Project Title: AiLumine
Selected for Scholarships 2011-12, Master of Fashion Design, School of Fashion, IED Milano

I love creating unusual things and the best way is designing things with material that has been used. You give a second life to the material and it opens your imagination to totally change the use of it. Now in days the ecology and recycle theme is a trend in fashion, the creation of “green“ fabrics and textile is everywhere.

I was inspired in the eco theme and wanted to create a dress with recycled material. All designers should design in terms of environmentalism and social responsibility. Clothes should have a social impact and the use of environmentally friendly materials and responsible methods of production. I decided to create a dress using flat aluminum foil used for packaging milk. This material is easily recyclable and is widely used in the world. I thought it a good idea, after using the aluminum to create pieces of clothing that can be wearable and look good.

The dress design is a strapless heartshaped and at the start of the waist I made some waves using the same aluminum, this gives volume to the dress and make it look more feminine. The aluminum paper is not as thick and can be sewn with sewing machine. At the back the dress has a zipper and is easy to put on and off. The name given for the dress is AiLumine. When the light is in front of the dress made of aluminum, the reflection illuminates the place. Is like a metaphor trying to say that we have to open our eyes and illuminate our brain to start designing new things with different materials. We have to think out of the box as designers and creative persons.

AiLumine.pdf