paper dress.

This time last year, I was furiously finishing my costume for a Queen's Birthday weekend houseboat party. I really wanted to make my costume but was short of a sewing machine. So I decided to make it out of greaseproof paper and double sided sticky tape; an idea I copied from a "Paper Garment" assignment I was given in the first year of studying architecture. I think everyone abhorred this assignment (apparently they were there to design buildings, not clothes) but I loved it. So much so, I thought I'd have another crack at it.

When making my dress, I really enjoyed exploring the different ways of working with the material: folding, scrunching, pleating, twisting. It was an interesting challenge to create body and shape with a fairly stiff material, without the ability to use buttons or zippers.

Before I started designing my dress, I collected some great images of paper dresses that others had made. It seems a shame to leave them sitting in the image folder on my desktop so here they are.

I had so much fun with this project I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a sewing machine soon after. From there began the downward spiral into a full blown sewing obsession. More on that another time...

Alter-Ego paper dress by Thomas Hartnell Design with Ahy Haenska.
Photograph by Nicolai Hoffman
Source: Thomas Hartnell Design Website

Paper dress by Sandra Buckland
Egodesign

Russian Creative Agency Doberman's creation for L'Officiel
Source: Trendland

Louise Goldin Paper Dress for Coutts
Source: Teacups & Couture

Paper Dress by Mandy Smith
Source: Mandy Smith

Paper mache corset with brown paper bustle by Lyra Meneses
Source: Burdastyle

Paper necklace by GypsyLove
Source: Burdastyle
Also visit Gypsy Love Fashions

Mine!