Behind The Scenes : Designers Deliver Art to Go in ‘Walking Canvas’ Fashion Show

A parade of 50 handmade outfits at the “Walking Canvas” fashion show Sunday proved that embellishments can be added to fabric in almost as many ways as there are prepositions: on, across, over, under, between . . .

At the show, which was sponsored by the Textiles and Costume Guild of the Fullerton Museum Center, three dozen designers exhibited various forms of wearable art, from a romantic cotton rose top and flowing sheer skirt to a riveting copper bustier and mesh vest.

To create their art in motion, artists manipulated fabric by: sewing it into an undulating wave design or lattice motif, disguising it with paints and dyes or adorning it with plastic, bone, mirror and discarded men’s ties. Marion Norberg used yards of sheer sausage casing to make a Victorian-style hat that fit perfectly with the show’s setting: a private home in Anaheim built in 1882.

For the afternoon event, outdoor tables were clustered around the back porch of the Victorian home, and the models--mostly fashion students from Fullerton College--exited the home’s back door and walked down the porch steps to thread their way between the tables. This allowed the 150 people in the audience the chance to closely inspect the intricate workmanship. Proceeds from the fund-raiser will be used to catalogue and repair the museum’s collection of 19th- and 20th-Century clothing and textiles.