Asheville based artist, Darlene Hatchett is known for her art created from recycled jeans. She has created art pieces for numerous companies including: American Eagle, Nordstroms, and Tommy Hilfiger. Recently, she added Ray-Ban to that list.  Darlene was 1 of 7 contemporary artists (including international artists Ian Berry and Mark Evans) chosen to help launch 5 new styles of sunglasses made from denim, leather, velvet, steel, and titanium. The workshop environment created at SIR Stage 37 in NYC’s garment district was separated into 5 sections representing the various materials. Darlene and her team interacted with the 250 invitation only guests to create an 8ft. x 4ft. American flag from discarded jeans. In 3 hours, 79 pairs of jeans were used to complete the art piece. Blondie closed the event with a live performance.  Locally, you can find Darlene’s art pieces and other creations at the Screen Door, in the River Arts District at Splurge Designs, and her website http://hatchettdesigns.squarespace.com/.