Thousands of people read last week's feature on the deadly thrills and spills of home-built airplanes. Countless fans followed our instructions and made paper planes out of our innovative cover. But only one person took the story's DIY focus to heart.
Local artist Julia Veli made dozens of paper planes from the cover, then fashioned them into the sexiest thing to say New Times this year.
Keep reading for more photos of Veli's creation
Veli, whose resume includes making "wearable art" for a recent enviro-friendly fashion show at the Setai Hotel, was sitting at home on Monday when two friends brought over a fat stack of New Times red, white, and blue "Paper Planes" covers.
"You have to make a dress," they told her.
"I used to love making paper planes when I was a kid," Veli says. "So I said I'd do it."
She spent all day clipping, folding, and taping dozens of covers, first into airplanes and then into an edgy but chic outfit that looks like something Sailor Moon might wear.
"For whatever reason, the inspiration for the design was Britney Spears from 'Toxic' [the music video]," she says.
Veli then invited model friend Alexia Delorme over to try on the DIY dress.
Below are pics that Veli snapped on her Blackberry while putting the dress together. She says she is working with a fashion photographer to shoot Delorme and the dress in a private airplane hangar early next week.
The artist, who also paints, says this isn't the first time she's used our covers for materials.
"I have my little way that I do it down to a science," Veli says. But this time, she's outdone herself.
"Miami is a fun, sexy, edgy place," she adds. "So that's what I tried to do with the dress."
Check out Veli's Facebook page for more of her work.
Continue for more pictures of Veli's "Paper Planes" dress...
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