walking around in a newspaper dress

It may come as a surprise to some of my readers that I enjoy the show Project Runway. I haven't seen every episode this season, but I watched last night and was intrigued by their challenge: to make a garment out of newspaper.

Having been in preservation class discussing the strength and preservation issues of different types of paper only hours before, I had a strange thought. Instead of wondering how they were going to make clothes that looked attractive out of newsprint, I wondered how they were going to preserve the pieces after the show.

I think we've all made newspaper hats as children, so the concept of wearing paper is not completely foreign, but it's not a concept that I've ever associated with high fashion. The problem to me was not the concept of paper, but the type of paper being used. Newsprint is the worst quality of paper made, in terms of durability and by far the hardest to preserve. Now, if the designers had been given sheets of handmade Japanese kozu paper, I would believe that the finished products could truly be wearable. The paper is flexible and strong, and even has a soft feel, like fabric. But newsprint was designed to only last a day.

My doubts about the flexibility of the paper were allayed as the designers managed to create pieces that the models were able to strut in down the runway, but that's just one wearing. And none of them could sit down. In the Models of the Runway show afterward we were shown just how difficult it was for them to get into the dresses. And while they usually wear the runway clothes while they wait for the results, this time they all changed out as soon as possible so they could finally sit down and rest.

So even though the clothes looked impressive (for the most part), in the end they are just art pieces, and not durable fashion. They could easily have been ruined just by the stress of being worn. And I won't even bore you with the preservation issues involved in maintaining poor quality paper that's been through that much stress.

What would it be like to wear a paper dress? To spend so much time putting together a piece so fragile, knowing that it will only last through one wearing at best. If we're not afraid of a heavy-handed metaphor, it sounds like life. We can put our effort into the fashions of the day, striving to build a life out of things not meant to last, like money, fame, or ambition. But when things get tough and the rain falls down what we've built doesn't hold up. Far better, then, to put our efforts into gaining a permanent garment through faith, love and service, storing up treasures where moth and rust do not destroy. Now that is an archivist's dream.

Fashions change, God doesn't. And love is always in style.

-Kim

The actual designs from last night's show can be seen here.

(Image from http://gracelromero.tumblr.com/)