Designed as part of Laguna Art Museum’s Art + Nature: Upcycled Couture Fashion Show.

Designers were partnered with local non-profits and teamed up to create a fashion piece through upcycling and sustainable fashion that represents the organization’s mission statement.

I was partnered with the Crystal Cove Conservatory and was heavily inspired by their dedication the conservation and restoration of the park, as well as their unique history. Two of the most iconic elements of Crystal Cove are the tidepools and the 1930s beach cottages. Originally designed to be beach bungalows for film crews, the neighborhood eventually grew into a vacation getaway that has now been preserved.

I took inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood that the bungalows were created in, and created a fictional film from the era called Lady of the Tides. She is inspired by the Lady of the Lake and Joan of Arc, and is a protector of the sea and shore. She remains a steward of the Cove and helps to choose the future protectors of the land. Using 1930s silhouettes and sensibilities, I approached the idea of a medieval gown and included essential elements of every tidepool.

The fabric is recycled material from previous projects and draped on the bias to mimic 1930s gowns. The armor is made from canned beverage boxes, and additional elements were created from egg cartons, soda cans, styrofoam containers, toothpicks, and waxed paper. The palette of the gown was inspired by the sea and the recently regrown kelp forest, and the armor was inspired by the striped shore crab.

This was my first project that I’ve had walk the runway and later featured as a gallery piece, and it was an honor to be part of this collaborative project with such an important directive.