-scenes look at the creativity and sustainability fueling ACR’s annual upcycled fashion event. During the talk, the participating artists had the opportunity to talk about their design process, the unconventional materials they used in their designs, and how reuse inspires innovation in both art and everyday life and answer questions from the audience. For a full recording of the talk, see our Instagram video.

Thanks to all who came out to support this exhibit and the incredible designers whose work was featured! We’re honored to have been able to spotlight the incredible work being done by our creative reuse couture community for a larger audience and look forward to future opportunities to shine a light on reuse couture! Interested in what those might be? Sign up for our Artist Newsletter to be the first to know about exciting artist opportunities with ACR and in the greater Austin area!