Kim Kardashian dresses like trash. Scratch that. It's the other way around.
Mina Gerges, the 20-year-old college student behind the Instagram @keepingupwithmina, recreates celebrity outfits and photos using materials he finds at home or at the dollar store.
His designs range from Kim Kardashian’s Proenza Schouler dress at the CFDA Awards (made with feathers, paint and reinforcements) to Beyoncé’s Givenchy gown at the Met Gala (garbage bags). They take upwards of four hours to make.
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Gerges' project started from a simple question: What would it be like to become a celebrity?
The student of Western University in Ontario began to express himself despite negative reaction.
I made @KimKardashian's #MetGala2015 dress with a beige curtain and lots of paint #YasQueen A photo posted by Mina Gerges (@keepingupwithmina) on May 7, 2015 at 3:37pm PDT
“When I recreated my very first celebrity look, it was Beyoncé's, crying after a breakup. It was so liberating," Gerges tells Mashable. “However, I got a lot of negative response to it. People felt inclined to judge me or make fun of me because I was doing something different, and as a guy, you're not supposed to wear makeup or wear wigs.”
Gerges’ most difficult creation so far has been Kim Kardashians’s Roberto Cavalli, which she wore to the 2015 Met Gala. Made of a shower curtain, he spent 10 hours painting on all of the details.
Yet sometimes the payoff is worth it. Celebrities from Katy Perry to Amber Rose have reposted Gerges’ creations.
My garbage bag dress isn't Givenchy but it's still fierce#MetGala2015 @beyonce A photo posted by Mina Gerges (@keepingupwithmina) on May 6, 2015 at 9:41am PDT
“I realized from there that I was going to keep doing these pictures to push the agenda on gendered expectations that police us into acting or dressing a certain way in order to fit in,” he says.
The hate he has received — ranging from body shaming to homophobia — has not discouraged Gerges to stop. “You should celebrate and embrace your individuality,” he says.
scrunched up tinfoil and a see-through garbage bag never looked so fierce @jlo A photo posted by Mina Gerges (@keepingupwithmina) on Feb 26, 2015 at 9:22am PST
Check out a few of his more popular looks and their materials:
Beyoncé: Red bristol board, rhinestones from the dollar store
you don't need a man as long as you got you @beyonce #ValentinesDay A photo posted by Mina Gerges (@keepingupwithmina) on Feb 14, 2015 at 7:37am PST
Nicki Minaj: Gold bristol board, gold tinsel from the party store
happy birthday @nickiminaj A photo posted by Mina Gerges (@keepingupwithmina) on Dec 8, 2014 at 3:25pm PST
Rihanna: Pipe cleaners, silver paper, purple paint, white bed and pillow sheet
outfit of the day @badgalriri A photo posted by Mina Gerges (@keepingupwithmina) on Nov 1, 2014 at 4:26pm PDT
BONUS: Doug the Pug recreates Kim Kardashian's selfies
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