Strapless graffiti dress

Susan Holmes says she knew she couldn't imitate real graffiti so another textile artist, Malcolm Harrison, suggested contacting a friend in Taupo who taught a class of teenage boys who were right into it. "I posted off a few metres of Tivec and a bundle of felt pens and left them to it. The results were astounding and bold and very 'boy'. Cutting it was really hard. The only way I could do it was to totally feminise it by making frilly layers like rose petals!" Phil Fogle photographed many garments designed by Susan in the 1980s and 1990s when her clothes were appearing in fashion magazines such as More and Fashion Quarterly. This photo was taken when Susan and Phil were cruising round the North Shore doing a photo shoot with a Brazilian model. "We had several dresses to do and we had run out of time," Susan recalls. "I spied this old red container in a vacant section, we squealed to a halt, dashed out of the car and I said to her 'pretend you've been locked out and bang on the door' and bingo we had the shot!"

Details

Photographer: Phil Fogle
Copyright: Image © Phil Fogle
Designer: Susan Holmes
Garment type: Dress
Material: Fine wool merino dyed to match skirt (bodice), Tivec (skirt)
Colour: Pink, white
Label: Susan Holmes
Date: Circa 2004