‘I swapped kids parties for £300 balloon dresses’

26 minutes ago Share Save Suzy Lawson Hull Share Save

BBC Neil Barnby started his career as a children’s entertainer making balloon animals at parties

A man who started his career as a children’s entertainer is now making dresses out of balloons that sell for as much as £300. Neil Barnby, from Hull, has mastered the art of balloon fashion and has seen his outfits worn by influencers and celebrities. One of his dresses was worn by US model Alex Consani for a feature in The Face magazine, while Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle has been photographed in another of his designs. Mr Barnby said balloon art was more than just a hobby to him, it was his passion. He said: “It’s just that sense of achievement when it’s finished. It’s wearable art, so it’s just like asking an artist why they paint pictures.”

Neil Barnby/Designer wAIR Singer Nadine Coyle wore balloon wings made by Neil Barnby at Hull Pride, alongside Irish TV personality Lucy Kennedy, who wore a rainbow dress

He added: “I started making dogs for children’s parties and then I just felt that there was more you could do with balloons. I just enjoy it so much.” Mr Barnby moved on from balloon animals to cartoon characters and dolls with woven skirts, which he made for children’s parties. He said he had then been inspired to make balloon dresses after seeing photos online of similar gowns in America. He creates his designs alongside his day job as a product manager for the government.

Neil Barnby/Designer wAIR Neil’s designs are made to order and include balloon wedding dresses

Hundreds of balloons are used to make each garment, taking hours to construct. Each balloon is blown up, then twisted into hundreds of individual bubbles and woven together. “They just take a lot of skill and time to make,” Mr Barnby said. “They will take anywhere between seven and 22 hours to make. The big, extravagant ones are obviously at the top end of that scale and can involve even a thousand balloons.” Mr Barnby creates his designs in his conservatory at his home in Hull, which he shares with his daughter, Evangeline, 23. She said she was really proud of her dad. “When I was about 10 or 11 he started making these balloon dresses and I just thought it was really cool. It’s awesome,” she said.

A dress inspired by The Deep aquarium in Hull, worn by model Bel Hewin