Generation Paper: Fast Fashion of the 1960s

GENERATION PAPER: FAST FASHION OF THE 1960 s

THROUGH DECEMBER 4, 2022 ELLMAN AND HARNETT GALLERIES

OFF THE PRES S

GENERATION PAPER: FAST FASHION OF THE 1960s EXPLORES THE WHIMSICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL WORLD OF PAPER GARMENTS

While short-lived, the paper dress trend took the world by storm after Scott Paper Company launched an ingenious marketing campaign to promote “Dura-Weve,” a textile featured in their thennew disposable tableware line. With popularity skyrocketing, other companies such as Mars of Asheville joined the excitement and were soon selling upwards of 80,000 dresses per week.

Curated by Helen Jean, the Museum’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design, Generation Paper explores the phenomenon of the era through more than 80 rare garments and accessories selected entirely from the Museum’s comprehensive fashion-design collection, which is home to one of the leading collections of paper fashion in the United States, made possible through donations from Kelly Ellman and Gail and Stephen Rineberg. The exhibition, on view in the

NATURALLY, CREATIONS MADE WITH DISPOSABLE MATERIALS LIKE PAPER AND COVERED IN CHEMICALS TO PREVENT FIRES, THERE WAS A RISK TO WEARING PAPER FASHION, ASIDE FROM THE RISK OF A TEAR IN YOUR WEARS...LAUNDERING OR DRYCLEANING PAPER APPAREL COULD LEAD TO A RISK OF AN OPEN FLAME, MAYBE EVEN A BONFIRE, GIVING A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO THE PHRASE “HOT OFF THE PRESS.”

Ellman Fashion Design Gallery and the Harnett Gallery, showcases dresses, bikinis, skirts, hats, jumpsuits, rompers, beach cover-ups, and more made from paper, plastic, laminate, and other disposable materials, many of which were highly flammable although coated in flame-retardant chemicals. Exhibition highlights include garments that mimicked kitchen countertop patterns as a promotion for Viking appliances; children’s dresses featuring Captain Kangaroo and Flintstones cartoons; a dress and matching placemats and napkins by Seagram’s 7, created so the ultimate party hostess could match her décor; and, mostly notably, the Campbell’s Souper Dress and the first two original Paper Caper dresses from Scott Paper Company. During the 1960s, paper garments influenced fashion on all levels, including the first rendition of paper underwear for women, the sanitary paper liner now a common sight in swimsuits, and other undergarments. Selling for mere pennies, the undergarments were advertised as extra-soft and made with “wet-proof” tissue crepe. “Paper panties” made by Universal Sanitary Pantie Co. provided full coverage, in contrast to the liner we know today. Naturally, creations made with disposable materials like paper and covered in chemicals to prevent fires, there was a risk to wearing paper fashion, aside from the risk of a tear in your wears. Published in Women’s Wear Daily in 1967, an announcement made by Dr. Richard E. Maryland, chief of the Public Health Service’s Injury Control Program, announced that laundering or dry-cleaning paper apparel could lead to a risk of an open flame, maybe even a bonfire, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “hot off the press.” Stories of shredded styles were recorded in The New York Times, including a near-disaster at the Wadsworth Atheneum’s Paper Dress Ball in 1966. A gown designed by

Jon Haggins, modeled by Myrna, tore at the shoulder strap but luckily, a roll of cellophane tape Haggins carried in his pocket came to the rescue and the gown was quickly mended. With the myriad of hazards and changing times, paper fashion turned into a quickly passing fad, becoming a rare sight toward the end of the 1960s. Visitors to Phoenix Art Museum can view these rare garments and accessories, safe from any clothes fire or tears through December 4, 2022.

Generation Paper: Fast Fashion of the 1960s is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and made possible through the generosity of Arizona Costume Institute, the Kelly Ellman Fashion Design Endowment Fund and Stephen and Gail Rineberg, with additional support from the Museum’s Circles of Support and Museum Members. image credits: (page 16, top to bottom) James Sterling Paper Fashions, Dress, c. 1966. Printed Du Pont Reemay spunbonded polyester. Gift of Kelly Ellman; Misty Modes, “Daisy Mae” Shift (detail), 1960s. Printed Du Pont Reemay spunbonded polyester. Gift of Kelly Ellman; Mars of Asheville, Dress (detail), c. 1966-1968. Printed Kaycel (nylon scrim and cellulose fiber). Gift of Mrs. Kelly Ellman. (page 17, top to bottom) The Paper Dress, Dress, Placemats and Napkins, late 1960s. Printed, 93% cellulose, 7% Nylon. Gift of Kelly Ellman; Mars of Asheville, Child’s Dress, c. 1966-1968. Printed Kaycel (nylon scrim and cellulose fiber). Gift of Kelly Ellman; The Paper Dress, Dress, late 1960s. Silkscreen printed, 93% cellulose, 7% Nylon. Gift of Kelly Ellman. (page 18-19) Installation views, Generation Paper: Fast Fashion of the 1960s, 2021, Phoenix Art Museum.

PROFESSIONALS IN PAPER

Today, paper garments are no longer “stylish wears” and have turned into paper with purpose. Paper garments are used in a wide array of professions for protection and are used for sanitary purposes for others. The thin sanitary paper liner is in undergarments and swimsuits when one needs to try it on. The liner acts as a layer of sanitary protection for the individual who decides to purchase the item and can then remove it. Additionally, mesh postpartum underwear, made with disposable materials, is recommended after giving birth to help with any leaks and act as an easy way to wear and toss without worry. Healthcare professionals will use disposable and paper garments for personal protective equipment (PPE) to help mitigate the transmission of diseases. Other professions will use PPE to provide protection from hazardous waste, sporting protective boot covers, protective hoods, and protective coveralls. Flame resistant disposable garments are also available for purchase. Professionals wear paper to protect themselves and others in their fields.