Reformica narrowly misses out on WOW 2017
Demonstrating both the craft and design prowess of it’s creator and the versatility of the material, ‘Reformica’ as it is known is a thing of beauty.
Having successfully passed the preselection stage for World of Wearable Art 2017, this recycled wooden dress narrowly missed out on featuring in the live shows.
In a classic case of lead by example, it’s creator, Katy Cottrell says, ‘I wanted to show the students I teach just what was possible with waste material donated to the school. By creating strips of laminated melamine and laminating together into sheets to be recut into the desired shape I discovered the versatility and strength of the material.’ How would you describe your creation? ‘It’s a play on Russian constructivism, particularly the works of Varvara Stepanova’s ‘Feminine figure’ and Alexandra Exter. The work also reflects both deconstruction and reconstruction through literal means and the fragmented angular design. This is a nod to the second life given to the formica which has been constructed, broken down and reformed, hence ‘Reformica’.