FASHION IN PASTIC
Located throughout the gallery
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Our inaugural theme, Ocean Plastic, opened with nine spectacular outfits created by local designers. Each of these outfits is made of plastic and each one addresses an ocean plastic issue. These designs were featured on the runway at Wilmington Fashion Week on March 30, 2016.
Albatross Dress
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Plastic debris is found in 90 percent of seabirds. Designer Neely Cardwell created our tribute to the majestic albatross using up to six layers of pressed plastic which she hand-cut to form the hundreds of feathers in this ensemble.
Ninja Turtle
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Turtles famously become entangled in plastic debris. Designer Neely Cardwell hand-painted patters onto plastic bags for the body of this turtle and reconfigured plastic construction panels for the shell.
Jennie, The Jelly
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Plastic does not decompose but rather breaks into smaller and smaller pieces. At the micro level it mingles with plankton, such as jellyfish, and enters the food chain. Designers Lesley and Sergey Tamaev of Rove and Roam uses plastic bags, shower curtains, Styrofoam, and an umbrella to bring you this stunner.
Polymer Polly​
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Most plastic today is derived from petroleum that has been bonded with other elements. The combined molecules form strong polymer chains that do not degrade naturally. Designers Lesley and Sergey Tamaev of Rove & Roam bring you a space-age inspired "Polymer Polly."
Married to Plastic
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By the 1950s, we were all married to plastics. There are a lot of positive aspects to the relationship–from medical devices to electronics. Plastics are here to stay. Neely Cardwell is the designer of our beatiful wedding dress. Using shower curtains and a bridal bouquet of melted plastic spoons, the gown symbolizes the relationship that we cannot divorce. We must manage it responsibly
High-Dollar Dame
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The plastic industry is the third-largest manufacturing industry in the United States. It produces roughly 110 billion pounds of plastic each year. Designers Lesley and Sergey Tamaev of Rove & Rome designed this High-Dollar Dame in recognition of the breadth of this industry.
All Wrapped Up
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Packaging is one of the top uses of plastics–from keepig our food fresh to protecting our goods during shipping. Designer Elizabeth Workman used only packaging materials–from tape to bubble wrap–in her cheeky tribute to the packaging industry.
Straw Girl
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In the United States alone we use around 500 million straws a day. That's enough straws to wrap the circumference of the earth two and one-half times...a day. Designer Biffy Rose used 1,250 straws in the construction for this dress. This is about one-third of the straws that downtown WIlmington uses in a day...at lunch time.
Bag Lady
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Americans use over 100 billion plastic bags each year. The average time of use is 12-15 minutes after which most are carelessly discarded. Designers Lesley and Sergey Tamaev of Rove & Roam created this fabulously clever bag lady exclusively out of single-use plastic grocery bags.