This gown was produced by Mars of Asheville and part of “The Wastebasket Boutique” collection. During the late 1960s, paper dresses were released by the Scott Paper Co. as a marketing gimmick but also a tongue-in-cheek critique of the increasing consumption of single-use paper products. After Scott Paper sold a half a million dresses in eight months they called it quits, which created opportunity for the producers of this gown, Mars of Asheville. This hemless gown allows for the wearer to cut the dress to any desired length and promises to make you the “conversation of any party.” Research by Livia Caligor ‘21, with more information on her blog, “Paper Fashion in the 1960s: The Genesis of Fast Fashion,” on blogs.cornell.edu/cornellcostume (March 17, 2018).
Designed by Arnold Scaasi, this gown is a favorite of research assistant Allie Malakoff ‘20. It is characterized as a “country square dancing dress.” The unique and contrasting textures of this gown combine a lace bodice with straw rosettes on a silk skirt. While these textures clash, Scaasi found a way to use textural contradiction to create elegance.
This coat was designed by Oscar de la Renta for Wagner Furs. Like previous eras when racoon coats were popular, the early-mid 1980s were a period of economic prosperity, and fur coats enabled people to express their wealth and class status through luxurious outerwear.
