Massey fashion design students hard at work
Massey fashion students were given 24 hours, 10 metres of paper and unlimited glue to create paper couture! Three of the eight finalists of the 24 Hour Paper Challenge are now on display at TheNewDowse.
The designs were the result of a 24 hour coffee-fuelled orientation challenge that saw around 100 Massey fashion students turn 10 metres of paper into haute couture.
Taking inspiration from TheNewDowse’s paper dress exhibition A Costura Do Invisivel, students set about cutting, rolling, tearing, sewing and weaving the paper to create an assortment of catwalk-worthy frocks.
The twenty entries were judged by Wellington designer Deborah Sweeny and TheNewDowse’s Concept Development Manager Claire Regnault.
“Students sought inspiration from a range of periods from classical Greek draperies to Art Deco-inspired dresses and 1980s ballgowns, and came up with a diverse array of techniques to create form and texture. The students took to the challenge with great enthusiasm and many students worked into the wee hours,” said Claire Regnault.
From March 21, TheNewDowse will display the eight finalists in a rotating monthly showcase.
“The chosen finalists encompass the different approaches each group took. In the first showcase we have have a can-can inspired outfit, a beautifully pleated garment inspired by Japanese designer Issey Miyake, and a two-piece that harks back to the golden age of haute couture of the 1940s".