Paper in Fashion

by Hedwiga Wood

Still loving my 2024 Dress to IMPRESS creation ... and my cat, Fairy.

Last year I made a dress out of paper.

I’m doing it again this year. 

Why??? 

Last year I walked down the runway like an ethereal bridal moth. I was delighted by the gasps of wonder towards a project I let devour my soul for three months. It was a night where many respected my work, and my fiance finally understood the respect I garner in my niche. 

Following that, I was craftly burnt out and didn’t do much traditional creating other than my go tos: writing, cooking, and outfit assembling. It took a lot to make an item to self imposed standards of excellence.

Making another paper outfit didn’t need to happen again.

I’d accomplished my lifelong goal of having clothing in a fashion show. My expectations, and those of our audience, had finally been met.

And yet, here we go again… with bigger goals.

Why???

Because I know paper deeply, and I certainly know fashion. Most importantly, a metaphorical demon screams inside me. That voice shrieks, “You need to make a functioning corset with paper! DO IT! YOU CAN! YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL!”

Like an annoying kid, I internally pestered myself for months. Working at the Morgan Conservatory didn’t help either where I was asked if I would be creating something for the next one. Like many tired parents, I finally caved to my own childish demands.

Inspiration for paper clothing

As we know, clothes are designed to be reusable and flexible. Paper on the other hand, is known for being tearable, stiff, fragile when wet, and not at all stretchy. You can poke a piece of fabric with a needle and all is good. Do that to paper and it will forever have a mark. The act of making clothing out of paper can therefore be seen as wasteful and with the wrong implementation, tacky. 

What is the appeal of working this way?

It’s an innovative way to make garments. Designers have to ask themselves questions like: How will it move? Can I make it reusable? How can this be shaped? How can I make this less fragile? How can I make sure this outfit will be worth my time when it may only be worn a few times? And, most importantly, do I care if it’s impractical?

The reasons why it could be a bad idea are many. I remember staff at the Morgan questioning if the fashion event would ever be a thing that brings in the people. A few instantly compared it to fifties paper dresses; things made to be disposable. In my opinion, when people focus on such lines of thinking, they are closing their eyes to possibilities.

Paper acts differently than cloth. There are textures, materials, ideas, and shapes that could not be achieved otherwise. You don't have to protect your edges the same way either because it doesn’t fray!

Many clothing makers are even familiar with creating garments made of paper. Making paper mockups is often the first step in cloth creation. Pair paper arts knowledge with someone halfway decent in fashion and you got a recipe for wonder. 

Here are a few ideas I’ve seen or collected:

Glue it to fabric:

One way to create a paper composite that isn’t fragile is to simply glue it to a fabric. I use tssart ph balanced, acid free formula as an adhesive. For the fabric, something that resembles cotton with a slight roughness is best as the glue can seep into the cracks creating a stronger bond that unravels less if at all. I’ve had cats run over such an amalgamation with little effect.

This year, I brought a sample kozo/cotton piece to work and handed it to the interns and facilities manager to abuse. They had to unravel it at the weakside to cause any damage. Otherwise? Unbreakable.

This is actually the method I’m using to make a corset this year. While I have no doubt this will not tear and is strong enough to create the shapes I want, the biggest challenge I face is lack of stretch. Traditionally, corsets are made using coutil; a cotton fabric with a herringbone kind of pattern that stretches in the right ways while bouncing back into shape. This means the wearer can, believe it or not, breathe. Such underclothes are meant to be worn for everyday tasks even when they change a woman’s shape. 

No such luck here. When I walk down that runway in October, I will be wearing inflexible body armor; the kind you wear for a few hours and leave gratefully. Practice beforehand will be needed to make sure I don’t swoon like tightlacing Victorian women. That would be very bad in platform heels. 

Joomchi:

Imagine semi leathery, strong paper that resembles fabric - that’s what joomchi is. Tony Williams, last year’s winner of Dress to IMPRESS, uses it in his work as does Julie McLaughlin with her kimonos that have been on display at the Morgan. It’s a relatively simple process … in concept but looking it up can make one a little concerned. I certainly was.

In writing or videos, it seems more grueling than it is but I found the act peaceful and rewarding. Turning on a podcast or watching a movie while you do it is recommended. Half the time, I paced around my back deck since the papers leaked and sang to my cat Fairy. Got to keep up the image of the weird neighbor!

The maker would start with some kind of mulberry paper. Traditionally, hanji may be used though that gets expensive. Unryu works as well though it can get a little holey. The Morgan sells it in a variety of colors, machine made on a roll for $5 a yard. 

An artist starts by layering paper in different colors while wetting the pieces with a brush. The whole piece is then folded like a fan and rolled for 20 minutes, folded again in the opposite direction and repeated. Afterwards, the artist takes time to flatten out any paper piece that attempts to peel away only to ball it up and pass it between hands, switching directions and repeating for another 20 minutes. Eventually, the layers will felt and bind together creating a stronger and unique finished piece.

There are a few things to keep in mind but the practice of it is beginner friendly and straight forward:

• You don’t need to squeeze hard.

• Have three equal sized layers of mulberry for your piece in order to insure integrity. My result bore many tiny little holes which was fine, that happens with unryu.

• Don’t make my mistake of putting it under the sink. A gapping hole developed instantly.

• Color leakage is normal.

• Wet with a brush or spray bottle in between squish sessions.  

  
  

Paper weaving:

This is another lengthy process, though so worth it as it creates such a nice texture. There is a simple way to do it: cut two squares into strips and weave them repeatedly under each other. There are also more complicated methods, such as creating yarn out of mulberry and then using a traditional loom. Paula Damm is an artist who creates magical pieces weaving paper into clothes and objects. 

I myself attempted the less complicated paperweaving method with strips and have given up after doing tests on my sample piece. It took a long time, and I was unhappy with my end result’s durability and ease of sewing. It may work better if I change some settings on my sewing machine. Time will tell. 

Cast a garment:

I know less about this though I can take a guess at it in theory. The idea is you pick a clothing item you like, flatten it out, and then pour pulp on top to create a negative of the object. One would still need two sides though to sew together. The end result should give you the texture and shape of the original. 

These are a few of the options available. It makes one consider the possibilities of texture, color, and shape that would not have been possible with fabric alone. That is why I remain so interested in the artform.