Natalia Fedner Instagram – Surprise!!! When @bloomingdales reached out to me about making a dress to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Big Brown Bag – I was immediately on board! I wanted to bring my brand’s DNA to the project, while maintaining the integrity of the iconic Big Brown Bag kraft paper aesthetic. So I created a special chainmail made from actual Bloomingdale’s Big Brown Bags. This tiny paper chainmail, like my metal designs, is entirely hand made. The process starts by cutting the BBBs into 8.5 x 11” sheets, ironing them flat (yes, flashbacks to pressing paper patterns out at Parsons were had), then cutting the sheets into thousands of small strips using a hand held paper cutter (that I may have found tossed out on a street corner by my West Hollywood apartment…), and finally taping them together with little double sided tabs to create a honeycomb like pattern. I used this technique to create the skirt for the project, finishing it off with a Bloomingdales waistband (sourced from the side of the bag). The paper skirt is delicate, but because of the technique I developed for the project, it actually stretches quite a bit and allows a full range of movement! For the top, I wanted to design something a little more clean and simple that really focused on the theme. So I opted for a 90’s style bandeau top with the famous words front and center, integrating hand straps from actual bags to create shoulder straps for the top. By incorporating a few smart darts in the front and some corset work in the back, I was able to transition a Big Brown Bag into a Small Sleek Top. The overall silhouette of the look gives a wink to the 1950s, celebrating Bloomingdales lasting impact on fashion. Swipe through for a small taste of BTS – more to come! And yes model @lamekafox IS wearing a pair of our own chain earrings! Shoutout to @riowarner and @maya_adelle – this was a true labor of love that involved thousands of little movements – little cuts, little bits of tape – and these two rockstars made sure I got the project done in time by helping prep thousands of paper tabs for me. And thank you @p810km for being our fit model 🥰 Thank you @ela.ine.k @tatootsie for bringing me on!!