The Making of The Pink Dress
When Pink magazine approached me to design a dress out of its pages for its 5th anniversary fashion show, I was thrilled. I had previously created a collection called White Paper Star where I gained experience in paper-folding techniques and mounting paper to make it wearable. I knew I didn't want to repeat myself, but I wanted the dress to be BIG, FLOWING, and GLAMOROUS.
The most stressful part of the process was when I received a bunch of old issues of Pink. I had planned to use mostly black and white pages with colourful pages as trimming, but Pink is filled with colourful editorials. I had to rethink the whole concept.
The dress is an A-line style covered with 300 origami pieces folded into 3 x 3cm squares from 7 x 7cm cut-outs. The bodice features tessellated paper with blues and yellows as the dominant colours. The long, flowing tail is made from 12 rows of double reverse pleats created from 600 cut-outs measuring 14 x 14cm. Each layer overlaps by 1cm to create movement. I also created a collar out of 48 pieces of triangular folds from the black and white editorial pages.
I used approximately 100 issues of Pink and had help from my sister and a close friend to pre-fold the origami pieces. I worked on the dress after my regular work hours and only slept about four hours a night for two months.
The delicate nature of the dress means that it is more of a piece of art than something you can wear every day. It cannot be worn for an evening out or a special occasion, but it serves as a testament to the possibilities of sustainable fashion.
Working on the Pink dress was a rewarding experience. I enjoyed showcasing my work and seeing the positive reactions from the audience. My paper pieces are just the beginning of my journey in sustainable fashion. I am constantly evolving and seeking new ways to create wearable and eco-friendly garments. Stay tuned for the launch of my next project, which is very wearable!
Eco-fashion is the future of the industry. Although Malta may be behind in terms of sustainable practices, I am optimistic that more people will begin to appreciate it.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the making of the Pink dress. Keep an eye out for my upcoming projects and follow me on social media for updates.