Vivienne Cleary

Our Lady's Bower Secondary School

Westmeath County Council

This upcycled design is inspired by the elegance and grandeur of theatre curtains.

Our young designer Vivienne sourced three polyester dresses from her local charity shop where volunteers. 

She began by deconstructing the dresses, which gave her an idea of how the pieces were designed and put together. Once the dresses were taken apart, Vivienne was able to copy and alter the pattern pieces, giving her new dress a dropped waistline and strapless top. 

Vivienne crafted a base skirt with gathering details, adding 12 panels of sheer tulle to create a flowy look. 

She reused a zipper from one of the original dresses, shortening it to fit. The outfit is completed with shoes decorated with leftover tulle and a headpiece made from a repurposed headband.