The Camellia Countessa. The design is based on the pannier dress, from the French term meaning wicker baskets slung on each side of a pack animal.
As in the fabrication of such dresses in the 1700s, the armature here is made from Willow branches. 3 months after succumbing to the elements it still holds it’s form.
The Yucca Prom Dress. Based on the girlish froufrou of the decadent 1980s prom dresses, which has its roots in the promenade of young girls at debutant balls.
The party is over. The delicate white petals of the Yucca plant have fallen but remain full of life.
The Crab Apple Gown. An elegant sleeveless dress made from strung crab apples with a flounce made of Kale
Detail of large Kale leaves and random Crab Apples on the ground.
Hydrangea Débutante. The Victorian ethos of floral clutter is evident in this bustled dress. Flowers were guerilla harvested from an abandoned house lot.
Ball gowns were usually low cut and sleeveless to entice young males into marriage. Here no such ruse is needed, fertility is abundant, even in the long sleeves.
The Cabbage Smock. Various Cabbages, Gunnera leaves, beans and thorns. The edible smock was left for the local bunnies the next day.
I am often distracted at the produce store, thinking of vegetables as art materials.
The Easter Laurel Coat. Easter was always busy time for my mother's clothing store in the 1950s because people where expected to show off their new fashions at church.
Thorns have become a staple of the Weedrobes series. They act a pins but also represent the pain some will go through to follow fashion trends.