More beautiful than the dress designed and fabricated for the 2015 Color+Couture fashion show, was the multidisciplinary and collaborative process that transpired during early morning meetings at BNIM. The team realized early in the process that, much like an architectural project, the design improved by the various skills and backgrounds present at the table. The thoughtful details and dramatic presence that ultimately won the judges over can be credited to the concerted effort of the entire team.

For its tenth anniversary Color+Couture, sponsored by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), sought to celebrate the city by which it was conceived. The theme, “Cityscapes,” bore resemblance to the two-dozen architects who attended the 1931 New York City Beaux Arts Ball dressed, very literally, as buildings they had recently designed.

For this reprise, teams from architecture firms in the Kansas City metro area and nearby design schools were assigned a local landmark and tasked with reimagining it into a wearable garment. The selected buildings included diverse design styles and important structures within the city to effectively tell the story of Kansas City’s architectural growth throughout history. 

As in years past, teams were paired with local material and furniture manufacturers and representatives who provided selected materials with the rule that the garments must be at least 70% comprised of these materials. The materials range from ceramic tile to parts and pieces of furniture systems and everything in between. Teams were given two months to design and execute their vision, which included defining hair and makeup styling and runway song choice. BNIM was paired with Teknion, a dealer who carries a wide variety of furniture and architectural products. From Teknion the team received a white mesh fabric commonly used on task chairs, and white plastic laminate. Crown Center, Kansas City’s urban renewal experiment driven by the concept of “city within a city,” was the team’s assigned landmark.

Made up of multiple buildings connected by an outdoor plaza, the site offered inspiration via both exterior and interior details, buildings as a whole, and simply the experience one feels while at Crown Center. During early morning meetings, the team sorted through these ideas with sketches and photos. The group realized that the audience would have to make the connection to the building inspiration very quickly, as there were just 90 seconds for the dress on the runway. This lead the team to focus on a portion of Crown Center that the audience would easily recognize and may connect to emotionally: the ice skating tent. The tensile structure and space frame were reimagined in various schemes. Just as the tent floats above the skaters gliding across the ice, the team wanted to be sure that the same sensation was embodied in the dress on the runway.

One of the keys to success was the team’s patience and willingness to create a prototype of the entire dress. This allowed the group to consider the design of small details and iron out any construction issues before fabricating the final design. A homemade template was used to lay out the panels of the skirt and plastic PVC piping was cut and inserted into a seam at the bottom of the dress. The template was cut and sewn — and resewn — trying to perfect the length and shape of the skirt. Details such as seams in the long sleeve top that connect the necklace to skirt as well as pockets were conceived during this trial and error phase. The piping stretched the fabric to the point that the dress lifted off the floor, giving the dress the floating feeling the team was hoping to achieve. 

Prototyping continued into the digital realm as the team utilized the white formica. Using Photogrammetry, Grasshopper, and tried and true physical measurements, a freeform necklace was developed, which contoured the model and accented the dress. Unfolding the freeform shape onto a 2D surface was impossible, so the form was triangulated with perforations added at the corners to aid in construction and larger offset cuts were made to create an airy neckpiece reminiscen of the space frame. After a physical mock-up of paper was created and tested, the white formica was laser cut into 88 unique pieces, which were then hand sewn together using the corner perforations.

Kansas City’s diverse architectural styles — early 20^th century Art Deco seen on the Power and Light Building, Union Station in the Beaux Arts style, and the modern Bloch Hall Nelson Atkins Museum expansion — were brought to life the night of the event. As 1,000 people poured into the Starlight Theater in Swope Park, the teams were finishing up a day of preparation and practice backstage. With music thumping, the event began as the first garment emerged on stage. Simultaneously, a curated photo appears on a large screen featuring each team’s building inspiration. Twenty-seven designs took the stage, all evoking a different style and era. Just as the BNIM team had hoped, the dress floated down the stage embodying the spirit of Crown Center perfectly

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As the show ended deliberation from the judges began. Awards were thoughtfully given to teams that best used color, designed an example of Haute Couture, interpreted their building best, used their materials in an inventive way, most wearable, showstopper, Judge’s Choice, and People’s Choice. While two awards are rarely given to one team, BNIM was pleased to have received both the Judges Choice and People’s choice.

While the Color+Couture group was ecstatic to be recognized for their hard work, the most rewarding part of the experience was exploring a new realm of design with such a knowledgeable and hardworking group. With continued support from from the firm, the team plans to continue to explore fashion and small scale design in future Color+Couture competitions and beyond.