I'm sure fashion designers get a lot of strange requests from potential customers, but arguably none can top a bride-to-be's request to have her dead mother's hair featured on her wedding dress.
The anonymous woman even drew a sketch indicating exactly where she wants her late mother's hairs to be sewn.
As you can see in the image below, the woman wants her mother's hair to appear in the neckline collar, sleeves, bodice, and bottom trim of the dress.
According to the request, the woman is looking for someone who can recreate her mother's wedding dress from the 1950s.
After the recent passing of her mother, the bride-to-be wants to "create a special memento of her life."
She said she had been collecting the hair for four years before her mother passed away in August, after learning she was very ill.
"At the time I wasn't sure why I was collecting it, however, now I think I do."
While the woman admits that the request is "strange," she's willing to pay nearly $20,000 for the replica.
While no one has come forward yet to help the bride-to-be, she hopes that someone will be able to finish her request by August of next year for the anniversary of her mother's death.
The ethics behind human hair
First, human hair isn't the easiest material to use as fabric.
"Hair is full of keratin and does not have the natural bond that wool has, like microscopic hooks that help the material to be stable and strong like in a classical felt," Alix Bizet, a designer who has previously made clothing from human hair, told The Independent.
But aside from the difficulty, there may be a good reason why the woman has chosen to remain anonymous.
"Using human hair is often perceived as gross and unethical, due to the past history in Europe (the Nazis used murdered Jews' hair to make various items during the Second World War) but also because it has been associated with cannibalism," Bizet added.
Having said that, Bizet understands that hair can also be seen as something spiritual, which is why the bride-to-be is drawn to putting her late mother's hair on the most special garment in her life.
This request may not be as strange as you think
In the 19th Century, many people made wreaths out of their loved ones' hair, which symbolized the family tree.
Queen Victoria was also believed to wear a locket of Prince Albert's hair after he died in 1861.
Other unusual uses for human hair include making a chair, stopping an oil spill, fertilizer, and making incense.
If you think you can help the bride-to-be, get in touch with Sewport, a site that helps designers connect with manufactures.
[H/T: BBC / Independent]
