how to… with maya golyshkina

For a while I was driven by the desire to be a Transformer, so this is the next best thing. Anything can be made from cardboard, from furniture to fashion… It’s recyclable, too.

You will need: 12 plain cardboard boxes and scissors.

Box by box, cut arm, leg and head holes into them as you arrange them across the body. The strength of this minimal look is in the placement of the cuboids, so keep checking in the mirror as you build up the shape. Keeping the size of the holes close to your limbs ensures that the costume stays secure without having to use unrecyclable plastic tape. Finish off with a simple helmet.

It’s best to source the components of this garment from your own personal litter – that way it says something about you. The shape and quality of the garbage is important to the final look, so shop carefully beforehand and don’t tear packaging too much when opening purchases. Pizza boxes look great for this.

You will need: the contents of your recycling bin, and tape.

It depends on how much litter you accrue, but collect as much as possible in the weeks up to making this piece. Seek out different shapes, colours and textures to ensure your finished gown has plenty of depth. Begin by building a wide circular cone to form a crinoline beneath, layering lighter litter on top of it. Once you reach the waist of the skirt, step into it and build the bustier around yourself. 

Oh, I simply adore eggs. They’re really bright; they stretch; they roll; they’re really cool to work with. I love how they fight with each other, their yolks not wanting to blend until forced. I don’t fully know why I decided to make this – it’s always difficult to explain my motivations. I just thought how cool it would be to be an egg princess, you know?

You will need: a number of eggs, cellophane,  tape and strong glue.

Firstly, wrap yourself in the cellophane plastic sheets. Not too tightly, but allowing the shape of your body to form the dress’s curves. Once you’ve made your garment, fix the eggs over the surface of the dress using tape and glue. The final step is to break all the eggs – after that your dress will start to leak.

I just pictured my head in a sink. It would be delightful to see this sink work out in the world, wouldn’t it?

You will need: paper, tape, tube of toothpaste, toothbrush and a paper cup.

This will take some planning, so it’s best to sketch out the basic frame on paper before cutting out the sections and assembling. For this version, I secured everyday bathroom items to the edges of the sink, but you could pick whatever you fancy – try a seasonal theme, perhaps, or go for an avocado-suite look.