STANDARDS

Core Art Standards: VA1, VA2, VA4

CCSS: R1, R2, W2

Materials

How do these designers look beyond fabric to create unique garments?

When you think of materials in fashion, you probably imagine the fabrics used in the clothes you wear every day, like cotton, wool, or denim. But fashion, like all visual art, can be made from anything. And that’s why many designers turn to unconventional materials to achieve one-of-a-kind silhouettes—or to make a statement.

Image of a dress made from cardboard

Yohji Yamamoto (b. 1943), Dress, Fall/Winter 1991-92. The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource, NY.

What shapes do you notice in this dress? How does Yamamoto create a distinctive silhouette?

Listen and Learn

Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto (yoh-jee yah-mah-mohtoh) always lets materials guide his process. “Listen to the material,” he tells his patternmakers. “What is it going to say? Just wait. Probably the material will tell you something.” For the structured dress, above, from his fall/winter 1991-92 collection, Yamamoto built the bodice from geometric wood panels connected with bolts and hinges. The skirt is black felted wool overlaid with more wood panels. What do you think the wood “told” Yamamoto to inspire this design?

Image of a purple dressed made from feathers and fake butterflies

Jeremy Scott (b. 1975), Moschino Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2018. FashionStock.com/Deposit Photos

How does Scott use materials to create a sense of movement?

Fluttering Fit

American fashion designer Jeremy Scott has made clothing out of everything from plastic—like a dry cleaning bag dress—to car parts. From 2013 until March 2023, he was the creative director at Moschino (muh-SKEE-noh), an Italian fashion house. During his time there, he used a wide range of materials in playful designs. For the 2018 ostrich-feather and paper-butterfly ensemble above, Scott used wire to attach the butterflies to the garment. The wires allow the colorful imitation insects to move along with the dress, creating a kinetic effect that makes it look like the wearer is surrounded by fluttering butterflies. How might it feel to wear this ensemble?

Image of Lady Gaga posing in her iconic meat dress

Franc Fernandez (b. 1986), Meat dress, 2010. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Do you think meat is an effective material for making a statement?

Statement Piece

Sometimes materials can emphasize a designer’s— or wearer’s—ideas. Pop star Lady Gaga wore a dress made from an unconventional material to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards: raw beef! Her creative team hired Argentinian designer Franc Fernandez to make the dress, which he stitched Gaga into backstage. He later said his family butcher recommended flank steak because it would be easy to sew. In an interview, Gaga explained, “If we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones.” Do you think this look is an appropriate way to “beef” up Gaga’s statement?

Image of a dress made from blonde hair

Martin Margiela (b. 1957), Coat, Spring/Summer 2009. The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource, NY.

Does the hair remind you of any other materials commonly used to make clothing? How is this design different?

Design statements can also be more subtle than Gaga’s “meat dress,” as it’s often called. Belgian designer Martin Margiela (mahr-jee-EH-luh) unveiled a coat made of blonde wigs and hair extensions in his Maison Martin Margiela spring/summer 2009 collection, below. By using a cheap, repurposed material like synthetic hair, Margiela demonstrated that luxury is created through the craftsmanship and effort that go into making a garment, rather than just expensive or rare materials. Wigs also hold personal significance for Margiela, whose father was a hairdresser. Margiela has incorporated them into his designs throughout his career.

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