MOAB — Take a bunch of overused blinds and spray paint, and you get a winged-demon-like creature hovering at 8 feet tall, strutting down a runway.
What has become a "must-see" event in this red-rock community is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Spanish Valley Arena, where the eighth-annual WabiSabi fashion show will feature 30 models sporting outfits crafted entirely out of recycled materials.
The eclectic event that draws hundreds and raises money for community organizations taps a wide variety of hand-me-downs and so-called junk for outfits that have sold for more than $600.
In the past, models sauntered in fur coats made entirely from toy stuffed animals, "gladiators" had armor pieced together with aluminum cans, and dresses glittered from a cobbling of smashed mirrors.
This year's event features nine designers tasked with creating outfits based on varying film genres.
WabiSabi's executive director Jeff Cohen said film genres include Japanese, Western and silent, with the latter featuring a Charleston dance and a male model mimicking the moves of Charlie Chaplin.
WabiSabi, a nonprofit organization, operates two thrift stores and reinvests its proceeds in local community groups. Loosely translated, WabiSabi is Japanese for "perfect through imperfection," Cohen said.
"It's rather fitting, because nothing we get at the stores is ever perfect," he said. "The items come with scratches and wear marks, but they are still perfect through their imperfections. Items that show some wear show they have history; they show that people have put something into them."
First staged in a restaurant eight years ago, Cohen said the wintertime event in Moab's off-season has grown so much that it was moved to the Moab Brewery, which can accommodate 300 people.
Putting on the event at a restaurant, however, took some logistical maneuvering, and this year, the show was moved to the Spanish Valley Arena to host even more attendees.
"We've had to get more creative every year, and while the arena has plenty of room and every seat is a great seat, it's still set up for horse shows and barrel races."
Cohen said the group has been busy putting on the finishing touches for the show, including hauling in 6,000 square feet of staging and theater lights. Besides the models and skits, entertainment also will include fire spinners and taiko drummers.
"This is kind of an example of what we do when we're bored during the off-season when there's no tourists," Cohen said with a laugh.
Tickets start at $15 for general admission, with front-row seats going for $45. They are available online at www.wabisabimoab.org.
e-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com