Paper Fashion

Paper has always been used in fashion in various cultures and historical periods but yet it is not a much known or studied phenomenon. With the exhibition, PAPER FASHION, the Fashion Museum, in collaboration with Atopos Cultural Organisation, reveals this exceptional niche in the history of fashion. Beginning with a unique collection of 1960s paper dresses from the Atopos collection, PAPER FASHION focuses on the use of paper and related materials in modern and contemporary fashion. In 1966, Scott Paper Company of the United States introduced the first throwaway paper dress as a propaganda stunt for their products. Almost instantly, paper clothes became a much-hyped phenomenon that would entrance America and Europe for several years. Produced with conspicuous and colourful prints, paper clothing became promotional material for the most diverse of objectives. From Pop art to political campaign slogans"”everything was possible. The fragility of paper stimulated the textiles industry to look for alternative materials that looked like paper, but offered more possibilities. Atopos Cultural Organisation collected almost 400 paper dresses from this period. As a result, they now have the largest and most important collection. PAPER FASHION presents an important selection from this collection and goes on to look more deeply into the story of paper as an alternative for textiles. With the exception of the late 1960s, the use of paper clothing and accessories has persistently been in the background. Although there has been no question of paper fashion as such since 1968, countless important fashion houses and designers have experimented with paper or with materials that resemble paper. Paper still speaks to the imagination as an alternative material for clothing and diverse contemporary designers continue to seek ways of incorporating materials that resemble paper in their collections. PAPER FASHION brings together the most remarkable of these creations. In addition to the historic objects, the exhibition includes designs by Hussein Chalayan, A.F. Vandevorst, John Galliano, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, Issey Miyake and many more.