In 1944 Claude Hensinger, an American serviceman, jumped out of his burning aircraft over war-torn Japan, deployed his parachute and eventually found his way to safety. After the war, his fiancée used material from the parachute to make her wedding gown. It may not have been the most luxurious material, but given that it brought her fiancé home alive, it was infinitely more valuable to her than silk or taffeta would have been. The dress is now part of the collection at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
Creative Couture: 15 Dresses Made from Weird Materials
Forget silk and lace. Artists and designers know that truly creative couture can include everything from electrical wiring to discarded juice pouches. Here are 15 surprising frocks.
Parachute Wedding Gown
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15 Dresses Made From Weird Materials