Project Paper Dress at Prescott 2007

Above, Prescott's Scott Lammer, art teacher and creator of The Paper Dress Project in its second year.

Video and Story by Gary Olsen

f you think that this Paper Dress Project is just about paper dresses or fashion, you would be incorrect. It's the culmination of a much larger integrated curriculum studying the human body. What better way to study the body than to study the clothing that has come to define who we are as individuals and as a culture? Without science, math, or communication skills like writing and speaking learned in English class, fashion as we know it would cease to exist. Pass the animal skins, I'm a little chilly.

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Fashion is an industry, we all understand this, however, fashion is also a means of communication, of projecting who we are as individuals. But before one can even discuss the sociological and economic implications of fashion, we must examine the history of the paper dress.

It's been a design tool since the Egyptians made paper from pounding papyrus reeds into a fibrous pulp, laying it the sun to dry into sheets of paper. The great Asian cultures like the Chinese were big into paper dresses, too.

What's cool about this project today is the students work with a ripless paper (like Tyvek used in the building trades) that can be stapled and glued but doesn't rip. It's reinforced with polyester fibers like a plastic. But it still has all of the characteristics and finish of paper in that it can be glued, taped, painted upon, etc.

Learning occurs on many levels as art, English, math, history, and science combine to form the curriculum. It's classic Expeditionary Learning as modeled by several schools in the District including Central Alternative, Marshall Elementary and Bryant Elementary School.

On this webpage is the movie about this year's show, and it endeavors to go behind the scenes examining just how the curriculum works.

Another upside of this project is the community involvement from such fashion business professionals as Ben Graham (Graham's Style Store) Sherry Keating (Cheryl Ann Bridals), Eric Ethier (Nordstrom Distribution Center's Visual Marketing), and Ali Levasseur (alirags.com... a custom fashion accessories business).

There were several categories of judging including writing, construction quality, accessories design, and overall dress design. A representative of Clarke College also helped the students. Jessica Relig from their art department judged the sketches which the students had to work on as teams before submission.

Jackie Kuhle, from neighboring Dubuque Bank & Trust, audited the dress design teams' accounts and judged the best accounting team competition.

There were parents who helped judge and performed other support services, too. Monty Gilles (business partner Telegraph Herald) helped judge the writing. He's a Prescott parent.

"Paraprofessionals Nicole Skinner and Linda Wilson, were invaluable throughout the project," adds Scott. "We couldn't have done this without them."

Enjoy this half hour documentary, produced by Gary Olsen, that includes the entire fashion show and award ceremony.

This video was made possible through the generous support of the City of Dubuque's Cable Teleprogramming Commission, Mediacom Cable, and the Dubuque Racing Association. Gary Olsen is a national award winning media designer who, among his many duties, manages DCS-TV Channel 19 for the Dubuque Community Schools.

Each fashion entry was backed by teams of students responsible for not only the design but the business aspect of creating a fashion. Math, the science of the human body, English, history and art combined to form this lesson in Expeditionary Learning. And as a bonus, we've got John Woodin's photo album of the event with printable enlargements you can download and print at home. Click here!
The energy was electric backstage just prior the fashion show. The winner of last year's show was a judge this year (left) Diamond Washington. From the Boys and Girls Club is Molly Casey.
You can click on any of these photos to download enlargements suitable for printing
Above, Scott's team of backstage technicians included his mother, sister, two sisters-in-law, and two aunts. Glue guns and staplers were the dressmakers' tools of choice. Parts of the runway had to be custom built (by Scott's dad and uncle). The riser was provided by Nordstrom's Distribution Center in Dubuque. Above (and below) is the top winning dress according to the judges' scores.
Above, Ali Levasseur, of alirags.com, was a judge and consultant for this event. She designs her own fashion accessories and resides in Dubuque. At right, the winning fashion team that got it all together.

Above, escorts help the models on the runway ramp.

Scott Lammer confers with two judges backstage, Sherry Keating (Cheryl Ann Bridals) and Ben Graham (Graham's Style Store).
And what would a fashion show be without paparazzi? Upper right, three of the several judges that were involved in this year's project. From left to right, Molly Casey (Boy's and Girl's Club), Chris McCarron (Principal of Prescott), and Eric Ethier (Visual Marketing at Nordstrom's).
   
   

 

 

 

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