Virginia Cole: Unconventional Material Challenge

///Virginia Cole: Unconventional Material Challenge

Virginia Cole: Unconventional Material Challenge

Virginia Cole

Virginia Cole: Unconventional Material Challenge

What is the best part of participating in a challenge like this?
My inspiration for the Unconventional Material Challenge was an Asian cheongsam dress that I found online from the 1940s. The material had a floral-type print and the neckline was traditional of that style of dress. Working with paper, it is impossible to do a fitted neck and shoulder of a dress like that. Well, maybe not impossible, but there are time restraints.

What has been the toughest part of designing a look out of newsprint?
The greatest gain from participating in the Unconventional Material Challenge has been the experience of working with paper. This is my very first paper dress. I have decided that after this challenge, I am going to work on some more concepts using paper. Working with paper is tough; I had no idea what I was in for. The paper has limits and will tear and rip from sewing, yet if you glue the paper or tape the paper and it is wrong…you basically need to redo that part, or even the entire dress depending on the mistake.

If you had to give one piece of advice to someone participating in a similar challenge, what would you tell him/her and why?
My advice for the Unconventional Material Challenge would be, “notice the word challenge” and know that it is there for a reason. I think because paper is so delicate, and my era is known for a fitted (or ballooned) look at the hip…it has made the challenge difficult. Deciding not to do the “New Look” from the 40s, even though it is so iconic may come off as a bore influenced a different path. Looking back, the day I got the phone call that I was accepted for the competition is the day I should have started working with the paper look.

Paper Garment Close-Up

 

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By | 2018-02-22T09:51:16-05:00 February 8th, 2018|