We would like to continue the theme of paper clothing with a collection of clothes and accessories by German fashion designer and Royal College of Art graduate Jule Waibel. Titled Entfaltung, this mini-collection comprises only three pieces: a cheerful yellow dress, a green handbag, and an orange umbrella.
The collection is inspired by paper folding techniques that are usually used to transform paper sheets into three-dimensional objects. The key piece is the dress that can change its shape according to the movement of the body. To achieve this striking effect, Waibel developed a three-dimensional structure with the capability to expand and contract. A similar structure is applied to other pieces in the collection, allowing the handbag to increase in volume and the umbrella to open and close.
The making process is rather complicated — to create the dress, for example, it took about 10 hours. Experimenting with different materials, such as shower curtains, leather, and polymers, Waibel finally chose Tyvek, extremely light water- and tear-proof synthetic paper by DuPont. Tyvek was initially developed for the construction industry, but its properties led to the application in many areas, including fashion.
However, the dress made from Tyvek had one big disadvantage — being stiff and edgy, it was simply uncomfortable to wear. Thus, you couldn’t sit on a chair, or you could get bruised wearing it. So a year later, Weibel introduced a new model made from translucent chiffon fabric that you can wear like a normal dress. She says that it was quite tricky to find the right fabric that allowed the dress to expand and contract like the original model.
Waibel now offers several models of the transforming dress made from eco-friendly organza. Besides, this design inspired her to create more garments, accessories, and even furniture, featuring the same pleated structure. “I am dreaming of an unfolded universe, a pleated planet,” says Waibel. “Everything should move, expand and contract — geometric playful shapes dancing around the moon.”
TITLE: Entfaltung
YEAR: 2013
DESIGNER: Jule Waibel
WEBSHOP: https://shop.julewaibel.com/