Is this the future of fashion? Woman takes to the streets in a seamless gown that took two months to craft using just an IRON - but she struggles just putting it on

Who needs zips and buttons? A group of forward-thinking fashion students have created what's believed to be one of the world's first range of seamless dresses - without the use of needle and thread, instead using just an iron to bind the fabric.

Budding designers from the London College of Fashion were set the task to manufacture the gowns, which look incredibly glamorous, but are the garments really practical?

One FEMAIL writer Unity Blott, 26, from London took to the streets of London wearing one of the glamorous gowns to find out - once she managed to get into it, that is...

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Strangers at the bus stop steal a glance at the unusual look, which was designed by student Henrietta Boyd-Wallis

Unity trialled the dress on a London high street. One woman asked if it was from M&S, while some were visibly bemused

The first dresses to be created without the use of needle and thread, zippers or buttons have been made by a group of fashion students who used a regular household iron to craft the designs. FEMAIL writer Unity Blot put one to the test on the streets of London

Trying to fit my head through a tiny collar, with my arm above my head, I have to admit defeat - I'm completely stuck. 

No, this isn't a too-tight LBD for the office Christmas party, or a cashmere jumper that's shrunk in the wash - it's one of the world's first seamless dresses.

This means there are no stitches, zips or buttons to speak of - instead, the entire garment is held together using clever folds, knots and special fabric adhesive. This also means it's beyond tricky to take on and off.

My dress, part of a collection by a group of fashion students, was made without the use of needles, thread or even a sewing machine.

Instead, they used a simple household iron for everything from steaming, starching and pleating, to dyeing the fabric. They even used one to help join the garments together at the seams, rather than using traditional fastenings like buttons, zips or hooks.

But while the designs are certainly impressive, is a totally seamless dress really practical? 

I decided to put it to the test by wearing Henrietta Boyd-Wallis's blue and green origami-inspired creation - made from silk taffeta - on a busy London high street, among throngs of bemused Christmas shoppers.

London College of Fashion Henrietta Boyd-Wallis designed the dress that Unity is wearing. The ankle-skimming dress in navy and pistachio, was created from a single piece of silk taffeta wrapped and folded around the model's body

The dress, which features no zips or buttons, was secured at the back with a sash. Strangers' reactions were extremely mixed

The first hurdle was undoubtedly getting it over my head. Comprised of two holes to squeeze it through, and just one for your arm, the dress is a sartorial maze that wraps around your body like a toga and is secured with a sash that ties at the back.

Once I'd got myself in, it was time to take to the streets for a road test. 

Braving the cold, I was faced with the inevitable stares from passersby - it's certainly more of an evening look than one for pounding the pavement.

Reactions from shoppers were mixed - ranging from bemused glances to openly gawping. One man said the dress was 'beautiful', while a woman at the bus stop asked if I'd bought it from M&S.

The students unveiled their collection on December 9, after a painstaking two-month design and making process. The four handcrafted designs were made using a range of different fabrics and include intricate techniques from knotting to crystal embellishment.

Mine, an ankle-skimming dress in navy and pistachio, was created from a single piece of silk taffeta wrapped and folded around the model's body, then fastened using Bondaweb - a fabric adhesive - and an iron. A second, light green piece crêpe silk and some Swarovski crystal embellishment were later added. The designer, Henrietta Boyd-Wallis, took her inspiration from Japanese origami.  

The four unique designs were created by London College of Fashion students using just an iron. The students were set the challenge of designing a range of garments, completely forgoing any sort of sewing equipment - with incredible results

The collection was part of a project to show how garments can be created using different ironing techniques. The students used an iron for everything from steaming, starching and pleating, to dyeing the fabrics. They even used it to help join the garments together

Henrietta said: 'My design is centred on a single piece of fabric which I have folded and wrapped around the body, and then sealed with starch and heat from the iron.' 

Another dress was made using one swathe of pastel-hued fabric, with tiny pleats added with an iron. The look was achieved using colour-printed paper on top of the fabric, then iron-heated to transfer the colour on. It was designed by 19-year-old fashion student Yanan Yao.

Using several pieces of die-cut fabric, a flamingo-inspired dress was coloured with shades of orange and pink and held together using an iron and starch. It was designed by 25-year-old fashion student Yumi Kim.

A smart grey and red dress was fastened by fraying and then knotting the edges of the fabric to create a seam, where a traditional sewing machine would have otherwise been used. The design was dreamed up by 32-year-old Bahar Alipour.

Rob Phillips, London College of Fashion's creative director, said: 'All four dresses are incredibly different and showcase very different ways in which the iron can be used to create a fashionable garment.' The project was in collaboration with Braun.   

The Verdict

While the dress was far from uncomfortable, the awkwardness of getting it on – and constant fretting that it was going to come unravelled at the slightest gust of wind – meant it was difficult to relax in it. That said, it’s a lovely design and something I’d happily wear to a black tie event… just maybe not down a busy London high street. 

Henrietta created this black, green and diamante gown (left) in silk taffeta using just two single sheets of fabric, adhesive and an iron - and this paper-effect die-cut dress (right), designed by 25-year-old Yumi Kim, is held together using only starch

This creation, by 19-year-old fashion student Yanan Yao, was inspired by the crane bird. The entire dress is made from pleats created with the iron, and dyed by placing specialist colour printed paper on top of the material which was then heated using the iron

This grey and red dress was fastened by fraying and then knotting the edges of the fabric to create a seam where a traditional sewing machine would have otherwise been used. The design was dreamed up by 32-year-old Bahar Alipour

A simple household iron was used to create hundreds of delicate pleats which gave Yanan Yao's dress shape and texture