Dress #115: Charles James ‘Balloon’ at-home dress Penguin It was the completely ridiculous

It was the completely ridiculous shape of the skirt that drew me to this dress

I’ve since become much more obsessed with using paper that evokes the original fabric

Glass beads decorate the skirt as well as the left shoulder

you probably don’t have a lagoon)

This Edwardian dress is made from shimmering lilac Japanese chiyogami paper

Dress #115: Charles James ‘Balloon’ at-home dress Penguin It was the completely ridiculousThis hand stitched paper dress is based on the Balloon at home dress in black silk faille, created by Charles James in ca. 1956; the original is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession 2013. 327). Charles James used the balloon shape in a number of designs, including evening dresses, an opera coat, and a maternity dress created for retailer Lane Bryant. Charles James is considered by the Met to be the only American to work in the true couture