People in the rest of the world may react sharply to America's political and cultural reach. And even in fashion, it can often be appallingly insidious. Martin Margiela, a designer in Belgium, makes high-priced fashion recycled from old denim and polyester that American mills, looking for cheap outlets, once sold to countries in the former Soviet bloc. "Now it comes back to Barneys," Mr. Tonchi said. "It's a long, long trip."

The exhibition is the first product of a program called Bid for Kids, created by the Fashion Center Business Improvement District in conjunction with Material for Arts, a city-sponsored effort that distributes a variety of material donated by businesses. The program, which started in February, is part of an effort to recycle the estimated 200 tons of waste removed each year from the fashion district.