FASHIONABLY EARLY EXHIBITION IN GAD CANBERRA

NGUNNAWAL COUNTRY. The design of the space for a future-directed fashion exhibition, a vibrant Think Tank about the challenges that will inspire the next generation of Australian fashion designers, conceived wholly in folded cardboard as zero waste exhibition architecture.

The interactive fashion exhibition in the Gallery of Australian Design (GAD), curated by close friend Cate Shaw, was to set into scene selected fashion designs from six design schools in a vibrant Think Tank about the challenges that will inspire the next generation of Australian fashion designers.

The message of the show, considerate and sustainable fashion, is reflected in the materiality and construction of the exhibition architecture: folded cardboard assembled with cardboard tubes, all made of recycled materials to be recycled again in a zero waste cycle.

The greatest challenge of the cardboard architecture was to find folding techniques to achieve the rigidity and stability required for the duration of the exhibition period, without panels and shelves warping or bending. Paper models were used, workshops held and full-size prototypes made by National Capital Cartons.

The exhibition was to run from early August to mid September 2012, but was extended to the end of October due to popular demand.

All work by the contributors was pro bono in support of education in design and sustainability.

Curator: Cate Shaw
Team: David Haseler, Cate Shaw, Angela Rheinlaender
Major Sponsor: fjmt
Manufacturer : National Capital Cardboard
Branding: Inkspace

Photography: GAD