plunge neckline little black dress
My submission for the Umbrella Inside Out Design Competition is a hand made couture dress. It utilizes black umbrella fabric which I have harvested from the umbrella laden streets of New York after rainstorms. No fossil fuels used! All umbrellas were collected on foot. No supplies are bought. Buttons, crochet hook, and thread are supplies I have on hand.
The awesome creation that came from the reused umbrellas is a plunge neckline little black dress. (note: sketch is in grey to view details) It has dolman sleeves with an empire hand crochet waist detail and 4 button crochet trim back closure. The crochet yarn is constructed by spiral cutting the umbrella fabric into a tape yarn. (see attached photo) The 4 vintage oval buttons were hand-me-downs from my aunt.
One would never guess that this dress is hand made utilizing salvaged umbrellas. This fashionable, sexy dress looks great on the runway yet it is truely sustainable because it is a dress that a real woman will wear. Not just a throw away trend.
20060831-1012-0130
Comments
I love the hand croched detail!
I'd like to see more construction details in the dress though. The drape in your sketch looks a little soft for the fabric used.
Posted by: deborah lindquist | September 6, 2006 10:43 PM
This looks like a great cocktail dress, although I'm not sure the umbrella material would look as elegant as in the sketch.
Posted by: Scott Windsor | September 6, 2006 10:53 PM
in this realm we run with scissors and escape with flowing umbrella fabric..i believe.
Posted by: scott hahn | September 8, 2006 8:19 PM
Would love to see this constructed and marketed.
Posted by: rebecca | September 9, 2006 8:10 AM