“Infinitely transforming and infinitely transformable” is how Alton DuLaney of Kate’s Paperie describes the power of paper. That power’s now on display in the store’s five locations in New York and Connecticut in the form of dresses made entirely of paper. The project has it genesis in Slash: Paper Under the Knife; to commemorate the exhibit, Kate’s also backed the first annual Paper Ball, for which it invited a distinguished group of artists and fashion designers to create a special series of dresses. Kate’s owner, Angelica Berrie, commissioned British artist Louise Riley to design a dress that Berrie wore to the ball; the elaborate design features paper “feathers” and quills, including nibs from fountain pens.
“We supplied many of the designers with the actual materials they used to make the dresses,” says DuLaney, director of Creative Services and Visual Merchandising. “And after the ball we became the proud owners of 16 of these fantastic creations.” The dresses went on display in the windows of the Kate’s Paperie stores to coincide with New York Fashion Week, which runs Feb. 11–18.
The deft but often breathtaking manner in which these dresses combine craft and art deliberately mirrors the genre-shifting works on display in Slash: Paper Under the Knife, which will run until April 4 at MAD, “showcasing the work of artists who reach beyond the traditional role of paper as neutral surface to consider its potential for provocative, expressive and visually striking sculpture, installation and video animation.”
“As a company that strives to continually encourage innovation, creativity and artistry, Kate’s Paperie’s support of the museum and this exhibition is a natural partnership,” says Berrie. Some of the designers who made the dresses are also showing on the runways during Fashion Week, further stitching the connections.
This approach to medium, message and merchandising is far from unusual for Kate’s Paperie, which prides itself in its in-store demos and classes. “Our motto is ‘Discover, Inspire, Create,” says DuLaney. “Our customers are the creative set. We want them to discover something amazing in our windows, come into the store and be inspired by the materials, then create something equally amazing for themselves. We’re a paper emporium, but we’re also a paper gallery.”
Tom Biederbeck urges all who can’t see Slash: Paper Under the Knife “in the fiber” at MAD to view the entire exhibition online. Superlatives simply won’t suffice.
Dress credits: Top image — left, “Tsubasa” by Frank Tell; center, “Untitled” by Rubin Chapelle; right, “Lola” by Maria Pinto. Lower image — “Bird” by YEOHLEE.
