The seventh annual Cosmo Couture event challenged firms to design clothing using building materials. This years theme of “Under the Big Top” assigned teams circus-inspired themes, including KGD Architecture’s “Clown”.

“We hope to take the audience by surprise and charm them with the oddity of it all. Using a wide variety of materials to play with texture, transparency, dimensionality, and color, the design has an energetic transformative quality that is too much to take in all at once.” says Lead Designer Cristina Alvarez.

Collaborating with The Scott Brogan Group, a leading wood veneer and laminate manufacturer, KGD created a clown-inspired costume that used dyed hardwood veneer, dyed barkskin, colored films and colored laminates.

KGD Associate Larry Henderson wore the Firm’s outfit inspired by the Steampunk Movement, which included detailed accessories like a fascinator, eyewear, boots and umbrella.

“Each and every part of the costume, the way it was conceived and the way it was brought to life simply goes to show the passion you have as designers – it’s a beautiful thing, and it’s exactly why I am in this business” Says Scott Brogan, President of The Scott Brogan Group.

The event is put on by the International Interior Design Association Mid-Atlantic Chapter’s Washington Metro City Center and was held at The Howard Theatre in Washington DC.

The 2016 Cosmo Couture beneficiary is Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC (RTDC).  RTDC’s mission is to preserve and revitalize low-income homes and community facilities in our Nation’s Capital.