Asheville Paper Craze

I just read something super interesting in the Jan. 08 edition of Our State magazine, a great publication about North Carolina. Find it on the web: http://www.ourstate.com/

A team called Mars of Asheville, made up by a married couple, Audie and Bob Bayer, created a fashion fade in the 1960s. Their “Waste Basket Boutique” caught everyone’s attention, and for good reason- everything was made out of paper. You could find their “disposable paper couture” in everything from floor length gowns to bikinis. The Asheville Art Museum houses examples that anyone can take a peek at.
Audie and Bob had perfect timing. People loved the idea of wearing an outfit and throwing it out. After the years of not wasting, only saving, paper dresses were a dream. Soon, they were placing orders of 100,000 and recovering from complete shock. But, with the Vietnam War, death of Martin Luther King Jr. and other national disasters, the excitement wore off in 1969.

Something new sprang up though. Those silly frocks you wear at the doctor’s office and the sometimes cool scrubs the nurses and other medical personnel sport. Vogue showed off these fashions, which is a little hard to believe.

You can find paper dresses on ebay, and they continue to pop up. I guess it’s something no one wants to toss anymore.

Check out Our State. Website one more time: http://www.ourstate.com

Have fun!