molly goddard's 30-foot-long tulle dresses can be embroidered by NOW gallery visitors

british fashion designer molly goddard, best known for her voluminous and whimsical tulle dresses, has infilled london’s NOW gallery with an installation of oversized garments suspended from the ceiling. behind the glazed façade, six vibrantly-colored designs — made from 400 meters of tulle — hang from the gallery’s roof. goddard encourages visitors to approach and interact with the collection, where each ensemble is attached to a pulley system and can be raised or lowered on demand. this action invites viewers to physically participate with the installation, allowing them to embroider their own designs directly onto the dresses.

all images by charles emerson

on from now until february 19, 2017, ‘what I like’ at greenwich peninsula’s NOW gallery reflects the motifs and materials that lie at the core of the designer’s brand ethos. for this installation, goddard reimagines her works in tulle by exploring how much fabric can be used in a single garment.

around the room, chairs, scissors, large plastic needles, and a shelf of colored threads encourage participants to experiment, make mistakes and celebrate their individual creativity. the oversized dresses have each been slightly embroidered before installation, ensuring that participants feel at ease when making their own stitchings. on the gallery wall, simple embroidery techniques are featured on posters, which relay graphic instructions to follow and interpret, alongside filmed footage of goddard’s past presentations to contextualize the installation. over the course of the exhibition, an ever-expanding display of handcrafted embroideries will take shape on the gowns.

‘I am so excited to be able to really celebrate craft technique in such an extreme visual way, making oversize, non precious interactive pieces is key to what I love and what the brand aims to represent,’ molly goddard says. ‘I can’t wait to see the stories which will be told through embroidery and to witness what skills people have or manage to discover when visiting the exhibition.’

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