Jasmine Rhodes: Unconventional Material Challenge

Jasmine Rhodes: Unconventional Material Challenge

What inspired your look for the Unconventional Material Challenge?
When I was researching trends from the 2000s era, I stumbled upon a familiar trend, which reminded me of my high school days- the paper fortune teller. I used to make these all the time in class with my friends, using random topics and colors, and I immediately thought, “How cool would it be to create a life-size paper fortune teller?”  I was going to incorporate some wording onto the fortune teller structure, but instead, I wanted the garment to have more of an abstract appearance. When the look came together fully with the halter dress, I envisioned my model appearing very statuesque.

What is the best part of participating in a challenge like this?
I think the best part of the challenge was thinking outside of the box and coming up with a design that’s not only unconventional, but still true to my design aesthetic. It is also cool being able to show people that I can make an entire dress out of paper!

What has been the toughest part of designing a look out of newsprint?
The toughest part of this piece has definitely been maintaining the structure of the garment. In the beginning, I struggled with deciding how I was going to give the paper stability, so I went with interfacing. I found that this was only good for temporary support, and I had to go back in and do more reinforcement to ensure that the dress withstands a full walk down the runway and back.

If you had to give one piece of advice to someone participating in a similar challenge, what would you tell him/her and why?
I would tell the person in the challenge to ensure that they consider the best methods for making the paper easier to work with; making it moldable.