Dress

Hussein Chalayan

1999 · Tyvek · Costume Institute

“It’s something you can personalize and you can also cut it up and sew it back together. I’d love to see what happens to it on a journey through the post. It’s like sending a shadow of yourself.” —Hussein Chalayan A fashion designer known equally for sophisticated ideas and consummate skill, Chalayan has earned fame for his “monumental” garments—tangible expressions of the themes underpinning his collections. This limited-edition ensemble relates to the designer’s leitmotif of travel and uses Tyvek (a synthetic, paperlike material) as the utilitarian basis for a conceptual design. The dress, which was sold with sticker kits and instructions that encouraged customization, can be worn on the body or collapsed into an envelope and sent through the mail. By making the consumer an integral part of the design process, Chalayan extends the act of creation, introducing infinite possibilities for transformation.

Artist

Hussein Chalayan

Date

1999

Medium

Tyvek

Culture

British

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2013