The dresses were tailor made for 21 individuals who completed a questionnaire about sustainable fashion and provided plant materials from their gardens.
The installation grew over a period of 2 months, gradually occupying the perennial garden in a triangular formation with the last completed dress at the very front.
The ensemble of 21 dresses weather gracefully in the garden and complement the vibrant fall leaves that surround them.
One of my assistants, Nita Bowerman made her own dress out of seaweed and wore it to the exhibition opening.
Each dress was individually photographed after completion in its freshest state.
Photographed 3 months later the dress is still beautiful. A metaphor for accepting our own aging process.
Some participants where very involved in the colour and texture of their dress, as with this Fern and Magnolia dress for Dawn.
Since Dawn’s dress was made with hardy materials it was transferred to her garden to continue its life for a year.
The dress armatures made from Seagrass and Reed, were salvaged and recycled for other projects.
At the end of the project all of the plant material was stripped off the armatures and composted.
To my great delight some plants began to sprout new shoots such as this seemingly dead Thistle head.