Persephone Descending
This original design was showcased during the 2018 Fleurotica Fashion Show and Fundraiser for the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago, IL.
Through the interpretation of the myth of Persephone, this design channels the somber romance of a prairie at summer’s end as Persephone prepares to descend into Hades once again.
Made entirely out of real plant material, this look seeks to bring attention to the ecologically diverse and important Illinois Prairie ecosystems. Less than 1% of the native prairies of Illinois remain. They are home to diverse communities of plants and animal, but are becoming increasingly fragmented.
Some of the plants that make prairies so wonderful are highlighted below.
Faux Leather
The textured leather look of the skirt and bodice were made with Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum). Silphium species are common throughout the prairies and provided important food and habitat.
Dried Prairie Dock leaves (left) versus living Prairie Dock in bloom (right)
The base of the cape was made of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi). This grass serves as a nutritional and structural foundation for prairies, as well as provides food and shelter for animals. Big bluestem, like Indian grass, benefits from seasonal prescribed burns that help native plants re-establish and remove invasives. Larkspur, liatris and New England Aster ornament the big bluestem.
Persephone’s crown of glory showcases milkweed pods, cinnamon ferns, carex seeds and Prairie Dropseed — all beauties of the prairies even when flowering is long past.
Lauren Audi | Chlorosoma 
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