One of the many unique costumes made for the 2009 Glass Art Society Conference fashion show, organized by Laura Donefer. “Cedi” Nomoda Djuba, Verity Jasmin Burley, and Nikita Hairston, Dipo. Glass beads, cloth. Modeled by Beau Anderson. photo: stephen wild
The 2012 Glass Art Society Conference, set to take place at the Toledo Museum of Art, will mark the return of the Laura Donefer-produced fashion show to the annual gathering of glass artists after a two-year hiatus. The conference, set for Summer 2012, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Toledo Workshops that became the launching pad for the Studio Glass movement. Donefer has put out a call for submissions from artists with enough confidence to model their own wearable glass creations who will not only need to avoid tripping and falling, but also steel their courage to wear often transparent costumes made of glass for the fashion show that has provided a raucous and sometimes racy finale for eight previous GAS conferences.
Laura Donefer, She’s Got Balls! Torchworked glass balls, silk cape, cloth. Modeled by Laura Donefer. photo: suzy lamont, 2009
Since 1989 Donofer has organized nine different fashion shows, the last one held at the 2009 Glass Art Society annual conference in Corning, New York. Images of the rich variety of finely crafted wearable art pieces seen in that iteration of the fashion show became the subject of Donefer’s book titled “Laura Donefer’s Glass Fashion Extravaganza.”
Jeremie Draper, Crackled Bust #3. Kiln-formed glass. Modeled by Lizzie Norton. photo: suzy lamont, 2009
Some of the highlights of 2009 were Crackled Bust #3 by Jeremie Draper, a corset made with kiln-formed glass, performance artist Pat Oleszko’s Bubbles and Escork made with champagne glasses, champagne, and corks, and Donefer’s own She’s Got Balls!, a fluorescent pink dress made with torchworked glass balls, a silk cape and cloth.
For 2010, Donefer temporarily relocated her fashion extravaganza to Montreal, where she oversaw a fusion of glass art and high fashion for an event that closed out the Glass Art Association of Canada semi-annual conference. In a sharp contrast to the atmosphere at GAS conferences of artists letting their hair down, the 2010 fashion show was a highly choreographed collaboration between top Canadian fashion designers and glass artists, and the parade of costumes took place along an actual high fashion catwalk complete with flashbulbs and legions of fashion press who were fascinated by the concept of glass couture. The event led to at least two ongoing collaborations between glass artists and designers.
The Montreal designer known simply as "Helmer" collaborated with glass artist Jean-Marie Giguère to create this dress from 800 elements, a show-stopper that led off the fashion show on the last night of the conference. photo: maciek wilkos
Though no fashion show is currently planned for the Seattle GAS conference this summer, Donefer is putting out the call for submissions for the 2012 show. Designs submitted for the fashion show must be at least 50-percent glass and can be made using any technique. Kiln-formed, blown, recycled glass, and more are all welcome. Donefer told the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet that all artists/designers interested in being considered should contact her as soon as possible as she has a limit of 75 costumes total allowed on stage, and has already chosen 40 of those. Act quickly to snare one of the 35 spots remaining!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For questions, or to learn more about the show and how to submit, contact Laura Donefer directly by email at lauradon@kos.net.
—Alica Forneret