Paper Dolls

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I’ve been salivating over a well-deserver long weekend in Antwerp where I go stay at my favourite B&B (complete with a bath with lion’s feet…baths are always better in those kind of tubs), eat some comforting Belgian fare, shop at the bi-annual stocksales that should be announced soon on FFI and chec out Momu because there’s always something going on there.  All in all, the kind of quiet fashion weekend that I crave after flailing down escalators, food poisoning at Cafe Ruc, huge taxi bills, irregular meal times and now a cycle of blocked noses (just call me Susie Sick Note…). 

Anyhow, the Momu’s latest exhibition offering revolves around a concept that I’ve not yet encountered in person but am hugely fascinated by: Paper Fashion.  For a short burst period of time throwaway fashion was elevated to the point where paper was worn in the 60s. The exhibition has gathered up a selection of these dresses to go on display along with more contemporary offerings from designers that have dabbled in paper fashion; Hussein Chalayan, Issey Miyake, John Galliano.  There’s been no success to bring paper fashion to a wide mainstream as such but I am loving the fact that Momu have teamed up with unlikely partner La Redoute (.be as opposed to any other country…) to ask other paper-fashion experimentators; Dirk Van Saene and Walter Van Beirendonck to create paper dresses for the retailer…

The microsite is pretty comprehensive in its coverage of the exhibition, interviews with the designers and even ideas of how to style the dresses, though I already have a few up my sleeve and will try to procure one of them.  They are completely washable apparently and at EUR60 a pop, worth giving a try if not for the unique texture integration into my wardrobe….beats the white pleated paper dress I attempted when I was 13 anyhow. 

Dress by Dirk Van Saene

Paperd1

Paperd1a

Dress by Walter Van Beirendonck

Paperd2

Paperd2a

27 comments

  1. Surely these dresses can’t just be paper? Not if they are washable? They must be coated. Or tyvek. Or something mystical?
    Love the Van Beirendonck one, reminds me a bit of Shobo Shobo? Time to brush up on my french and see if I can get a delivery to UK!

  2. Yes I suspect it’s Tyvek….though I suppose they classify that as ‘paper’….still the concept is a cute one…
    I can imagine Topshop coming up with a similar collaboration…

  3. Love the Walter one complete with ‘bear’ doodle!
    PS. Can totally empathise with your being enamoured with Antwerp. Waffles, MoMu and cheap vintage made me very happy.
    /Cillian.

  4. how much did you blow on taxi fares…??? the advantages of being male…can walk easily between all the showrooms, mwuhuha

  5. Thanks for this, I’m heading to Antwerp in a couple of weeks for the first time and am on the lookout for places/events to hit (probably only a day so planning is crucial!) x

  6. Hey, I might see you this weekend! (I live in Antwerp). If you haven’t turned 26 yet, the MoMu entrance fee is only 1‚Ǩ btw – but don’t forget to ask for it as they don’t tell you (I ended up paying full price and finding out about the reduction afterwards). Oh, and if you still have time for sight seeing, one of the elephants at our Zoo is due to give birth any day now, you may catch the event 🙂 have fun!

  7. The second dress is so much fun & the print is just surreal!
    A bald, bearded, beer bellied, man boobed Walter with his wang out riding a bear that is floating on a cloud…how wonderfully bizare!

  8. Hey Susie
    Padded-knee legging alert on ebay:
    One:
    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ann-Sofie-Back-Padded-Knee-Bondage-Legging-s-s-2008_W0QQitemZ120388389191QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_CSA_WC_Pants?hash=item120388389191&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
    Two:
    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stine-Goya-wool-legging-with-quilted-knee-patches_W0QQitemZ120388396585QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_CSA_WC_Pants?hash=item120388396585&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

  10. I’m definively going to buy the Dirk Van Saene one. On la redoute it is written that it’s 100% polyester… does anybody know how it looks in person? Do you have some advice to give me (the size or whatever) before I proceed with the purchase? =)

  11. Wonder how much these rustle and crinkle. Pretty sure there’ll be no sneaking up on anyone in a paper dress.

  12. lol!!! that second dress is so funny. i remember years and years ago, on regis and kelly (or was it cathy???) they interviewed um ‘willow’ from buffy the vampire slayer, and she was wearing a paper dress (plain though, all one color -reddish) and they joked about how if she had to use the bathroom in the wilderness, she could just rip off a part of her dress for t.p.

  14. Its funny how history has gone full circle (as it often does): the original paper dress was made in’66 as a marketing tool and no it seems like thats what La Redoute is using it for in ’09! God only knows what it was like to wear a paper bikini though. Yup, they really made those!!
    Phew-I guess an MA in 60s fashion does come in handy now and again!

  18. Long time reader first time commenter! I just did a double take on these! I like the one with the bow.

  19. I was a pre-teen when paper dresses were popular in the 60’s. I remember seeing them for the first time at an exhibition where they were also showing a new invention called pantyhose, haha. The dresses of paper back then had nothing on these works of art you have posted today. Nice job. (How’s the foot?) xo

  24. Oh, what a fab find. Love the bow around the first dress – would love to see more hand-drawn garment elements (e.g. darts, stitches, pleats, draping, etc). xx

  25. the first one’s so beautiful! What do they feel like I NEEED TO KNOW!!!
    Hope you have-had a fantastic weekend in Antwerp

  26. If you like the whole paperdoll-play-thing you can always try out looklet.com
    Its still in beta but i think you might like it. More clothes are of course on the way.
    Hope you like it.
    Beta invitation code: LOOKLET-687320271
    (works for 100 users I think)
    /R

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