Up-cycled Elegance: ‘Tony’ Guy’s Latest Fashion Lineup Debuts at Eugene Show

On Oct. 20, Eugene’s Shelton McMurphey Johnson House hosted a fashion show.

Anthony “Tony” Guy presented his latest fashion lineup titled Paul Alexander RTW Spring/Summer Collection 2022. Despite the chill of fall’s cool air and quick-to-diminished lighting, Guy’s outdoor runway displayed warmth and a touch of vibrancy with the historic SMJH as its backdrop.

The show took advantage of SMJH’s far reaching steps as its runway, giving the show an air of drama as the models could be seen making the long walk down to street level and back. The garments, made from sheets, were long and trailed behind each person. This motif was accompanied by splatter art designs on everything from the tops, face masks, pants — and even detergent bottles-turned fashion accessories.

Guy’s message was straight-forward and clear, to reuse and up-cycle items to make them fashionable for the sake of the environment — a very anti-fast fashion sentiment. He chose to make the clothing flow and wave as a show of romanticism and found inspiration from a variety of sources. 

“There was a song that a friend of mine, who I actually don’t hang out with anymore, had introduced me to. I watched one of their music videos and I was just so inspired by these inkblot paintings that I saw.” 

About the bed sheets, he said “I mixed that with the idea of getting out of bed one day and I didn’t have any clothes on and I grabbed this bed sheet and was like, ‘Oh, this kinda looks really cool!.’” Guy continued on to describe further inspiration coming from french fashion, street-wear, and “athleisure.” 

Once all the models and Guy completed their final treks down the runway, gave their bows and “thank yous,” a musical performance was put on by Tragic — a 21-year-old artist from Salem who creates a mix of rap and alternative rock. Guy had reached out to the budding musician to press the idea of giving lesser-known individuals their shot. In addition to this point, he chose to bring in only models who were Oregon residents. 

With the show completed, Guy stated that he will be taking a break for a while before continuing to build his empire. While he does plan on another show for next season, he’s also toying with other ideas such as skin care products, real estate, and continuing his own career as a model. 

While it seems the local fashion scene in Eugene has been relatively quiet in recent years, it’s safe to say that there is at least one designer still beating their drum loudly.