Beautiful paper dresses, destroyed after each show

Brazilian artist Jum Nakao designs dresses made of paper that's been folded, laser-cut, carved, and laced. All the dresses are destroyed after each show: "That is why we destroy everything, to show that there is something more important, something much more lasting than what people see and value at first sight."

jum nakao's paper dresses - upon a fold (via Neatorama)

• [BB]

  I love everything about this.

• [Anonymous]

  You know what *would* be permanent? Using her talents to make clothes for the largish number of poor children in Rio.

  Pretentious without being interesting. If you wish to ponder the impermanence of things, feel free to look at the trees from which the paper is made…

  Lanval

  • [Pantograph]

    I find your comment in poor taste. Those poor children obviously can’t afford designer clothing.

• [Anonymous]

  That was actually the last time he worked ever in fashion. It was a statement, a protest.
  Awesome.

• [Anonymous]

  I went to see an exhibit of some of these dresses recreated at the New Dowse in Wellington a couple of years ago. They looked absolutely amazing and so intricate.
  There was also a cute activity station for kids where you could buy a cardboard ‘paper doll’ shape and make outfits out of paper for them – those that were left were on display in the craft area, and some of those were pretty amazing too.

• [gravytop]

  Anyone who still doesn’t realize that shit just don’t last has never owned furniture from IKEA, I guess…

• [Thad E Ginataom]

  Paper Dresses…

  No Smoking!

• [gravytop]

  Anyone who still doesn’t realize that shit just don’t last has never owned furniture from IKEA, I guess…

• [Jack]

  Excellent statement on fashion. But a few weeks ago I saw some woman dressed from head-to-toe in a Tyvek outfit. I assure you, that Tyvek wasn’t cool. FedEx Pope has more class.

• [Anonymous]

  Any idea waht the songs were?

• [Teller]

  Those are lovely.
  You like paper and live near SF, check out Isabelle de Borchgrave’s gowns at the Legion of Honor. They make grown people fall to the floor and run in circles.

• [andyhavens]

  “That is why we destroy everything, to show that there is something more important, something much more lasting than what people see and value at first sight.”

  Uh… yeah. Like all the photographs and video of the show.

  I’d be much more impressed with the artistic statement if they hadn’t allowed any recordings of the event. Seems to me that almost all high fashion is experienced by 99.99% of the public the same way these paper dresses were; vicariously, through photos/videos. From my perspective, it’s just a slight variation in theme.

  That being said, they’re quite lovely.

• [S2]

  dresses made of paper that’s been folded, laser-cut, carved, and laced. All the dresses are destroyed after each show:

  If you squint just right you can substitute the word “diapers” for “dresses” in the above, et voila — pampered haut monde in the Midwest ;-)

• [HOTDAMN]

  I’m diggin the playmobil hair

• [fnc]

  See also :

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_mandala

• [Anonymous]

  This reminds me of the (debauchery) dance scene from Metropolis, for some reason. uh… here, for example: http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5854/dance3xpwc0.gif

• [Anonymous]

  I love this idea. I was going to mention the mandala, but fnc beat me to it. It reminds us the impermanence and transient nature of things.

• [eaglescout1984]

  The whole fashion world is just a bunch of excess. These paper dresses may not be as bad, but think of all the material that goes into dresses made for 1 trip down the catwalk. Is that really necessary when we are trying to look at ways of saving the earth?

• [Mister N]

  do the dresses get recycled ?