Source: treehugger.com

Published: January 11, 2013

© Margarita Mileva

Kimberley Mok

Kimberley Mok kimberleymok

There’s no shortage of architects moonlighting as fashion designers nowadays. Bulgarian, New York-based Margarita Mileva is one of them, but instead of churning out dreary, orthogonal fare, she re-uses office supplies like paperclips and rubber bands instead, creating intricately woven, rubbery gowns fit for the catwalk.

Margarita Mileva

© Margarita Mileva

Margarita Mileva

© Margarita Mileva

Mileva’s dresses are painstakingly knotted together using a variety of methods and materials ranging from reused rubber bands, paperclips, business cards, eyelids, mosaic stones, presentation wire binding elements and ribbons. With some pieces consisting of a whopping 18,500 rubber bands, each can take up to 150 hours to complete, with some weighing a hefty 10 kilograms (22 lbs)

Margarita Mileva

© Margarita Mileva

Margarita Mileva

© Margarita Mileva

But she’s not only restricted to dresses, Mileva even makes matching shoes for some outfits. It’s an extension of her love for handmade design, as she describes on Oddity Central:

I always had an eye for jewelry and love to design clothes, knit and make collages. So when I started making jewelry from reusing paperclips, punched business cards and rubber bands, it didn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Rubber band dresses were the next step – I am trying to create unique pieces that I would like to be seen as conversation openers.

Margarita Mileva

© Margarita Mileva

Margarita Mileva

© Margarita Mileva

This is certainly a refreshing and chic way to redefine the ordinary and humble rubber band. Check out more info over at Margarita Mileva’s ArtSlant profile and her architecture and fashion sites.