A vintage gown with real a-peel: The incredible Thirties dress made from grapefruit skins

We have seen gowns made out of meat, cheese, and even gummy bears; but long before these modern-day food designs come about, women were making dresses from fruit. In a photo released from a 1939 edition of National Geographic, a young women poses in a geometric masterpiece made entirely out of grapefruit peels. Her dress, which at first glance appears to have come straight out of a Grace Coddington styled Vogue photo shoot, was handmade in celebration of Rio Grande Delta's harvest season during the beginning of spring.

A zest for style: A photo from a 1939 edition of National Geographic shows a model dressed in a gown made entirely out of grapefruit peels. It was made to celebrate Rio Grande Delta's harvest season

While it appears the grapefruit pieces are fastened on to paper, how it was made, or how long it took to make, are unknown details.

However vegetable trim was also used in the finer details of the eatable and Pacific Island-looking dress.

Rio Grande Delta, at the southernmost tip of South Texas, which separates Mexico from the U.S., is the third largest producer of citrus fruit in America.

Grapefruit makes up over 70per cent of the region's citrus crop, which also includes orange, watermelon, tangerine, tangelo and Meyer lemon production each winter.

Available to buy as a print on the website ART for $40, the romantic photo was taken by National Geographic's B. Anthony Stewart who pioneered 35mm and color photography.

Taking inspiration from this vintage dress with an expiry date, many fashion savvy creatives have come up with their own eatable gowns.

Twelv magazine featured a dress made out of 50,000 gummy bears earlier this year, while South Korean artist Sung Yeonju fashioned a dress out if sliced aubergine last year.

In 2010 Lady Gaga wore a dress made of raw beef, commonly referred to by the media as the meat dress, to the MTV Video Music Awards.

Designed by Franc Fernandez and styled by Nicola Formichetti, the dress was condemned by animal rights groups, and named by Time as the top fashion statement of that year.

Source: Mail online