Nineteen miles from Oxford, England lies the small town of Brackley, a town built on lace and wool trade and now getting attention for fashion of another sort. Local designer Brad Dykes, age 27, heated up runways at London Fashion Week with a dress made of Drink Me Chai tea sachets.
The dress was commissioned by the hot drink company. Over a one week period, Dykes sewed 500 latte packets onto a base of skin colored mesh. Worn by model Liz Day, the garment had a tight-fitting sleeveless bodice and a sweeping skirt. It was shown in the Somerset House courtyard during London Fashion Week in mid-February. Dykes said he drew inspiration from the bright, vibrant colors of the company’s chai line.
The dress will get another star turn during Chai Awareness Week and the company is considering auctioning it off for charity.
Dykes previously designed for Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake and is currently working in London with his label Style Armell, a dance apparel company.
Drink Me Chai is located on Starts Hill Road in Farnborough. They specialize in spiced and vanilla chai latte drinks for supermarket and coffee shop chains.
See a picture of the dress here.