Origami-inspired Fashion Designs ~ Ajurette Magablog

Sandra Backlund SS 2010 Collection

Origami adapted from the word "ori" that means folding and "kami" that means paper. This traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding started in the 17th century AD and was popularized in the mid-1900s. It has since then evolved into a modern art form. The goal of this art is to transform a flat sheet of material into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques.

Nowadays, fashion designers use this technique into their creations. This particular technique is definitely not that easy to be implemented, especially for garment that meant to be worn. Few years ago, John Galliano and his team travelled to Japan for inspiration hunting trip and found origami as one among other inspiration sources for Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2007 Collection. Though John Galliano maybe not the first person to make such dresses, but he probably is the pioneer who constructs origami-inspired fashion with garment as materials.

Details from Christian Dior Haute Couture S2007 Collection

Christian Dior Haute Couture Origami Wedding Dress

Three years before, designer Jum Nakao spent 700 hours painstakingly cutting, curling, pleating and manipulating paper into stunning dresses for his collection showcased in Sao Paulo Fashion Week 2004. Which at the end of the runway show, the models lined up side by side and ripped their paper-dresses off.

to see the complete collection of Jum Nakao, click here

Next is one of our favorite designers that able to implement the origami technique in a very exquisite way is Swedish designer, Sandra Backlund. She mentioned her interest in almost every traditional handicraft method and had done a lot of experiment with many different materials and techniques until she finds it is her three-dimensional collage knitting that is most significant.