Some of you know that I am a fan of the show Project Runway. Of course, there can be some drama when putting a group of strong-willed, ambitious designers in one room to work and compete against eachother. But, my favorite part of the show has always been the random, unconventional challenges, how the designers execute them, and seeing the finished product. A challenge they've done in the past is the "Grocery Store Challenge" where the designers had to shop at a grocery store (instead of a fabric store) for their materials to use for their garments. Little did I know that I would be confronted with a similar challenge in my little, creative world!
My boss at the restaurant I work at heard about an edible fashion show that a local radio station was putting on as a fundraiser. The station asked local restaurants and organizations to make a garment out of food. The creators were allowed up to two yards of fabric for a base, as well as snaps, zippers, etc. Other than the vital construction pieces, everything else had to be edible! Though I love trying new things, I knew this would be a challenge. "What kind of food should I use?" was obviously the biggest question. I wanted something that I could work with without rotting, wilting, or falling apart. I experimented with a few different things. For some reason, I had weaving stuck in my head. I tried weaving carrot shavings, but they were a little too stiff and breakable. I also considered fruit roll-ups and fruit by the foot. I thought that would be relatively easy to work with and I'd have more control with that, but that didn't seem right for me. After playing with other household foods, I went to the grocery store for some fresh inspiration. As I pushed my empty cart down the aisles, I called my creative friend (and Project Runway-watching buddy), Gretchen, in my flustered state. She helped me realize to follow my gut, and suddenly, I knew what I had to do...my original idea of using dried fruit to imitate beading! I decided to go with a "fruit and nut" themed dress, healthy and beautiful! My ingredients: dried apricots, craisins, raisins, sliced and whole almonds, and (wild card) dried chili pods.
I sewed up a strapless dress to fit myself (something that's nice about being a seamstress!). I figured I would start with a long dress, and I could always cut it shorter as I go (which I did!). I ended up sewing on a strap, wanting to play with asymmetry.
After getting some gluing done, I decided that I needed a vision. I needed a design. I came up with a sketch to help me solidify my idea.
T H E V I S I O N
As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to do something with weaving, so I incorporated that into the design in a less literal way. I wanted it to look like the apricots and cranberries were dancing, overlapping eachother and intertwining, the apricots ending in a spiral...or is that where it begins? The center would be whole almonds, fading out into the sliced almonds.
Now, time to work, work work!!!
The bodice was quite time-consuming, but it was relaxing too. It reminded me of working on a mosaic, making all these tiny pieces fit together in such a way to create a united, whole image.
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