High-end looks from an unconventional source — shopping bags

Kiko Miyasato

Friday, Sept. 7, 2012 | 6 p.m.

To join in the celebration of Fashion’s Night Out, which happened worldwide on Sept. 6, Las Vegas Magazine, a sister publication of the Sun, contributed a creative slant to the fashion landscape. The task: to create outfits made completely out of familiar retail shopping bags. We commissioned designer Jennifer Henry — owner of Flock Flockflock, a Las Vegas-based company that specializes in designing alternative material couture — to take on the endeavor, creating unique fashion looks with paper. The finished designs are absolutely stunning.

“I’ve been wanting to do something that was related to retail brands for a long time. … It was exciting to have the opportunity to do themed outfits for each individual retailer and to have the demand for a variety of silhouettes,” Henry said. Each look takes its cue from the brand’s overall look and feel, with some of the iconic logos on the retail shopping bags driving the inspiration in design. According to Henry, each look took her between three and seven hours to make. Materials used were pieces and parts of the shopping bags, heavy duty packing tape, double stick tape, staples and a hole punch.

Resting somewhere between illusion, wearable art and couture clothing, each outfit personifies the fun, flirty and chic side of high fashion. Henry takes the reader deeper into the idea behind each look below:

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  Saks Fifth Avenue

  Fashion Show

  “The pantsuit looks very Gwen Stefani meets David Bowie meets some woman from the Upper East Side who can wear something really fabulous. It’s at once totally wild but still very high style,” Henry said.

  Pantsuit created with Saks Fifth Avenue shopping bags. Jimmy Choo handbag ($5,595), Bindya neck scarf ($150), all available at Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show.

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  Victoria’s Secret

  Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort, The Forum Shops at Caesars, The Shoppes at The Palazzo, Fashion Show

  “The color is really fun and keeping the bags whole was really fun, too. The pink-on-pink is so lively and sweet. I also left the true handles all around the skirt, so that the wearer could hold on.”

  Top and skirt created with Victoria’s Secret shopping bags. Stuart Weitzman shoes ($375), available at Saks Fifth Avenue in Fashion Show.

• 

  Michael Kors

  The Shoppes at The Palazzo, Fashion Show, The Forum Shops at Caesars

  “(It’s) super Americana. What’s cool about the Michael Kors bags is that it’s really just a big khaki background with white piping and plain white letters. It made me think of the classic London Fog raincoat. It’s a chic, new-era raincoat with the tissue paper shirtdress.”

  Dress created with Michael Kors tissue and raincoat created with Michael Kors shopping bags. Necklace ($395), sunglasses ($99), Hamilton handbag ($498), all available at Michael Kors at The Shoppes at The Palazzo and The Forum Shops at Caesars, shoes ($125), available at Topshop at Fashion Show.

• 

  Guess

  Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort, The Forum Shops at Caesars, Fashion Show

  “The Guess ads are all lips and eyes and beautiful women, and it’s fun to striate them and take away so much of the identifiable element, but you still see faces and eyes and lips looking back at you. The top is Guess logo after Guess logo after Guess logo. The look is super-short and sexy, the way a Guess (outfit) should be.”

  Top and skirt created with Guess shopping bags. Stuart Weitzman shoes ($425) from Saks Fifth Avenue, available in Fashion Show.

Photography by Robert John Kley; Art Direction: Erik Stein; Dress Stylist: Jennifer Henry; Accessory Stylist: Todd Hanshaw; Hair and Makeup: Sarah Barker; Model: Taya Sopikova