Met Gala Skirt

I truly never thought I’d ever see myself wearing fashion made out of plastic, but life has a silly way of making odd things happen. In my special topics course of soft sculptures and inflatables, we were tasked with creating a wearable item primarily made out of plastic wrap.

I genuinely didn’t even know where to start. I was a bit astounded at the task even. Plastic was such a flimsy material, and I was still dealing with the learning curve of using it to create art. The idea of wearing plastic had never even crossed my mind. What would I even make? A jacket? A cloak? A shirt? A pair of pants? Keep in mind that I needed to inflate this project in some way. Not only did I need to wear it, but it needed to stay on my body like clothes normally would. I definitely needed a moment to think about what I would do for this project.

I thought about skirts. I love skirts, especially maxi skirts. They remind me of summertime, and they’re incredibly comfy and freeing. They also allow for easy access to the air. So I thought I’d begin there, and figure it out as I went along my journey with this project.

I remember thinking about how this project reminded me of the Met Gala. The Met Gala always presents the most elaborate and extraordinary outfits, made with an eye for the dramatics. However, the fashion is often times incredibly impractical. I remember laughing about how I wouldn’t be surprised if the theme one year was soft sculptures and inflatables just like my class. It ended up becoming my inspiration for this project, and thus, why I called it the “Met Gala Skirt”. This project was absurd, yet creative, just like the Met Gala looks presented every single year.

I honestly enjoyed creating this project, and wish to add more to it for the dramatics! I am happy to have a photoshoot at least with this skirt, and pretend for a second that I was a celebrity wearing such an interesting piece of fashion for the sake of art.