This dress was made for the Seen 2 Be Seen runway show in Naples, Florida on January 14, 2023. The show features clothing that is "wearable art". This dress placed in the top 5 designs.
I was inspired by observing the dying corals while swimming at the Dry Tortugas National Park and my love for the ocean. My fully crocheted and hand sewn dress raises awareness of coral reef bleaching and plastic pollution. All materials used are sustainable with recycled cotton, natural wool, mohair, bamboo, hand-picked shells, and recycled plastic. There are over 100 handmade crochet reefs. The bottom of the dress represents the way that society pictures corals to look, while the top represents the reality of the colorless dying corals. This dress took hundreds of hours of hand labor.
