Don't Mess with Texas Taps Fashion Celebrities For Litterbag Project
- 06.13.07
Project Runway's Chloe Dao, Top Design's Todd Oldham To Judge McCombs Contest
(AUSTIN, Texas) — "Don’t Mess with Texas," the famous campaign that has long turned to Texas musicians, athletes and actors to spread the litter prevention message, is charting new territory by turning to designers from the Lone Star State to participate in a summer 2007 campaign that makes a serious fashion statement.
Houston fashion designer Chloe Dao, winner of Project Runway 2 and owner of Houston boutique Lot 8, will be on The University of Texas at Austin campus June 15 to judge a prototype contest that asks students to turn an ordinary litterbag into "the ultimate car accessory." Designer Todd Oldham, host of Bravo TV's Top Design and Corpus Christi native, will also judge the prototypes from his New York office.
“Living in Texas has helped me appreciate the Don’t Mess with Texas campaign even more and the importance of keeping our state litter-free,” said Dao. “I’m glad I can offer my industry expertise as a judge, and hopefully litterbags will become a new fashion trend.”
Project Litterbag
"Project Litterbag" is the 2007 assignment for The McCombs School of Business Future Executive Academy that annually hosts about 50 elite high school students from Texas. The goal of the academy is to encourage economically disadvantaged students, and those who are about to be the first college students in their families, to attend UT. While they are on campus, the students will be tasked with creating prototype ideas for a new Don’t Mess with Texas litter container for vehicles.
“Research tells us young people are among the state’s worst litterers,” said Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Travel Division Director Doris Howdeshell, who manages the Don't Mess with Texas campaign. “So we jumped at the opportunity to have the McCombs Academy participants help us create fashionable litter containers for cars because they’re part of the target audience.”
"Don't Mess with Texas isn't just a slogan, it's become a mantra. It's how we feel about the best and brightest students we're bringing in from across the state,? says Eugene Sepulveda, co-founder of UT's MFEA program.
Celebrity Judges’ Choice: Dao, Oldham
The litter container prototypes developed by the McCombs Academy students as part of Project Litterbag will first be evaluated by Chloe Dao and Todd Oldham as a “Judges’ Choice Award.” But, it’s up to Texans to choose their favorite litter container design during the Don’t Mess with Texas ?Rock the Bag? summer road tour.
Texans Choose: “Rock the Bag” Summer Road Tour
The Don’t Mess with Texas campaign is going on the road again this summer, touring across the state through its “Rock the Bag” road tour. The road tour will visit beaches, lakes, rivers, malls and theaters across the state beginning July 4 throughout the summer months.
During the road tour, some of the McCombs Academy students’ litterbags will be available onsite so Texans can vote for their favorite. Texans can also make their choice online at www.dontmesswithtexas.org, which will go live before the road tour starts.
Plastic Litterbags Now More Fashionable
While voting for a more permanent litter container, Texans can pick up a traditional plastic litterbag in one of four new styles. The four new designs are limited edition bags and, like all TxDOT litterbags, are free to the public. Research indicates Texans age 16 to 24, also known as “Generation Litterer,” or “Gen L,” are the state's most prolific litterers, and that some 827 million pieces of litter accumulate annually on TxDOT rights of way. This group has low awareness of the plastic litterbags TxDOT distributes, but has a high willingness to use them. The new designs are a new step toward making litterbags resonate with young Texans.
“We want every car in Texas to have a litterbag,” says Howdeshell. “The new limited edition litterbag designs and hopefully the prototype containers designed by McCombs Academy students will encourage Gen L to be more mindful of keeping litter off our beautiful Texas roadways.”
About the McCombs Future Executive Academy
The McCombs Future Executive Academy (MFEA) is an all expense paid week on the University of Texas at Austin campus, living in a residence hall, networking with faculty, staff and professionals, and building business skills. MFEA provides a fantastic opportunity for high performing students from Texas' at-risk schools. The McCombs School of Business wants to attract the best and the brightest from all Texas high schools.
