Cardboard Catwalk

So, it's lunchtime on Wednesday, we've only been at college a few hours and have just started the process of learning everyone's names. And our first brief is handed out. To create a catwalk show out of just cardboard and brown parcel tape. Working in nominated groups of four. By Friday.

Gulp!

Luckily, as can be seen from my previous post, I'm quite a fan of cardboard, so was happy to take on the challenge. Although I found the idea of working in a four quite daunting.

I'm a great fan of things being made with unexpected materials. I love clocks that have been knitted and  beds made of branches.

This summer we visited the Ballgowns exhibition at the V&A and the Alexander McQueen dress made out of feathers was amazing. Although rather scary as it looked so real - so perhaps not that effective as a functioning dress.



Our favourite was an incredibly delicate and close fitting one, which looked like it was made of black lace over a nude coloured fabric.

In fact it was made of latex, which is what gave it its lightness and wonderful fit. Although here, on the model its shininess gives more indication of its construction, detracting from the delightful sense of modesty it had on display. (Especially given that, in fashion, latex is generally not used for modest purposes.)

Our Creation

In our group of four (Charlotte, Otto, Hannah and myself) we quickly decided on making a Roman Soldier. Otto suggested he might like to make some wings, articulated to concertina in and out. (In fact, it turns out that half the group have made things with wings. Perhaps showing the power of the subconscious, as wings were something mentioned in the introduction).

I suggested that it might be good to use the rigidity of the cardboard to make an exaggerated form of skirt - something akin to the Elizabethans.

So, after it was decided to make the Roman Angel, I thought it would be good to still use that sense of disproportion, creating a traditional roman skirt, but in a style influenced by the exaggerated style of Vivienne Westwood.

The Roman Soldier

After some internet research, we decided to create six elements: the wings, an armoured jacket top, a skirt, a sword and sandals. Later on we also created a leaf-decorated halo.   

Instead of making a maquette I started making the actual skirt. Possibly not the best idea as, during the construction, I realised I'd made it too rigid to enable it to be bent into an exaggerated Elizabethan shape. 

However, I'm not unhappy with the result, as I think that it's boxiness and size alone make it quite effective. In order to contrast the fabric strips with the 'underskirt' I covered the front in masking tape. Creating an effect I rather liked (although it was better before I added the downward strips).

The 'skirt' came to life when I added parcel strips as the panels, and made a belt out of string and the corrugated side of the card (inspired by the belt I happened to be wearing).

 I then created the sandals, formed by taping four lots of cardboard together and adding straps in the style of sandals. They look ok, but will probably snap immediately!

The Rest of the Team's Work

The maquettes

Trying it on for size




Fattening out the armour

Thoughts to Date

I think that our costume is great, but it's quite a literal interpretation of a Roman outfit (albeit with angel wings attached). The stiffness of the card works well in re-creating the stiffness of armour, so perhaps we've not used the cardboard in a particularly transformative sense. (Although that wasn't the actually the brief anyway, and maybe something I've started considering since).

For example, another group have managed to create the delicate flow of a peacocks tail, using a complex  construction of rigid cardboard, which I think is amazing. They've also created the most beautiful fitted bodice, using papier mache and paper cut into disc shapes. And another group have created a sense of a flowing Victorian dress, using the rigidity of card for the underskirt, but then having flowing newspaper over the top. (NB: If you're told you can ONLY use card and tape, don't necessarily believe it. You can, it turns out, slip a bit of loo paper, wire, tree branch, string and metal pins in as well!)

Perhaps we should have spent a bit more time thinking of a really unusual way in which to use the card - making it look like something it's not like at all. That would have definitely been interesting.

The Final Results

Once we'd finished the costume, we were all really happy. It had a simplicity that created great dramatic effect and really pleasing proportions - and that was even before the dramatic opening of the wings. Without any initial sketching, this was more by luck than design - but we achieved it anyway.

I also loved its angularity and symmetry, with the points of the skirt replicating the points of the wings, and the boxiness of the 'skirt'.

Overall, I felt that cardboard creations work best when kept quite simple. Repetition also works well.

Ok, so the shoes didn't last. But I'm impressed they managed even 20 steps!

The stripe detail made with masking tape was really strong and I liked how the whole
 costume blended in terms of colouring. The use of a few gold pins were good highlights.

the accessories

Some of the Other Amazing Creations


Peacock:

Rio Carnival:

Bird of Paradise

Again, I loved the way this 'Bird of Paradise' costume moved with real fluidity and grace. I also really liked the pleated paper skirt and the papier mached shoes. Probably my favourite costume overall, with its real sense of fashion style.

And More Still...