The Toilet Paper Dress originated from a prompt to create something wearable out of paper. For some reason, I immediately thought of toilet paper, and how its thinness and delicateness might translate as fabric. It’s even kind of beautiful sometimes, with little patterns and florals… Could I manipulate toilet paper enough to transform it into a fabric- like substance? This question led me to investigate just how far I could take this idea.
I found that the lower the ply, the more delicate, and thus the more fabric-like. I would spend hours feeding the roll of toilet paper through the sewing machine, carefully pleating every ¼ inch, making sure not to tear the paper with the needle, and trying to hide the perforated line within the pleat. Toilet paper is tricky to work with in an industrial machine because, well, it is meant to be torn. I built a simple hoop skirt with some boning and a cotton muslin, and then hand stitched each row of pleated toilet paper onto the base. When arranged together, the toilet paper created a structure that reminded me of 17th century neck ruffs.
I am fascinated by the idea that something we use every single day and think nothing of could become a beautiful gown.
sketches/ collages:
process:
1st playing with sleeve..
so. much. toilet paper!
Final photographs of The Toilet Paper Dress
(She asked me if it was my wedding day)
