A dress can’t get much sexier than one that’s made from paper. And at the recent Art Directors Club of Denver’s 8th Annual Paper Fashion Show – the largest paper fashion show in the nation – more than 50 design teams presented their fragile creations made from paper donated by xpedx. The show, which took place on March 15 at the Seawell Grand Ballroom, featured inspired looks ranging from delicate butterfly and peacock dresses to steam-punk looks and even a Marie Antoinette/Barbie combo look complete with paper corset. One design team even used a laser-cutting machine from Derek Keenan, owner of Mukee Design who makes jewelry from old skateboards. Leaders of the local fashion industry, such as designer Fallene Wells, used an iPad app to judge the art-in-motion competition.
And the winners were: “Pulp Function” (first place and best accessory) by designers Barry Brown, Elizabeth Barnes, Stephanie Ingraham and Robyn Winters; “IMM” (second place) by designers Jennifer Lysaught, Kat Adams, Daniel Paul, Kate Ellis-Hill, Dwayne De Freitas and Gina Lee; “Burns Marketing” (third place) by designers Torrie Grewe, Erica McCary, Joellen Sarmast and Jennifer Hohn; and “Something Blue (RMCAD)” (student winner) by designers Michelle Lieser, Randy Lieser, Randie Lieser, Jessica Lieser and Justin Booren. All of the designs went on auction after the show, and nearly $5,000 of the proceeds will benefit Downtown Aurora Visual Arts – a local community organization that provides after-school arts programs for at-risk youth. Since the inception of the show, ADCD has donated more than $15,000 to this worthy cause.
Be sure to look for the Paper Fashion Show book that will be published in March/April to get a peek at all of this year’s designs. Even better, make sure you attend this original paper affair next year.
Misty Milioto is affectionately known as Denver’s Fashion Gal. She covers haute trends and local designers in the Mile High City, all while keeping a close and critical eye on national trends that are currently rocking the runways and the major glossy magazines. Stay tuned for all the best in fashion that Denver has to offer.