Unconventional Fashion
too many hours to count. Seven looks. six materials. five fashion shows.
The Fieldston Fashion Show is an annual fashion show with one rule: “No fabric allowed.” I’ve been featured in this fashion show five times throughout high school and middle school, and each year, I’ve pushed my creativity to new heights.
The Looks
Paint samples Pt 1
Where it all began. My first look made in 2021.
paint samples pt 2
After five years of creating unconventional fashion looks, I wanted to demonstrate my growth by using the same material as my first look. The second look took quite a bit longer and used many more paint samples, but the intention remains the same.
DVDS
My second look. This outfit is created out of blank DVDs. I was inspired by their color and the silhouette of mermaid outfits. I chose to make the top like scales; I constructed a base layer out of tape and hot glued quartered pieces of DVDs onto it. For the skirt, I weaved a base out of soft wire to which I attached the DVDs. In the end, I was able to achieve the look I wanted.
Cheez-its
For this outfit, I was inspired by my favorite snack as a child, Cheez-Its®. The top is made of Cheez-Its® that I covered in shellac and then weaved together with wire. The corset is made from a box and ribbon. The skirt has a newspaper base for volume that I built, which I then taped Cheez-It® bags onto. For final touches, I added part of the bags to my shoes, made a headband from the actual Cheez-Its®, and even included an entire bag of Cheez-Its® on the skirt as a pocket.
Notecards
After four years of creating unconventional fashion looks, I wanted to demonstrate my growth by challenging myself to make a blazer, shorts, and a corset. Throughout my time in school, I’ve made countless notecards to help me study for tests, and they proved to be the perfect material for this look. All three pieces are made of notecards, eyelets, ribbon, and tape.
Peanut butter cup wrappers
For my final fashion show, I asked two of my friends to model for me so I could create even more looks. This dress is inspired by one of my favorite sweets, peanut butter cups. The dress is made of a paper and tape base with the wrappers of peanut butter cups glued on top.
paper & origami cranes
Many of my looks strive to use recycled materials, and what better use is there for my calculus tests than to be made into a dress? This dress is made from paper and has a series of origami cranes glued on and threaded to form a skirt. Additionally, there are pearl beads on the strings of cranes for stability.
