Thea S. Morton ’06-’08, definitely looks the part of a fashion designer. In an all-black ensemble (except for a chic pair of snakeskin moccasins), the six-foot-one couture connoisseur exudes confidence. Within minutes of finding out the metropolitan theme of this year’s contest, Morton has formulated a vision for her project.
“I knew I wanted to use newspaper from the get-go,” she explains. “I’m intrigued with the idea of found materials as opposed to going out and buying things.”
Her first destination, therefore is no fancy textile outlet. For the bulk of her “fabric,” Morton goes through The Crimson’s recycling bins and collects old issues of the New York Times and Fifteen Minutes.
Even so, she joins fellow designer Alexandra M. Hays ’09 for a trip to The Garment District later that afternoon, where both begin picking through the massive “dollar-fifty a pound” clothing pile. Mid-treasure hunt, Morton’s model calls for details.
“It’s going to be made of newspaper, just to warn you,” Morton cautions with a grin. “It’s a conceptual outfit.”
An hour later, Morton is at the cash register with her finds—a fur coat, a gray vest, and a pair of black leather ankle boots (for herself). After a minor blip involving receipts, she’s on her way back to Harvard for a film screening. “I’ll probably start working at ten or eleven,” she says. “It shouldn’t take too long since I’m mostly using newspaper.”
Morton strategizes for a few hours late Thursday night, getting up at ten the next morning to do the actual constructing. She considers using pages from the Style section of the New York Times, but instead opts for old FM issues.
One and a half hours later, she has completed the centerpiece of her outfit: a multi-ply newspaper skirt with mod duct tape trim. For a finishing touch, Morton decorates the skirt with FM logos and owls from October 4th issue: “The FM script is like how you label your product, as if it’s a designer signature,” she explains.
“Luckily, I have a damn hot model,” she laughs. And damn hot fabric too!
