Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s

Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s explores the era’s short-lived phenomenon of paper fashion through more than 60 rare garments and accessories crafted from non-woven textiles. These fashions, introduced in 1966 as a promotional campaign for Scott Paper Company, combined bold, graphic design with space-age innovations in materials. Sporting patterns inspired by pop art, op art, anti-war “flower power,” and more, paper fashion’s iconic silhouettes and styles—from A-line mini dresses to bikinis—became daring demonstrations of the durability and design potential of the era’s newly developed paper-like fibers, such as rayon (a cellulose fiber), polyester, and other synthetic blends. Surfacing a little-known chapter in the history of design, Generation Paper illuminates the creative partnerships of craft and commerce in the development of semi-synthetic and synthetic materials.

Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s is organized by Phoenix Art Museum. Unless otherwise noted, all embellishments were made by Phoenix Art Museum. Support for Generation Paper is provided by Jill Bayer Ciporin and Daniel T. Ciporin, Mars Manufacturing. The exhibition is made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Media support provided by Branded Cities.