Bycatch, By Hand at Moda 360, Los Angeles

The collaboration

Dana Ellyn & Lucy Tammam

Lucy Tammam is a London couture designer who works in ethical and sustainable fashion. She and Ellyn took as their starting point the Lobster Dress that Salvador Dalí and Elsa Schiaparelli designed for Wallis Simpson, and turned from there to the sea and to bycatch: the fish and other animals caught unintentionally by commercial fishing, then discarded.

The collaboration produced three pieces: two dresses designed and assembled by Tammam then hand painted by Ellyn - and a painting by Ellyn that Tammam hand-stitched. Tammam came to Washington first, where the work was shown at P Street Gallery on April 1 and 2, 2016. From there, the two traveled together to Los Angeles for Moda 360.

They also printed scarves together, using a linoleum block Ellyn carved, on Tammam scarves.

Hand-painted skirt from a Bycatch, By Hand dress, held open to show pink, red and yellow-eyed fish — Ellyn’s hand-painted fish on one of the skirts, held open.

Hand-painted Bycatch, By Hand skirt hanging in folds, its hem covered in painted fish with yellow eyes — The same skirt hanging, the fish gathered around the hem.

Tulle Bycatch, By Hand gown on a mannequin beside Fish Rapture, an oil painting by Dana Ellyn of fish rising toward a haloed figure — The tulle gown beside Ellyn’s *Fish Rapture*, oil on canvas.

Visitors at Moda 360 looking at the Bycatch, By Hand dresses and Ellyn’s yellowfin tuna painting with Tammam’s stitching — Visitors at the Tammam × Ellyn display.

On the runway

Moda 360 · The New Mart

Moda 360 takes place during Los Angeles Market Week, when buyers are in town, and presents independent designers alongside artists and filmmakers. The two Bycatch, By Hand gowns closed the Moda 360 runway, which was filmed for reality TV. The True Cost, a film by Andrew Morgan, was screened on April 5, the second day.

Model on the Moda 360 runway in the Bycatch, By Hand tulle gown with painted fish on the skirt — The tulle gown on the runway.

Model on the Moda 360 runway in the hand-painted Bycatch, By Hand dress, an Atelier Tammam screen behind her — The hand-painted dress, with Atelier Tammam on the screen behind.

On the Moda 360 stage.

Two models on the Moda 360 runway in the Bycatch, By Hand dresses, the painted skirt in motion — Both dresses on the runway.

Models in white and cream walking the Moda 360 runway, including both Bycatch, By Hand dresses — The closing walk.

Seated audience at the Moda 360 runway with camera operators filming behind them — The audience, with camera crews filming for reality TV.

Two paintings

Fast Fashion · Meet Your Makers

To prepare for the shows, Ellyn watched The True Cost, a documentary about the people who make our clothes. It inspired two paintings, Fast Fashion and Meet Your Makers, which she showed in both Washington and Los Angeles. The film was also screened at Moda 360.

In both images, the women who work on our apparel are given a front row seat at the fashion show – as long as they keep sewing.
Bel Esprit's Beautiful World, 2017

Fast Fashion

Acrylic on canvas · 30 × 20 in. · 2016

Painted after Ellyn watched The True Cost: the cost of fast fashion, paid by the people who sew it.

Meet Your Makers

Acrylic on canvas · 30 × 24 in. · 2016

A companion to Fast Fashion, introducing the garment workers behind the clothes on the runway.

Ellyn’s paintings

On the walls at Moda 360

Alongside the collaborations, Ellyn also hung a selection of her own paintings.

Dana Ellyn beside her painting Meet Your Makers, a model in purple on a runway with garment workers sewing on either side — Ellyn with *Meet Your Makers*.

Display of Dana Ellyn paintings at Moda 360, including Fast Fashion, a rooster, a pig and two figures with animals — Part of Ellyn’s wall, with *Fast Fashion* at top left.

Moda 360

A complete fashion revolution

The event’s posted schedule called it “a fully merchandised exhibition fusing the worlds of art, fashion and film,” held in the 3rd Floor Exhibit Hall of The New Mart.

The New Mart Building marquee in downtown Los Angeles, with an orange New Mart banner above — The New Mart Building.

Dana Ellyn outside The New Mart under a Moda 360 banner reading Complete Fashion Revolution — Outside, under the Moda 360 banner.

Moda 360 A Complete Fashion Revolution sign in the exhibit hall — In the hall.

Moda 360 schedule of events for April 4 and 5, 2016, including a screening of The True Cost — The schedule for April 4–5, 2016.

Lucy Tammam looking through racks of clothing at Moda 360 — Lucy Tammam at the clothing racks.

Around Los Angeles

The trip

Dana Ellyn and designer Nancy Dee in sunglasses on a downtown Los Angeles street in front of the Tower Theatre — Ellyn (left) and Nancy Dee, a British sustainable and vegan fashion designer, in front of the Tower Theatre.

Selfie in Los Angeles of a friend with Nancy Dee, Dana Ellyn and Lucy Tammam — From second left: Nancy Dee, Ellyn and Tammam.

Sunny garden at a Los Angeles Airbnb, with a lounge chair, tropical plants and a laptop on a wooden table — The Airbnb.

Dana Ellyn in a selfie with a black and white dog in a garden — With the dog who shared the house.

Tree-lined Los Angeles street with the Hollywood sign on the hills in the distance — The Hollywood sign, off in the distance.

Elsewhere

Sources and further reading

Lucy Tammam, HuffPost UK → Bel Esprit, March 2016 → Bel Esprit, January 2017 → Interview, i'm an animal too → Dana Ellyn — life & work → Press archive by year → New paintings →