Design is all about being creative within the materials and constraints you have to work with, as a group of students from LA’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising found out with a fun challenge this week. A dozen future designers were sent to a local 99 Cents Only store and were told to create a fanciful gown from what they could find there.
The discount shop was divided into four departments—household supplies, food, Halloween items and party goods—and a team of budding couturiers was randomly assigned to each. The results vary from a quite classic white cocktail frock with a shimmering iridescent skirt lining crafted from gift wrap bows and picnic table covers to an outrageous peplum-and-mermaid-flared piece comprised of packages of Arizona Iced Tea, Captain Crunch cereal and Twix candy bars.
All of the resulting creations will be on display until September 22 at the 99 Cents Only located at 11040 West Pico. Visitors to the shop are encouraged to vote for their favorite gown by posting a photo of the work they like best to Instagram and tagging @99CentsOnly. The team with the winning design will keep the bragging rights, and voters may also win prizes (though we’re not sure if we could turn winning a 99 Cents Only gift basket into anything as cool as what the students created).
Watch a video below of the teams working on their design challenge, turning random consumer goods into high design.
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