My teenage sister asked me to make her a dress for homecoming. She wanted something long, probably. Something unique, definitely. Other than that, she left it up to me.

She sent my her measurements via facebook and a link or two of dresses she liked but, really, whatever I made would be fine. I decided to re-purpose existing garments, which was okay by her. Needless to say, in many ways she is not your typical seventeen year old…

At age 7, Caroline became the unexpected star of a fashion show that I participated in at Pratt. My collection, and subsequent public performance (video stills below) was made entirely of stuffed animals (This was pre-Gaga, mind you, circa 2001.) The pieces reflected the intersection of Western consumerism and ancient traditions of mythology, spirituality and religion. Characters’ names ranged from the familiar Robin Hood to Tanana Woman. ‘Line’s character was Pisquajes, the Ojibwe name given to my father when he was a child. It means “tiny bubbles”.

Tanana Woman

Robin Hood

Artemis

King Saul

Pisquajees

The Hunt  (video still)

The Hunt  (video still)

Since those exuberant bounds and smiles on the runway my sister continues to perform and stun the audience with her tenacious authenticity. And apparently, she has retained her faith in my fashion sense.

Oh, and she loved the dress.

Made from altered second-hand dress, re-purposed wool pants, vintage buttons, felted wool sweater, thrifted shirt