Klaus Mertens Harar Fashion Show Harar, Ethiopia, 2008

The intense colors of the plastic bags, their transparency and lightness, and the shimmering reflections in the sunlight may also be a reason why people in Ethiopia do not perceive them so much as pollution or a problem. I first noticed the aesthetic qualities that inspired me to work with the material and to create objects from the plastic bags: flags, jackets, coats, etc. At a fashion show in Harar, in northern Ethiopia, it became apparent that these clothing objects share a kinship with the colorful and ornate traditional garments and fabrics worn in Harar.