CSM graduate fredrik tjærandsen creates shape-shifting balloon dresses

central saint martins fashion student fredrik tjaerandsen has presented a collection of shape-shifting balloons that deflate to form dresses and skirts. the pieces, which formed part of the designers ‘moments of clarity’ collection, were shown at the college’s annual BA fashion show on friday.

images courtesy of the designer

models were engulfed by large inflatable spheres that covered their bodies whilst walking the runway. using a simple valve inside let them control the air-flow of the piece and dive out of the top of the balloon.

fredrik tjaerandsen created eight looks in total, each featuring a balloon element. several were self-deflated during the show and transformed into dresses and skirts. another model wore a black rubber outfit with two giant banana-shaped sleeves.

‘the `bubble ́ I have designed with the shape of a torus‘, the designer explained. ‘the inner part of the torus is where the garment is constructed and inverts out to the bubble.’

all the outfits were made from natural rubber that tjaerandsen sourced from sri lankan suppliers that support and buy the material from local growers. tjærandsen won the l’oréal professional young talent award for the collection, which he says is inspired by human self-awareness.

‘my collection is inspired by an almost indefinable moment when a human’s self-awareness becomes active and sentiment,’ he adds. ‘I have strived to develop a process of experimental practice and development through which i could react and create my own expression of this moment and experience of being in that moment.’

tjaerandsen inflated each dress before the show, filling the structures with around two to three thousand litres of oxygen. while the smaller bubbles took 10 minutes, the biggest bubble took about 1 hour.

the collection was chosen as the closing collection for csm’s fashion design womenswear ba graduate show for 2019. 43 students showed their final pieces during the presentation, which took place at the college in london’s kings cross on thursday 30 may.