Malta
Cloud dress
Dress made from mesh fabric featuring embroidered elements and tufting to give it a cloud-like appearance
Project: “Cloud Dress”
“Cloud Dress” is a collaborative garment developed through workshops with migrant and refugee women, creating a safe space for sharing personal stories. Inspired by traditional dress and the idea of clothing as concealment, the piece reinterprets this concept using unconventional materials.
The dress is constructed from a structured cotton base layered with hand-assembled tulle panels. Each panel was individually created and appliquéd by workshop participants, representing diverse cultural identities and personal narratives. Visible hand stitching highlights the fusion of traditional craft and contemporary design.
Made entirely from reused and recycled materials, including fabric and thread sourced from production waste, the piece demonstrates low-waste techniques and a sustainable, low-carbon approach to fashion.
This dress reinterprets the concept of clothing being used to conceal the body in a different way than is traditionally seen. It takes the same notion, usually interpreted through the use of loose, flowing fabrics and instead replaces them with rigid, more structured materials like tulle and corded cotton. The designed appliqued by participants onto their tulle panels also reflect the varying cultural backgrounds and personal aesthetics of our participants.
Materials Used:
x Reused
x Recycled
x Sustainable
● Waste fabric repurposed waste from design commissions for private clients and film and TV productions.
● Deadstock thread leftover from film and TV productions.
Eco-responsible Methods: The construction made use of low waste patterning techniques, using materials which would’ve otherwise been discarded as landfill waste, the project demonstrates a high-impact, low-carbon approach to garment engineering, making use of resources that are available to us to create new items.
The process
The dress is built on a base layer of a strong cotton fabric with a raised corded design self woven into the textile, serving as a strength layer to support the fashion fabric placed on top. The fashion fabric consists of a patchworking of multiple tulle panels. These panels were individually appliqued and then assembled by participants of the workshop, each panel therefore represents the individual who created it. Once these panels were assembled, we tacked them onto the base dress using visible hand stitching techniques, designed to combine elements of craft and modern materials together in one garment.
Our Team
The whole is much more than the sum of it’s part. Meet our team!
Users Participating in the project
migrant and refugee women
Sara Porteli
SUPERVISOR
Sarah Portelli is a costumier and fashion designer based and from Malta. With experience working on both local and international film productions and local theatre, her focus lays primarily on sustainable design, promoting the use of salvaged materials as well as incorporating heritage craft techniques into her work. Is-Sinjurina has extensive knowledge of both historical and contemporary tailoring techniques, having studied History of Art and Fine Arts at the University of Malta, she went on to study garment construction and atelier design at Polimoda after being awarded a scholarship in 2020. After completing her studies, she has since developed a parallel career in costume for film and television, building a career on both local and international productions, becoming the youngest Maltese costume supervisor to date.
With the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
