The 1960s paper fashion movement lasted for only two short years but it was two years of paper, paper and more paper.
Paper saris, knit paper dresses, paper purses and paper jewelry.
Now, you can see more than 80 preserved pieces at Phoenix Art Museum.
“Generation Paper: Fast Fashion in the 1960s” opens on Dec. 18 and runs through July 17, 2022. The exhibition was largely donated by museum supporter Kelley Ellman, whose love for paper dolls influenced a lifetime of collecting the paper fashion of the 60s, she said.
Paper fashion was “all the rage,” said Helen Jean, the Museum’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design.
“Because it was a weird, novel, fun gag thing, it took off like crazy,” Jean said.
It started as a tableware promotion
The year was 1966.
Scott Paper Company — a toilet paper company — had an idea. Why not exchange someone’s proof of purchase for a paper dress?
So that’s what they did. The company began mailing out paper dresses made out of Dura Weave, their laboratory-created cellusonic textile used to make their tablecloths, placemats and paper napkins. The idea exploded, Jean said.
“It was all just a promotional gag,” Jean said. “Well, it became so popular so so so fast, it just took off the other textile manufacturers on the game really quickly, and then fashion designers got in the game because there’s a lot of money to be made there.”
In addition to Scott Paper, manufacturers like Mars of Asheville, The Disposables, Sterling Paper Fashions and Hallmark all hopped on board. More than 80,000 paper dresses sold weekly.
By the end of 1966, paper dresses had topped more than $3.5 million in sales. The ideas kept getting more creative — mother-daughter matching paper sets, paper bikinis, paper knit dresses, paper kaftans, even paper jewelry — all of which are on display at the museum exhibition.
The paper fashion trend didn’t last long
The two years were an era of innovation, Jean said.
For one, it was a generation that arose from World War II. The financial affordability of the dresses was an added bonus. Plus, it was a time where innovation seemed limitless — new automobiles were designed, scientists constructed rocket ships and fabric designers created new fabrics for use across the country.
The environmental impact of disposable clothing wasn’t a concern at the time, Jean said.
“This is a new generation where the possibility of having a TV dinner in a disposable dress was totally new. And that’s exciting,” Jean said. “But because it was not practical or long term. It died in just a few short years.”
The dresses are “gorgeous,” Jean said. But the exhibition — which will also feature behind-the-scenes content on the process of paper-garment conservation — is also an opportunity to pay attention to the environmental impact of fast fashion.
“Are we buying disposable quick turnaround things that are ultimately going to end up in the landfill?” Jean said. “It’s harmful to the environment in a layered way, and so this gives us an opportunity to think about the investment that we are making in the clothing that we purchased. How does this make us feel and how is this now going to impact and inform our decisions?”
How to see Phoenix Paper Fashion:
Where: Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave, Phoenix. 602-257-1880, https://phxart.org
When: Through July 17, 2022
Cost: Free for members, included in admission fee; $23 for adults; $20 for seniors; $18 for college students; $14 for youth ages 6-17; free for kids 5 and younger
Reach the reporter at sofia.krusmark@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram @sofia.krusmark
