GREECE: An exhibition in Greece highlights paper as the unusual fashion fabric

From poor man's clothes to a 1960s sensation, paper fashion continues to inspire prominent contemporary designers, as an Athens exhibition chronicling the history of paper garments shows. Greek Cultural Organization Atopos traces the steps of paper fashions of the past, present and future in an exhibition appropriately titled, "Rip!". "Few people are aware that clothes from paper exist, it takes you to another dimension, another planet. We think paper is so fragile it couldn't become fabric," said Vassilis Zidianakis, fashion expert and exhibition curator. The organisation has compiled garments from museums and designers worldwide but also has the largest collection of the 1960s flat line paper mini dresses, when paper made its debut and became an explosive fashion craze, attracting designers and artists such as Andy Warhol to create one-wear dresses for a throw-away culture that still influence the movement today. Originating from an advertising campaign of the Scott paper company to sell toilet paper and tissues, paper throw away dresses were sold for just over a dollar along with matching tablecloths and napkins. The concept was eagerly grasped by designers and artists, but also exploited as a bulletin board for companies and the political campaigns for the likes of Richard Nixon and Robert Kennedy. The Campbells soup "Souper" dress on display, inspired by Andy Warhol's work, immortalized the era; and the artist himself is represented in the exhibition with his "Fragile" dress, a paper frock with the "fragile" cargo stamp brought from the Brooklyn Museum. The sixties era continued to inspire designers and paper has held its place in fashion, even if only worn once. Paper clothes are often reserved for the catwalks of top designers, such as A.F. Vandevorst's brown paper ensemble, while clothes from more durable paper materials such as tyvek, a synthetic paper material, can be reworn, as in a men's suit for Hugo Boss by James Rosenquist, and Hussein Chalayan's air mail dress which wraps into a mailing envelope. Issey Miyake's "Starburst" suit is made from gold paper foil. Paper is also seen in accessories with Matthew Sporzynski's 1996 Hermes Kelly handbag, and Philip Treacy's hat from a deck of cards. Newspaper print has long influenced many designers such as in John Galliano's gown imprinted with newspaper articles that appeared on the catwalk in 2004. Designers and artists were also commissioned to remake decaying 1960's dresses, adding a new flair to the old fashion, which just as in the 1960's, fuses art with fashion. Throughout history paper clothes appear as a necessary alternative to expensive fabric. The exhibit displays clothes made by the poor from dried paper or weaved shredded paper from 17-19th century Japan. During the world wars people turned to paper. A prisoner's of war waistcoat from the second world war, made from paper sacks is displayed. In early 20th century Europe and America men's collars, cuffs and ties were made from paper as a cheaper alternative to fabric. Young American mens clothing designer Michael Cepress takes the old concept to new ground with his paper ties and collars imprinted with telephone pages in the exhibit, placed next to the 20th century originals. "The design challenge it presents is way too exciting to ignore," said Cepress, especially in seeing what's in this exhibition with printing options on the paper, its not just about the paper but the images that can go on it, the different textures that can be created, the possibilities with colour -that cloth offers but in a different way." said Cepress. The exhibition will also be presented at London Fashion week in the autumn and at the Luxembourg Museum of Modern Art in 2008.

ITN Source | March 24, 2007

Tags:. .expensive. .compiled. .sixties. .necessary. .flat