Some of the details from the 2013 Cashmere collection
How do they do it?
A couture collection fashioned out of bathroom tissue? That's bound to raise a lot of questions. Cashmere has put together answers to some of the most pressing queries it receives about the White Cashmere Collection.
Are the dresses really made with the same Cashmere bathroom tissue I use at home?
Yes, every garment in the White Cashmere Collection is made with Cashmere bathroom tissue. Instead of the traditional perforated rolls of tissue that Canadians use at home, designers work with large sheets of Cashmere tissue in pink and white. Each designer receives a huge box filled with about seven metres of multi-ply tissue measuring about two metres wide.
Are White Cashmere Collection designers allowed to use any other material?
With the exception of real feathers and fur, additional materials can be used, as long as they make up no more than about five per cent of the garment. Designers are also allowed to use structuring material, such as netting and fusing, to shape the tissue and give it added strength.
Doesn't working with tissue limit how creative designers can get?
Making clothes with unconventional materials, such as tissue, actually encourages creative thinking. White Cashmere Collection designers have done amazing things with Cashmere bathroom tissue. They've pleated it, hand-braided it, turned it into papier mâché, and transformed it into illusions of lace. One designer created a chainmaille garment by creating a button-making machine to press tissue into small round discs. In 2013, the White Cashmere Collection will feature the world's first garment made with hand-knitted tissue.
How durable – or not – are these clothes?
Cashmere bathroom tissue is actually a strong material, even though it feels soft and delicate. The clothes in the White Cashmere Collection are worn many times – for fittings, photo shoots, runway shows and media appearances – before they're stored as part of the permanent collection. Of course, tissue paper does rip more easily than most fabrics, so some repairs have been done occasionally. To minimize wear-and-tear on the garments, the Cashmere show uses one model per design so there are no quick changes required backstage.
How long does it take a designer to fashion a garment out of tissue?
The White Cashmere Collection is a couture collection, with every garment made by hand. Depending on the complexity of the design, it can take a few weeks to a few months to make one of these garments.
How many designers have contributed to the White Cashmere Collection?
To date, including this year, more than 125 established and emerging Canadian designers have contributed their time and creativity to the White Cashmere Collection. For a complete list of designers and students who have participated in the White Cashmere Collection, visit www.cashmere.ca.
How does Cashmere choose designers for the collection?
Cashmere looks for designers who are exceptionally creative, daring and up to the challenge of working with tissue. Whenever possible, Cashmere enlists designers from different parts of the country and who have varying levels of experience – from those who are just emerging to others at the top of the fashion industry. Cashmere also likes working with designers who are active in their communities.