Dressed in Paper: The Exquisite Craft of Ann Lines

While researching Tasmania’s 2024 Paper on Skin competition, I discovered the astonishing paper fashions of Ann Lines—a Manchester, England artist whose intricate designs stopped me in my tracks.

 

I reached out to Ann, knowing she must be incredibly busy. You see, not only does she make complex fashions and matching accessories that require endless hours and patience, but she also makes the paper that she relies on for much of her work. Beyond that, Ann travels the world and challenges herself to learn new art techniques, not necessarily paper-related. 

 

 

bodice of in-progress rolled paper twine dress with inlaid paper sequin butterflies

 

Ann shared with me a bit of her art journey:

 

"Although my art degree focused on metal work, I found myself drawn to the more tactile nature of paper after graduation. Working in a school, the sheer amount of discarded paper sparked an idea: to teach myself paper recycling, driven by a desire for greater creative control and a passion for environmental responsibility."

 

"I embarked on a journey of trial and error, eventually mastering the art of creating the perfect recycled paper for my artwork. My twine paper is made by meticulously hand-rolling strips of this handmade material. To relax my hands, I use electric heated mitten gloves."   

 

Below is the vivid yellow ensemble as modeled at Paper on Skin where it was a Finalist. Titled Grace, Ann noted that it was inspired by the elegance and style of the 1950s. Even the pearl necklace is made entirely of paper! 

 

She told about its making on Instagram: 

 

"I crafted a pearl necklace to complement the 'Grace' dress using paper pulp, shaped into half pearls using a silicone mould. A sturdy paper twine was seamlessly sandwiched between the two halves. After applying a layer of acrylic paint, I enhanced the design with gold-painted paper rings between each pearl, mimicking the elegance of metal rings. The clasp was made from twine with embedded metal wire."

 

Her Instagram grid (@annmadepaper) launched in 2020 and shows the evolution of her paper art. In 2022 she began doing dimensional pieces... spheres for example, like this beauty, but from then on it's been predominantly paper dresses, along with matching handbags, shoes, and hats. 

 

Prior to creating 3D art, Ann experimented with using household materials to enhance her own handmade paper sheets. For example, she would sometimes stain the pulp with tea or coffee, and carve designs into polystyrene pizza containers to produce texture during the mould and deckle paper making process. She would then use the sheets to create framed art scenes. 

This brilliant red paper dress with coordinating shoes that Ann completed in the summer of 2024 took months to construct, as do many of her fashion projects. 

 

 

Again, she relied on hand-rolled strips that were painstakingly glued into diamond shapes before being assembled as dress fabric. Watch her process on IG.

 

 

Her most recent fashion foray is a refined leaf-inspired dress, handbag, and shoes. Paper twine was used to create texture that mimics the delicate veining of foliage.

 

 

Ann Lines

Follow along with future projects of paper artist Ann Lines on Instagram, @annmadepaper, where you'll find her grid to be a treasure trove of paper innovation.