Page 18 - Engage -- Summer 2018 -- no. 13

16
Summer 2018
SPOTLIGHT
Brielle Killip, Blue Linen Creative
Making Waves at the
Denver Paper Fashion Show
Behind the Process of Designing a Fashion Statement Entirely out of Paper
Crafts such as origami, scrapbooking, and papier-mâché may be the first practices that pop to mind when one thinks about paper art. And as printers, designers, and creatives, we think
of beautifully designed packaging and marketing materials as works of art. But one Colorado competition
is proving there’s another way to showcase the artistic versatility of one of humanity’s oldest materials: by wearing it.
Onlookers at Denver’s ONE Paper Fashion Show, which happened this
Garber—spent about 300 hours on this year’s entry, the back of which features a cape made of meticulously crafted, cascading paper spheres. The piece, dubbed Azure Waves, consists of more than 8,300 inches of paper.
Much like the aesthetics of the dress itself, the Blue Linen team’s creative process is relatively fluid. “We don’t start with a grand vision,” Killip says, explaining that the team prefers a “go with the flow” approach to design. Prior to the first year’s entry, she adds, “no one had any fashion experience,
The product was a piece of wearable art that looks anything but stiff or reminiscent of a paper bag. Azure Waves is as detailed as it is dramatic, and it looked simply divine sashaying down the runway.
Physically getting the model into the garment presented another challenge, says Killip. For Azure Waves, the team designed the piece with ribbon woven throughout the bodice so it could be laced up like a corset. “[The model] could take it off over her head, really like a normal
Arts community, an organization that provides after-school arts programming for at-risk youth.
Throughout the competition, a panel of judges gauge which dresses will take home first prize, and trophies—also constructed of paper— are awarded to the winners. As for what happens to the garments after the fact, some are kept for antiquity. This year, Mohawk Fine Papers plans to put Azure Waves on display in its showroom as an example of a truly inventive use of their products.
“It was really cool to see how the design evolved, with one shape turning into a whole bunch of shapes—it took on a life of its own.”
past March, could be forgiven for asking, “What are those clothes really made out of?” The answer is, as it turns out, that yes, they really are mostly paper. Brielle Killip, a designer at Blue Linen Creative and part of a three-person team who has entered the annual competition for three years running, explains that rules for entry are relatively straightforward: garments should be made of at least 90 percent paper, although bolstering elements such as zippers, support frames, and embellishments are
also allowed.
Killip estimates that her teammates—which include Christopher Geissinger and Jennifer
but I think all of us are ‘makers’ in general. We started without any expectations and just wanted to see what we could create.”
Working with paper presents unique design challenges, including the fact that the dress has to move and curve. To accomplish this effect, Killip and her team got creative with construction techniques for Azure Waves, actually “knitting” the paper pieces together and wrapping large, flat sheets around a model and working off the resulting creases.
“It was really cool to see how the design evolved, with one shape turning into a whole bunch of shapes—it
took on a life of its own,” Killip says.
dress with a closure in the back that you pull tight,” Killip explains.
To source paper to make the garments, many designers work with sponsors. Killip and the Blue Linen team, for instance, relied on Mohawk Fine Papers for materials to build Azure Waves. The paper is from Mohawk’s Curious Collection and includes metallic hues, the sheen of which gives the garment a satiny look that mimics fabric.
In previous years, as many as 700 attendees have come to the Paper Fashion Show, which is an all volunteer-organized endeavor. A portion of proceeds from the show benefit the Downtown Aurora Visual
Working with paper, says Killip, has given her a newfound respect for the material as well as for creative problem-solving. “The experience has helped me learn how to think outside the box,” she says. “I try to put that idea or that practice into work with my [design] clients . . . getting them to think about what’s possible, putting a little more creative spin on things.” n
Special shout-out and thanks to Mohawk Fine Papers for their support and sponsorship of the show. For paper inspiration and ideas, visit: www.mohawkconnects.com.