YELLOW PAGES TURNED INTO A PAPER SKIRT

The objective of this project was to create a window display with a found object, a material that could be up-cycled and revived. As we were not given much time in advance to keep our eyes open for an object that we could call a found object, most of us including me, went for an object that I would describe more as looked for rather than found.

So, I found 😛 few phone books in the cabinet in the hall where I live and I went to look for it 🙂 I always wanted to make a paper dress and there was a chance to do so!

COLOURS

I try to work with three colours. The phone book pages provided me with a ready solution and a colour scheme: yellow, black and white. I styled the mannequin in those colours and went for a deep grey for the back wall. Pure black I was told once is a flat colour and will make everything look flat too.

INSPIRATION

Old phone books (called Yellow Pages in Ireland) were the inspiration for this model’s accessories. I wanted to show a thrifty creative young woman, who used her imagination to make this outfit for herself, out of what was basically rubbish. A modern Cinderella with a pro-active attitude.

FOUND OBJECT WINDOW DISPLAY PROPOSAL WITH A PAPER SKIRT

THE MAKING PROCESS

On the first image, you can see a quite long skirt, I did not feel it was working and it was getting really heavy too. Despite the work I put into it I cut it off. It can be a hard decision to make but the creative process has a lot to do with walking back and forth, testing and checking what is and isn’t working.

For the ballerina skirt, I was working once again with the rule of three. Prepared three different shapes made out of the pages. The back of the skirt is the most interesting as it is quite high up and looks like a bird tail.

It was my best display I got the highest mark for it and none criticism. I must admit till the day I was working on it I did not know how to finish it … the paper falling off the skirt and the crushed paper on the floor with the clips … that was something very spontaneous. At the time it felt good and it worked.

Always trust your instinct!