Dance photographer Melkina Dez and paper artist Pauline Loctin were out drinking one night (not necessarily true, but that’s how I picture it) when they came up with a brilliant idea. Why not combine their two super powers into one kick-ass project?
They call it the PLI.Ē Project, and it’s every bit as spectacular as you’d hope. Loctin designed and made the wearable origami costumes, and Dez shot the glorious photos. Though they began the project shooting the costumes in a controlled studio environment, they eventually concluded that it would be more exciting to take the costumes out into the world.
“Paper can be a fragile material to work with and that is exactly why we decided to make the impossible, possible. No matter which element we would be confronted to, water (rain), wind, we wanted to show that we are limitless.”
I would love to see some of those costumes in motion. I imagine they’d move in unexpectedly wonderful ways. Maybe they should work with a choreographer and create an origami ballet. I’d buy tickets to see that!
The costumes range from traditional ballet silhouettes to intricately-folded avant garde shapes, and I think they’re all fantastic.
You can see all the photos on Loctin’s Instagram, and Dez on her website.
All photos by Melkina Dez.
October 24, 2018 at 7:28 am
I think you got it right: ‘out drinking one night…’ How cool is this?!
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October 24, 2018 at 8:31 am
It’s just more fun to imagine it that way…
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October 24, 2018 at 7:36 am
Dancing cupcakes?
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October 24, 2018 at 8:31 am
Cupcake liners! That’s it! I was going nuts trying to figure out what they reminded me of. What a relief!
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October 24, 2018 at 8:37 am
Thank you! All I saw was pleats. Cupcake liners–who would have thought?!
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October 24, 2018 at 5:06 pm
Beverly is a smart cookie!
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October 24, 2018 at 10:48 am
In motion: All I can think is torn. These are gorgeous costumes and I hope they hold up well!
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October 24, 2018 at 5:07 pm
I suspect they’re more intended for standing and posing than dancing, but that’s what I think would make them so interesting to see on stage!
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October 24, 2018 at 4:59 pm
Wow! The costumes and the photography are impressive separately but together they are kapow amazing.
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October 24, 2018 at 5:07 pm
I love a good mashup!
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