“Who are you?” On the breath of an exhale, it ribbons and twirls into obscurity, diffusing into the atmosphere, animating the unseen currents that surround.
Back detail of collar
We chose the scene with the smoking caterpillar because we thought it was exemplary of the story of Alice in Wonderland as a whole. It is a moment where she is questioning who she is and emerges from the smoke by growing up to the tree tops. I wrote the above poem as our 25 word concept statement to the judges. Our garment used many unconventional building materials in it’s construction. For the skirt, a bustle was made out of a molded window screen, and covered with layers of sheer drapery to create a smoke-like effect. John Leeke (architect), devised a hand-held ‘smoke’ wand that emitted an HVAC testing powder to animate the look on the runway. I was responsible for fashioning the wallcovering ‘mystery material’ into an intricate collar. As a focal point, the collar is meant to be an visual hybrid of the arabesque culture of hookah smoking and the Victorian era of which Through the Looking Glass was written. The intricate hand-cut pattern is symmetrical and features a lace- up back with a high collar, fringed with the sheer drapery. Front detail of collar
Sketch of Concept