BEHIND THE SEAMS HOW TO SHOOT LIKE A FASHION PRO
Getting the most out of your Fashion photography shoots by reading top tips from Head of Fashion
Anna Burgess
FIND OUT WHERE OUR TALENTED YEAR 13s ARE OFF TO NEXT! Interviews with Arina Melnik, Eason Hu & Dalila Legesse
…and that’s not all! YEAR 11
TURNING THE PAGES
Take a look inside the best GCSE , A-Level & IB Fashion sketchbooks this year
REVEAL ALL ABOUT THEIR FASHION STUDIES: Interviews with Ilaria Puckett Cici Petrova Charlotte O’Neill & Bruna AlessandriBonetti
BHS FASHION COURSES …the lowdown CAREERS IN FASHION
Sound advice about Universities who offer the best creative pathways And further careers advice from our Careers Advisor Jo Carroll
BEHIND THE SEAMS BEHIND THE SEAMS A very warm welcome to our readership for this, the second of our yearly publications entitled ‘BEHIND THE SEAMS’. We aim to document, display and celebrate the fabulous Fashion artwork produced by the students at Box Hill School. For a long time, there has been a genuine need for this publication, much of the work that our students produce is simply not seen, it resides in sketch books or gets buried in folders. Some of it is displayed at the end of the year for external moderation purposes, some of it is electronically uploaded for assessment but without the space or the time to comprehensively exhibit this work it is not seen. Of course, so much of the student learning processes remain hidden to the everyday eye, so this publication is really delving into the secret world of our students creative processes and learning curves. Garment of the Month is a well known exhibitor platform for our best Fashion work. We often receive global feedback
Anna is in charge of Fashion and Textiles within the department and last year she staged a very successful Catwalk for her students as part of the Round Square ‘MAD’ day at Box Hill School. This year we saw some of the best Fashion pieces within the IB programme at the final exhibition in March, later in the articles we take a look at the IB Visual Art programme to see how Fashion can be studied as part of this rigorous and exciting 2 year course. Coming up, we have our final show of the year – this GCSE & A-Level Art & Fashion Catwalk show. We have been busy preparing for this over the year and we would like to thank the students for their hard work in achieving such great milestones in their art careers. We would also like to thank the volunteers who have worked hard behind the scenes to make all of our shows a success, this includes the Maintenance team and also our Creative Technician, who helped prepare and hang all of the IB Visual Arts Show displays. Thank you to the Housekeeping team, who are always on hand and very obliging to assist us with our set ups of
from our school website which is fabulous but sometimes there can be as many as five or six students who could potentially fill this slot and ultimately there are not enough weeks in the academic year to showcase it all.
catwalk shows, but also not to forget the important work they do everyday in order
This publication, conceived by the Head of Fashion Studies Anna Burgess, whose
material in the coming months from all year groups accompanied by reviews, comments and news items written by us and the students.
limitless energy and enthusiasm has made this project a reality, will provide some much needed exposure for our students and bring their achievements to the attention of a wider audience.
to help us function effectively in the studios. This is an exciting venture and we look forward to bringing you lots of visual
Zoe Davison Head of Art
Art & Design Department Publication
Spring Issue
[Edition 1, Volume 2]
BEHIND THE SEAMS
THE NEW FASHION TOTE IS HERE!!
Fit for all your creative carrying needs, the Box Hill Fashion Tote bag has arrived. Available to buy from the Art & Fashion department and The School shop for a snip ;) at £10 pounds. 2
Studying fashion at Higher Level is no simple task and can often be very competitive to enter the University course alone. The . following photography was conceived as a project completed by Ariel Chen – an Art Alumni student who has successfully gained a place at the London College of Fashion off the back of this photoshoot and her art portfolio. When Ariel came to see me requesting help with her interview preparation for fashion school, I was excited about her enthusiasm for the subject and wanted to work with her to help make her interview a success. Thankfully it was and she has now completed her first year at LCF studying a foundation art course with an access to fashion. [we caught up with Ariel to see how her first year went ‌ read on]
BEHIND THE SEAMS
If you're thinking of studying fashion then the best option you have is to learn everything about the different options available to you at FE and HE colleges and Universities. Don’t forget we run an excellent Sixth Form Fashion Programme at IB and A-Level at BHS. Here are some key pieces of advice from our Careers Advisor Jo Carroll
H
ello, I hope you have all enjoyed your
Easter term so far. For those who haven’t met me yet, I am Mrs Carroll, Career Adviser at Box Hill School. An essential part of my job is researching the different job sectors and keeping students informed of the latest trends within each industry. Therefore, I was delighted when Miss Burgess asked me to write a piece on the fashion industry. At one time the fashion industry used to be difficult to break into, but thanks to the growth in the industry, there are now more opportunities to make your name in this sector. This is excellent news for any budding fashion or textile students, but it will mean a lot of hard work and determination to make a name for yourself. The fashion industry is a popular career choice for young people; it is estimated that 555,000 people are employed in the UK fashion industry. The industry is always on the look-out for talented people who will enjoy the challenge of working in a fast-moving and diverse sector. There are many different sectors where you could develop your skills including fashion designer, retail buyers, retail merchandiser, stylist, textile design and visual merchandiser, to name but a few. There are many different routes into fashion, and it’s essential that you take the time to carry out some career research, so you are confident that you have chosen the right path for you. Here are two popular pathways into fashion that might suit you. Fashion related degree course, usually last three years and subjects cover fashion, textiles, art and design, clothing technology, fashion buying or
merchandising. These courses will help you develop the essential skills and knowledge and are an excellent way to make connections within the industry. Many university degree courses also offer students the opportunity to do work placement or internships which may lead to a job after graduating. But university is not for everyone, some students prefer to do an apprenticeship, so they are earning money, gaining valuable hands-on experience, and a fashion related qualification. Fashion apprenticeships train you in the technical and practical skills required for a range of roles. You can specialise in many areas including footwear, leather goods, tailoring, visual merchandiser, and window dressing. To increase your chances of securing a job in fashion, you need to demonstrate to potential employers how motivated you are, here are some essential tips from the experts. Keep up to date with the latest trends, create a blog and give examples of your most recent work, apply for relevant work experience, be focused on what area of fashion you would like to work in and most of all be persistent, which is just as essential as creative ability. In this short space, I have only been able to touch on the world of fashion. However, if you would like to learn more about the number of opportunities, or talk through your plans, you can email me at carrollj@boxhillschool.com, and I will arrange a career interview, to help you get that one step nearer to your dream job.
Yours Mrs Carroll
STUDY POST 16 FASHION COURSES BOX HILL SCHOOL
REACH YOUR POTENTIAL
Model: Coco Photographer & Stylist Ariel. Both are Art Alumni of BHS.
IN THE BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE OF THE SURREY HILLS
MANY OF OUR STUDENTS GAINED PLACES AT THEIR FIRST CHOICE OF UNIVERSITY WITH OUR SPECIALIST TEACHING AND PORTFOLIO PREPARATION
GCSE/ ISC Fashion & Textiles IB VISUAL ARTS Fashion Pathway A-Level Fashion & Textiles
ZIXIN YE – Cindy A-Level Fashion Cindy and also Dalila have been inspired by the voluminous shapes of Giambattista Valli when working with Tulle net fabric. She has hand painted over 70 flower petals for the decoration on her design!!
Greta fashion
Model: Valerie Photographer & Stylist Ariel. Both are Art Alumni of BHS.
BLACK & WHITE ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRETA & FASHION SHOOT BY ALUMNAE VALERIE AND ARIEL
Becoming
Coco
For my Visual Arts IB course, I had a keen interest in fashion, so I wanted to explore this. I started my research into my favourite fashion designers for my Comparative Study project. I looked at Coco Chanel and Calvin Klein as a comparison of a strong female designer in the 1920’s to the present day & also a modern Male designer whose brand is current and forward thinking. This year at the Fashioned from Natura exhibition at the V&A, a Calvin Klein dress is on display to represent an example of how designers can be innovative with their creations when marrying naturally sourced materials and fashion aesthetics.
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY: Here are some top tips to think about when creating your photoshoots
• Direction –Be clear about what you want your shoot to look like. Brief the Models and the team, so that they can understand what you are trying to achieve. Be prepared to answer questions from your team and advise them on different challenges.
• Team work - ask someone who can assist your work – are you using a Model and will you be taking the photographs or visa versa? The latter works well when doing self- portrait photography.
STRIKING A POSE Photoshoots are a really important part of what we do here on our Art & Fashion courses at Box Hill School. Whether its responding to an Artist or Designer or taking the final shots of your carefully put together final piece.
Photography should be used to capture developing ideas and experiment with inthe-moment thoughts and freeze frame a generation of ideas. Here are some top tips to think about when creating your photoshoots for your coursework:
• Hair & Makeup – there are lots of subtleties which can really complete your look. Why not ask someone if they can assist you with this? Also think about accessories which will really complete the outfit or genre you are working with.
• Location – where is the best setting for your shots? Is it possible to travel somewhere unique and personal to make the theme work best? e.g. Your home city, holiday location or taking a trip into London?
• Direction –Be clear about what you want your shoot to look like. Brief the Models and the team, so that they can understand what you are trying to achieve. Be prepared to answer questions from your team and advise them on different challenges.
ON THE COVER
Out of a series of photos, there are many shots which will show just the slightest of facial expression changes and body language which helps communicate to the viewer your intentions and overall theme. You may want to carefully select and edit your favourite shots for final presentation in your sketchbook, however there are lots of out-takes which can be used effectively to show idea development. This can be seen here in Laura & Dalila’s photoshoot collaboration here.
Taking fashion shoots is an excellent way of: • • •
Responding to an artist stimulus Developing an idea further. Capturing a final look of your piece so that it is placed in context with its surroundings. Self-portraiture by Zanele Muholi Visual activist Zanele Muholi turns the camera on herself.
INTERVIEWS WITH FASHION STUDENTS
DALILA LEGESSE
What made you come to Box Hill School to study fashion Dalila? In Russia growing up, I didn’t have the opportunity to study fashion, we didn’t have any clubs or activities. So, really I just wanted to be able to create and make all the time, so its really great that I get to do this now. As a Fashion Student, what has your time at Box Hill been like? Vey creative! But so much hard work. Sometimes you just have so many ideas but you can’t create every single piece. But, I think its great that I have actually made so many things here I now have a collection, which I am very proud of. Who inspires you? Who is your favourite Designer? To be honest after exploring so many styles and variations of work fashion – it’s really hard to give just one example. But if I had to pick , one of my favourites is Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Dior – oops that’s three!! What are your future fashion plans? I will probably explore embroidery in greater detail and I hope to reinvigorate some upcycled clothing collections. I'm really interested in fashion and every day I’m always looking for what I can do next… watch this space I guess! Which course are you studying next year? I'm doing a foundation course at Central Saint Martins called Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, it lets you explore different types of diagnostic Mode – it means that you get to try lots of different media – 3D, fine Art and Fashion. After a term you get to decide which area you want to specialise in. Will you come back and see us? What projects would you like to help Box Hill Fashion Students with in the future? Yes sure ! Ill come back and visit. I’d like to come and help with the fashion show – they're always so much fun!
3
TURNING THE PAGES… An look inside some of our A-Level and GCSE sketchbooks
DALILA LEGESSE
DALILA LEGESSE
DALILA LEGESSE
DALILA LEGESSE FINAL A-LEVEL EXAM PIECE
DALILA LEGESSE – PERSONAL STUDY
among so-called creative types. To successfully make a claim of parody, it would have to be shown The theme of my personal investigation for that Scott was making some sort of comment on or Fashion and Textiles is The Nature of Beauty criticism of the popular brands. For those who and more specifically: Shocking Beauty. The know Scott, or have seen some of his other ordinary and sometimes odd things could be the collections, it would not be a stretch to say he could most beautiful creations we can ever imagine, gave assert this defence. Think: he was building on these me a starting point in researching the intricacies, trademarks to bring about social commentary on views and values which society and different the subject of consumerism. I started some felt cultures, place on the concept of beauty. making processes inspired from Moschino’s teddy Body image amongst young people in society and bear collection. I made links between my topic of especially fashion is a really current and poignant alternative beauty and the example of using topic. Growing up I was insecure about many childhood toys to create a piece of clothing, which things in my body and throughout the years there was emotive and connected to the idea of our own were many role models that society would tell me to image of beauty being formed at a young age. follow. However, many of these role models were When I was younger I used to love Barbie and they not appropriate type of body image and culturally were my idols of beauty. However, growing up no friendly to young girls around the world. told me that real people can’t look like that and My father is Ethiopian and my mum was born in there’s beauty in every single person. I started Ukraine, but they met in Moscow. I was born and drawing up some ideas based on an alternative raised in Russia. It was hard sometimes to be always Barbie based on my opinion that I needed a more positive when people would look at me like I didn’t culturally appropriate role model at a young age. I belong there or would be curious by my then made some samples of altered Barbie, using appearance. Considering all this as a young girl, was textiles – so that I could explore the topic of very hard for me to understand this unachievable stereotypes surrounding the perfected image, which meaning of beauty. I found it hard to conceptualise is presented to children and moreover in Fashion. the actual definition of beauty from a young age. The concept of different body types and ‘plus Therefore, my project choice to rediscover the idea sized’ models on the catwalk is becoming more of shocking beauty and to identify and define common and industry professionals are different types of beautiful was a key concept in my campaigning to get a more realistic cross section of major project theme. real bodies and beauty onto the catwalk. There is Beauty is not something you saw or read in magazines still a long way to go before this is the norm and so neither it is something that the "cool girls" in your school told I wanted to explore this idea in my major project. you to follow. Don't try to be like someone else because people After Moschino, I decided to look at my strongest considering that the significance of beauty. Beauty is inspiration and my favourite designer Alexander confidence. Beauty is positivity. Beauty is bravery. Beauty is McQueen. love. Beauty is you. Excerpt taken from sketchbook development ideas. In my initial research stages, I started to develop concepts around extravagant or outlandish beauty. Firstly, looking at couture design collections such as Jeremy Scott’s creations for Moschino, it's bold, brave and uses well known logos and motifs to convey ideas. Moschino often features slogans and social commentary for example the Jeremy Scott’s McDonald’s collection which featured fast food chain logos adapted to Moschino’s own logo. Some critique was given to Scott’s ‘Maccy’ Moschino collection, calling it a copy but in his defence parody. This defence is a favourite against infringement and dilution lawsuits, especially
I took a look at his tribal collections and his use of natural, primary materials. My interest in the topic savage, shocking beauty started from my visit of McQueen's exhibition "Savage Beauty" in 2011. That visit changed my perception of beauty and extended my love to the designer. McQueen was never scared to be on the edge of fashion. Personally I love Alexander McQueen and I consider him one of the most amazing designers of 21st Century. The McQueen collection features lots of inspiration from primitive body adornment, giant spikes appeared to be pierced through models noses. The use of the naturalistic and primary materials such as fur, hair and feathers gave an unnerving appearance to the garments. In my opinion it is one of his strongest earliest collections. This collection is also seems to captivate a sense of darkness within the designer himself. It was well known that Alexander McQueen suffered from depression and yet this has been said to be one of his best sources of motivation for creating lots of his collections. As for my study on the designer himself I decided to create a dress in the style of McQueen.
For the materials I chose I dyed it in grey dye. For the pattern of the top I wanted to go for an organic appearance to create the feeling of tribal designs from a photography collection by Zanele Muholi, who is a South African artist, who works in visual, photography and illustration. She inspired my photoshoot in clothing peg inspired self-portraits. I created small waves of pearls which were hand embroidered over fine hand dyed grey meshed fabric. As for the skirt I decided to create this entirely from faux hair, based on my studies of Alexander McQueens’ Tribal collection.
Working with the hair material wasn't the easiest process but in the end I think I achieved the garment I was aiming for. After working with such a unique material like faux hair I was tempted to try working with primitive and ancient textile techniques furthermore look at the different techniques like Batik ......, I look at the tribal cultural fashion and the materials that people would use and how they would develop them. I believe that the real beauty comes from something simple and of course no beauty could be seen without shock and savageness. For my final project idea I wanted to deepen into tribal culture and its ideas of beauty that the rest of the world would be shocked by. I started by looking at different material and its interaction with different colours. My interest in hessian started while I was looking at Alexander McQueen's work, however, at that time I was more interested in his tribal pieces. After finishing my piece based on McQueen’s work I wanted to look more into tribal fashion. As a designer I decided to take Dolce Gabbana and their ‘Love In Taormina’ Collection. I love the way the brand worked with such tough material and made it look so attractive. Hessian itself is a very cheap and rough material and the way that some Couture brands make it look so beautiful is shocking and breath taking. I wanted to develop my final piece using Hessian.
Due to its coarse texture, it is not commonly used in modern apparel. However, this roughness gave it a use in a religious context for mortification of the flesh, where individuals may wear an abrasive shirt called a cilice or "hair shirt" and in the wearing of "sackcloth" on Ash Wednesday.
For the skirt, I wanted to show all the beauty of the raw material. I was inspired by Dolce Gabbana’s clever use of simplistic woven very cheap and rough material and the way that some Couture brands make it look so beautiful is shocking and breath taking. I wanted to develop my final piece using hessian, by trying to develop the material. I used gold stretch netting to give a more aesthetic appearance and I manipulated the material with some wadding underneath the upper collar sections.
INTERVIEWS WITH FASHION STUDENTS
EASON (YICHENG) HU
What made you come to Box Hill School to study fashion Eason? The reason why I decided to do
fashion is because I think I am a person who cares about style and what to wear. Therefore, it led me to choose fashion as my A-level subject, to learn more about these techniques and other knowledge.
As a Fashion Student, what has your time at Box Hill been like? It’s been as very fun two years, I made lots
of friends in the fashion room and I have great memories of working within the team. Also my skills will help me in the future, I appreciate the support which everyone gave me from my Teacher and my friends. Who inspires you? Who is your favourite Designer? Hokusai and Sandra Meech are two most important artists for my coursework, at this point I start to realize fashion is not only about clothing. Fashion can be shown everywhere, that's why I decided to made a textile landscape art piece as one of my projects. My favourite designer is supreme, it is some of the most famous street fashion brand. They did lots of combinations with other brands, and this shows the multi elements in fashion. What are your future fashion plans? In the future, I
haven’t got a clear idea about what to do, but I will definitely do something about fashion. At the moment I am very interested in customizing sneakers and I am pretty sure that I will keep doing things like that in the future. (Stay in touch Eason! We want to see this)Which course are you studying next year? Next year I will do a Business and Management course at University. I will try to connect fashion with business management and it is a very important experience for me if I go to a fashion company in the future. Will you come back and see us? What projects would you like to help Box Hill Fashion Students with in the future? I will definitely come back to see all my
Teachers and friends they are some of the most important people in my life. I am very happy if they need anything from me about a fashion project, I will give as much support as I can to them. Also I think some advice would be very helpful to others going through A-Levels. EASON
HU
3
Personal Response Yicheng HU —胡亦成 Nowadays, Fashion and Textiles has become one of the most important things to affect us. Everyone has an opinion about what is fashionable, such as colour, material, design or wearing a label. We often desire the next new item but for me, I think the ‘waste’ can also be fashionable. We have wasted lots of resources during the process of making of final the outcome, however what interests me is what we leave behind as designers. During the process of my development, waste were some key components which I wanted to up-cycle. This is the most important reason for electing waste as my chosen topic. There were many different strands of water textiles which I wanted to explore; water fashion, the processes, the environmental impact and also reusing unassuming wastes offcuts and components to create new aesthetics. Wasted water, food and clothing were all at the forefront of my conscientiousness. All are connected to pollutants of our environment, as designers are more consciously aware of their impact on our planet, they are trying to become more proactive when managing these aspects within their
aesthetics. Will we ever be able to reach a ‘zero’ waste standard in the textile industry? Perhaps not, however we can keep developing new techniques and technologies which will limit our impact and waste. Furthermore, we can return to a slower textile production and return to the handmade methods which offer a more bespoke solution and have a more individualised sense of style and freedom to the wearer. In the first stages of my research I observed the organic connected of ageing as ‘wasting’ away. I explored some drawing studies in dry, fallen leaves and ageing, wrinkled skin. I wanted to explore organic texture and varying shades of light to dark tones in age. This ageing of nature inspired me further to question age - old news, un-useful people or rejected items in favor of newer models. At this point, a series of Lino printed motifs became a focus for my textile designs. I created a series of badges based on natural forms connected to water and waste to help raise awareness. These badges were sewn into my clothing designs. The
3
ageing tattooed skin interested me because it is a mark on person’s body, which will fade but never goes off. Tattoos are part of memory, a reminder never to waste life. In this development section, I studied old naval motifs and classic marine stripes and nautical men's’ style. Polluted seas became a huge consideration, when exploring my waved and wasted water. At this stage, I have looked at a few artists, to learn different skills from each of them. To learn weaving and fabric decoration, using stitch and appliqué. In the beginning I researched Jean Paul Gautier because he uses a horizontal stripes patterns in his designs He is a very famous and successful French designer, he has owned brand “Jean Paul Gaultier’, he was the creative of director in Hermès. I also took the idea of using a glass perfume form and used it as a weaving frame. Weaving is an interesting way of using wasted threads. Moreover, weaving was used more frequently in my work because I realised this method allows me to mix different waste and fabrics. I have made a lot of development about my theme, I am always trying to research how can we reduce the waste and up-cycle garments. I have looked at a Japanese artist called Hokusai, he was a very famous artist in Japan and was very influential in Europe, at this time and to the present day the wave is a finely illustrated motif used on 2D and 3D clothing designs. I have used sewing machine to make a textile art work onto waste silk, then used free-machine embroidery, and silk dyes water colour fill the colour of the waves. For the background, I used tea bags to colour, because I think it also can be kind of reduction of waste by using organic resources. It gives a feeling of vintage fashion style. I also silk painted and embroidered piece in a bigger scale of silk and then developed sketches in ‘Hokusai’ styles as badges. This provided design extensions as well. For my developing idea I produced a deconstructed denim jacket with a similar silk embroidered insert on the central back panel. The design of this jacket is attuned to street style and was intended to raise awareness of waste in the industry. I ripped some sections away and unpicked the seams, I then used lino printing on the pocket as a logo, and stitched a design at the back of the collar.
EASON HU
During the further development, I have looked at the waste water and the pollution about this amazing nature power. Subsequently, I did a few experiments in wax Batik, to try to reuse small piece of wasted cotton scraps. During this collection of scrap materials, I realised masking tape is another big waste in our life, it has lead me to collect some masking tape which have to be used and made a waved art pieces by using ripping and sticking technique. As a further experiment, I went through felting and mix fabric technique to do different samples using wasted cotton material. In the next stages, I looked at a few designers and artists, such as Comm des Garçons , L-L-B, Pure Waste and Nike. Those brand and designers have given me a fresh take on my fashion sense. I also learned a lot of knowledge about up-cycling the waste and reduction of pollution. Furthermore, as a deeper level of study, I looked at marbling and couching technique and made a few samples for my sketch book, also I went to two exhibitions to see those great skills and work from those famous artists. There is an artist who gives me the most important influences and inspiration of my further development and final design, she is called Sandra Meech. I tried to explore some techniques from her work, using quilting techniques with wadding, weaving and embroidery. As the response to her work, I did three free-machine quilted embroidery pieces and weaving project. Meech works with recycled materials, such as paper, magazines, bubble wrap and wasted cotton. Her examples turn wasted materials into valuable textile art, and this led me to start to develop my final ideas in up-cycling waste. Furthermore, as the final stage, I started to explore my ideas. By using lots of abstract form texture into quilted samples. Using my photograph studies I created a contrasted design which showed polluted and wasted environment. So I do research and sketch out a land with stone and full of rubbish. I want to give people an idea about how difference the world will be, if there is no pollution and waste. Firstly, I find some big piece of silk and cotton which has not been used after cut, it leads to the way
that I am making the final piece, I can reduce the waste as much as possible. And then, I sketched the out lines and layers on those fabric, to make it be ready for my next step—stitching, I made them as different sections, so at the end I can put them together as one piece. I used wadding to fill some of the parts and make them be more textured, and added batik application to make the layers of mountain more clear. I tried to use as much wasted material as I could, such as small bits of wadding and up-cycled threads. At the middle of making process, I found the contrast on two sides left and right will not be strong enough, so I changed the idea to make it up and down. What’s more, after finishing that part, I started making the wasted part. In this section, I used a lot more recycled materials than the part before, I used small pieces of recycled brown paper to make stones and used brown threads stitched over it, to create more texture. I made the rubbish bit by heat bonding plastic bags, nets and packaging together. In this way, I up-cycled packaging wrappers and incorporated in my embroidery. In addition, I used soluble aqua film to make a piece of fabric by putting and stitching small pieces of thread to create a free machine embroidery section. On the lower section, I used free machine embroidery on silk, I used some abstract lines to make more texture for the stones. I also used many recycled materials to make other parts of the piece. The meaning of my final piece is to show the difference between pure and wasted , not only me, everyone should recycle and reduce every waste process as much as possible. Also the improvement can be made anywhere: in the air, water, light and land processes. People have been more creative and have developed more technology, to productively reduce pollution and waste. This could be our one of the most important achievements and this is the significance of my final piece.
Eason’s final exam project was based on a menswear tailoring theme. He used specialist techniques of free machine embroidery, over appliqued Mondrian style panels to create his look.
EASON HU
EASON HU
INTERVIEWS WITH FASHION STUDENTS ARINA MELNIK What made you come to Box Hill School to study fashion Arina? Well, I actually started with Fine Art studies at BHS and then I realised the potential of studying art within Fashion & Textiles, so that I could open up my productivity and study garment making. I wanted to apply for a Fashion University course, so this seemed the most appropriate thing to do. As a Fashion Student, what has your time at Box Hill been like? It was really interesting! It was quite full-on at times, but it really taught me valuable skills about working to a deadline. It takes so much longer to realise your final garment because of all the planning and development Who inspires you? Who is your favourite Designer? My favourite designer is Chaiara Ferrangi, she recently became a mother and she is even more fantastic! I think this is why she inspires me as a female role model as well as being a business woman. She recently collaborated with Converse to realise her signature style eye motif designs emblazoned on the pumps. They are also embellished with colourful glitter, which I love! What are your future fashion plans? I am going to Fashion University first and foremost – then I can apply to get an internship with a fashion house, perhaps with Ferrangi herself! My University is called Istituto Marangoni, Milan – there's one in London, Japan and Miami also. It specialises in Fashion studies. Dolce and Gabbana actually attended this University. Marangoni works with very famous companies who often send their employees to train there, because its so prestigious. Which course are you studying next year? My course is called: Fashion Luxury Business & New Media studies. Will you come back and see us? What projects would you like to help Box Hill Fashion Students with in the future? I can work here in the Summer, I’d love to come and help the fashion students, because I will know what they are going through and I will have lots more skills to share with them too.
ARINA MELNIK
3
This statement triggered my preliminary research into undressing the woman’s’ body. I believe that this statement does not and should not, reflect the views of todays’ society. However, on further research into our perceptions of the female body. Still today, women are being forced to control themselves in such similar ways of lingerie dressing today. I was intrigued to look into the plus sized model role models such as Ashley Graham, who have spoken out for the female voice over the last couple of years being in the spotlight of the fashion and film industry.
‘while thin still continues to be the most desirable body type, plus sized fashion is catching up. ’ (Bizarre, 2016) Over the centuries, corsets changed along with the vagaries of fashion from the sharp, flatfronted bodices of the Tudor period to the wasp-waisted fetish of the Victorian era and the exaggerated S-bend shape of the early 20th century.
My topic is based on the study of lingerie: undergarments, corsets and the beauty of the human form in relation to society’s perception of clothing the body. I focused on this topic because I am interested in the concept of ’un’ dressing and how lingerie has changed during the course of clothing history. I wanted to discover the ‘underexposed’ part of a women's wardrobe.
the drooping’.
(Gosling, 2017) I don’t really agree with that statement because it is not giving a chance to women to be free in a way of decision making of how she wants to look like and that woman has to look like society wants her to be like.
For example, during the 18th century, the first publicity promotion which featured underwear garments of a corset, made some profound claims: ‘controls
the large, supports the small, uplifts
Personal Response Arina Melnik
ARINA MELNIK
‘Read my Underwear’ ARINA MELNIK With this final piece, I wanted to produce a garment that represented the issue of gender equality and how sexism greatly affects women and men on a day-to-day basis. I created a top with a structured bra within it, in order to gain attention towards the male production of women’s underwear and how it is socially unacceptable to not wear underwear as a way to free the body from social views and standards. By producing a garment that symbolizes the ongoing argument of ‘free the nipple’, I feel as though I have spoken for all women of the world who wish to free their bodies of structured captivities, without emotional judgement we feel when faced with the natural human form and to fear appreciation for this. I’m really looking forwards to have the opportunity to do Life Drawing in the future – its such a wonderful art
The wealthier the wearer, the more restricted she was likely to be, but mobility was only necessary for those who had to work. In 1834, the increasingly plump Prince Regent was told his stays would be the death of him if he continued to wear them. Corsets vary in style and materials (lace, silk, PVC ...), shapes, fit, colors, patterns. They can be worn over the bust or under the bust, with less and more extreme curves, with steel or plastic boning, worn over or under the clothing. They can lace-up, zip-up, or have hook and eye closures. Lingerie has always interested me. In a way of how people produce them, how they get ideas and why customers choose their brand... That was the main reason why I chose ‘Underwear topic’. In my sketchbook I wanted to look at different materials and techniques and also study the long history of underwear, in order to understand how modern day underwear labels became such established brands today. My project is mostly related to the study of underwear and corsets, to gain a sense of what clothes the body from the naked form to the fully clothed. I researched the ‘Undressed’ exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, (VAM, 2017) which gave me an insight into a brief history of underwear. In my investigation, I explored the relationship between the underwear garments and the fashions at the time. It was interesting to see how the cut and fit was related to the changing shape of male and female bodies. Over time, I could see a real contrast in the styles being very structured and fitted to the form and where over some decades, for example the 1920s and 30s and then seen again in the 1970s- the underwear and lingerie (including nightwear) took on more of a fluid and loose form. I was mostly interested in the restrictive & structural styles and how they seemed to cage the body in my early research.
relationships, which I tried to evoke through the use of written embroidery text and logos in my work. I liked the strong use of line in her work and this inspired my motif designs which were hand painted onto the fabrics. Surrealist Artist Georgia O’Keefe’s large scale, zoomed in floral paintings, gave me ideas about using a soft pastel color palette in my fabric choice, therefore I purchased a soft pastel pink silk for my final piece. A piece which struck me on a visit to the BP portrait gallery was ‘Self-portrait with Fried Eggs’ (1996) photograph by Sarah Lucas whose twelve photographic self-portraits are digitalized Iris prints. This collection was born from her first photography project ‘Eating a Banana’(1990) and her most recent work is called Human Toilet Revisited 1998. These self-portraits are one of the main aspects of the artist’s work, for example ‘Eating a Banana’ changed Lucas's self-perception of her feeling her 'masculine' gendered appearance becoming an advantage in her artwork: ' I suddenly could see the strength of the
masculinity about it - the usefulness of it to the subject struck me at that point, and since then I' ve used that'
There is a confrontational element to Lucas’s work, she presents an identity which challenges some stereotypes of gender and sexuality – ‘simultaneously as tough and abject, macho but female, she creates an image of defiant femininity’.
Then, I moved away from this and started to adapt my designs to loose fitting silks and decided to develop an idea for a pink silk pajama set. Developing the final pajama set, I started testing the pink silk satin fabric which I purchased to see which seams were appropriate for the fabric. After some testing I decided on a French seam which was recommended for delicate fabrics. Although lingerie is generally delicate in its behavior, it can be an item which is often underestimated and overused. Therefore, I wanted to create a garment which was practical and also decorative. I studied a lot of Feminist Artists and Designers during the course – including Poly Nor, who is a modern art illustrator. Her work is based on narrative and intimate
A sketchbook page from Alumni: Yasmin ThompsonLamont who responded to the V&A ‘Undressed’ exhitbion.
I decided to make pajamas for my final piece and found it really interesting. I wanted to make something unusual but practical. Moreover, I made a lot of research which helped me to visualize how we can make direct statements about our views on feminist principles, dressing and un-dressing the body. Agent Provocateur is a British lingerie retailer founded in 1994 by Joseph CorrĂŠ and Serena Rees. The company has 30 stores in 13 countries This British brand in one of the most leading brands in the world. The first store was opened in soho. In 2000 the brand produced a collection of cosmetics and perfumes. The brand was very successful. In all of my studies there is a connection to Underdress & Lingerie and this specialist area of study has enabled me to discover some of the more delicate techniques used in the fashion industry. Particularly, when handling the delicate silks and laces in my development pieces, I wanted to show a good quality of manufacture. In my sketchbook I explained how many underwear types exist, which materials can be used for underwear making and how people can wear it in a way of everyday life (Outerwear). People are really scared of their bodies and often try to hide behind clothes, I want my client to dress in my pieces and feel confident, comfortable and free. In all of my studies there is a connection to Underdress & Lingerie and this specialist area of study has enabled me to discover some of the more delicate techniques used in the fashion industry. Particularly, when handling the delicate silks and laces in my development pieces, I wanted to show a good quality of manufacture.
ARINA MELNIK A-LEVEL
INTERVIEWS WITH FASHION STUDENTS
BRUNA ALESSANDRI-BONETTI What made you come to Box Hill School to study fashion? Well, in Italy we do not get the chance to study Fashion at GCSE and this made me want to come to this School. I was really interested in Fashion, but I had never studied it, so I thought I would try it and I’m so happy that I enjoyed it so much and my grades are really good! As a Fashion Student, what has your time at Box Hill been like? I think because we had such a small group – it was really helpful that our lessons were so concentrated. We got to do so much practical. [laughing] I can’t believe my year 10 sketchbook, thinking back to what my work was like! When I started the subject I couldn’t even make one piece of clothing, but I’ve learnt soo much in these last two years. Miss Burgess told me that she is very proud of what I have achieved. Who inspires you? Who is your favourite Designer? Chiara Ferragni is the most influential designer in Italy, but she has now achieved global success as a popular fashion label. I really admire how she started her fashion career. When she was 15 years old she opened a online fashion brand. Also all of her family worked in the medical profession. Like my Parents, who are both Doctors, I can relate to Ferragni because we are from a similar background. I've noticed that so many well established fashion labels are a family run brand for example Versace and Dolce & Gabbana have a long history from father, son and daughter running the label over the decades. What are your future fashion plans? I want to continue to study Fashion and to keep this option open. I would love to work for Dolce & Gabbana Which course are you studying next year? I am staying at Box Hill School and I have chosen IB Visual Arts with Fashion pathway. I am looking forwards to trying different media during the arts course. I have seen the exhibitions and they looked so impressive and inspiring. 3
INTERVIEWS WITH FASHION STUDENTS
CICI (TSVETELINA) PETROVA What made you come to Box Hill School to study fashion Cici? Since I was a young girl it was a dream of mine to make clothing. In fashion studies, you get to work with materials and work in a much more 3D way.
As a Fashion Student, what has your time at Box Hill been like? It was so cool because we had so many trips like to the V&A Museum and the Knit & Stitch show. I have so many ideas for my projects. I was so inspired by the high end designers in the main fashion collection at the gallery.
Who inspires you? Who is your favourite Designer? My favourite designer is Stella McCartney, I love her. She does collaborations with Adidas and designed the London 2012 Olympic games garments for the athletes.
What are your future fashion plans? I would love to go to Milan to research new and emerging fashion designers. My friend attends the University of the Arts, London and I'm planning to go and visit her to find out more about short courses I can take. I want to take fashion as my activity and continue it as a hobby at Box Hill School. I really want to be in next year’s fashion show.
Which course are you studying next year? I am doing A-Levels in Chemistry, Maths & Biology. But, if I could take a fourth subject, then I would pick fashion!
3
INTERVIEWS WITH FASHION STUDENTS
ILARIA PUCKETT What made you come to Box Hill School to study fashion Ilaria? When I first came to Box Hill School, what drew me in was art and fashion because it was such a strong creative department and I wanted to be a part of that. As a Fashion Student, what has your time at Box Hill been like? It has been a really good experience for me, I have learnt new skills and techniques that I can use later on in life. It has been a really great introduction to the fashion industry and I feel like my confidence and quality of work has increased dramatically. Who inspires you? Who is your favourite Designer? Alexander McQueen has inspired me greatly especially tribal artists and designers. I also enjoy Anna Sui’s recent work that also has an element of tribal concept. Keith Haring also did some lovely tribal body painting in the late 80s which helped me develop my jumpsuit design. What are your future fashion plans? I am currently studying at Kensington and Chelsea college. Where I am completing an extended diploma for two years. I am interested in having a job in the fashion industry and will learn about illustrating and marketing. My current work is in the Box Hill fashion show. Which course are you studying next year? Fashion-Extended Diploma and Arts. Will you come back and see us? What projects would you like to help Box Hill Fashion Students with in the future? Yes, I would like to support the fashion department – id definitely like to see the new building and my brother is attending the school. When I'm working at a fashion company, I’ll come back and visit you all and help the students with their work. I’d like for some of the students to come and do some work experience with my fashion company. 3
INTERVIEWS WITH FASHION STUDENTS QUIN WILLIAMS What made you study fashion at BHS Well, BHS is one of the only schools that I have heard of that offers fashion. All my friends complain that they never got the opportunities to study fashion so as I’ve always loved fashion it was an obvious choice to study it a BHS for GCSE. As a fashion student, what has your time been like? As a fashion student you get many opportunities that no-one else gets like experimenting with textiles and many different materials, pushing your creativity and really take your research wherever you want because it’s such a personal subject. It is also quite a unique experience that only a small handful of people each year in a few schools have. Who inspires you I feel that everything is inspiration even the ugliest things. If something is beautiful why not take inspiration from it. I also find allot of inspiration from cartoons and fiction and the art world. As far as designers go I admire a huge variety of designers from crazy outrageous designers like Charles Jeffrey and Gypsy sport all the way through to Azzedine Alaïa. I also am really interested in exploring fashion through gender, pushing the bounds of stereotypes so love many designers and also varied artists. I am also very inspired by death and exploring what goes on after you die. What are your future fashion plans Just to keep on creating and exploring and never stop Which course are you studying net year I am almost complete my GCSE’s but I would like to study fashion at A level with some other subjects. however, right now my concentration is on my GCSE’s. What projects would you like to help BHS with in the future I love being part of fashion shows and feel this is a unique experience to BHS and look forward to the upcoming shows. I also enjoy helping with costumes drama productions and being part of the dance group through choreography, costuming and make-up.
Quin is currently working on his GCSE coursework whereby he is researching and developing his studies in gendered fashion. Gender has always been a key area of exploration in men's and women's clothing. With explorations of early costume and regency dress dating back into the early 18th century. An Interesting look at Portraiture and Fashion looks at six centuries of dress through the National Portrait Gallery. The movement of the late 80s also featured a discovery into this area and club to catwalk exhibition at the V&A gallery provide an insightful look at how fashion reflects the changing ideologies of society.
3
BEHIND THE SEAMS… Taking a look behind the scenes at the work produced in the Fashion & Textiles studio at Box Hill School. Description My final piece is inspired by women in Indian culture, which I took from the theme ‘Home’. I arrived at ‘India’, because my mother lives and works there and has a deep knowledge of its culture and history. My first visit there was when I was 2 years old. Since then, I have visited more then ten times. I studied the traditional Sari dress in my research stages of my major project but of course Indian women doesn't just wear this type of clothing, in every part, something different is traditional. I chose this one because it is one of the most famous ones of India; the style is often used in movies, weddings and also for magazines. On most dresses are more embroidery and decorated with beads, some are woven with real gold and silver threads and decorated with real precious stones, my version is a contemporary and simple one but the colour is very bright, so it doesn't need any more decoration on it.
IB FASHION STUDIES MARIA GÖERKE
On this dress my theme was flowers, I took this theme because I really like flowers. There are so many different types, shapes and colours. The dress should look like a cage which holds flowers and butterflies around the person who is wearing it. The colours are all very bold, light and shimmery, akin to nature. I designed and developed the dress based on a photoshoot I took with two willing Teachers Mrs Barai and Miss Shah! They modelled their own garments and my friend Cosima modelled my traditional dress which was also awarded ‘Garment of the Month’ award. 11
As I studied Georgia O´Keeffe before and for me her art is inspiring, I also wanted to include something of her into my piece. So I looked from where she had got her inspiration, Mexico. Unlike her I looked at the traditional clothing of Mexico and found some really colorful tops with flowery shapes on them. The tops are really wide and similar to a poncho which is similar to a cape.
The idea with the waterlilies I obviously got from the paintings by Claude Monet. My motivation to include something from his work I got from studying him before. For me he is a real Master who was able to give insight into his world without giving away too much. He achieved this just through his paintings.
As I said before I have a personal interest for the circus and especially for the clothes worn there. I looked at the typical circus jackets. As a contrast to the wide cut of the Mexican top I used the strict shapes and decorations of the jackets.
Sketches, ideas and influences
By designing the cape I have thought how I can represent the different parts of water lilies. Sometimes I did not find exactly what I was looking for, therefore the project was constantly a work in progress.
To represent the strong, thick flower stems of the plant I will use a dark green cord.
As one of my final pieces I had the idea to design and create something, which has a big surface so I could create an ornament on it. My first thought was on jackets but shortly I realized that a cape would have much more advantages through its great surface on its back. Furthermore, I also wanted to include my previous work about Claude Monet and Georgia O´Keffe. So I looked back at their art work, their personal lives and the environment where they lived in. Since I have a personal interest in the clothes worn in Circus costume, I explored this theme and tried to include these elements.
After I had decided that I wanted to make a cape, I went into more detail. First I looked at which material I wanted to use and in which colour scale I wanted to work. I thought about a light wool material, so the cape could be worn in spring and autumn. With the colors scale I thought about green, yellow and a bit of pinkish shades. As I have written before I looked into Claude Monet´s drawings, traditional Mexican clothing and traditional circus jackets to get inspired. To find the right pattern for the cape was a bit of a difficulty because I wanted to make it as similar as it was in my imagination. Therefore I had to make a compromise and change the design slightly.
I will use yellow beats to represent the pollen of the water lilies.
The green bits of textile represent the leaves of the water lilies.
The pink bits represent the whole flowers or in some cases just single petals.
Evaluation After I had ordered the pattern and done my final design I looked for the right
material. As a base, I wanted to use a light green but instead I used a light grey wool. I chose this textile because it had just the right weight, so that it has a wonderful drape. Again I had to do some changes on the applications because the proportions were not really right. Then I started to cut out the pattern from the wool, which I then put roughly together so I could see the basic piece. After this I then started to make the application shapes out of paper so I could see how it would look like in the end. I evolved the embroidery and embellishments as I developed the making of the cape. Using hand made felt in pink, yellow and green from which I planned to create the water-lilies. I also bought a green cord, which I wanted to create the stems and the roots of the water-lilies and yellow beads to create the flower center.
Then I started to cut out the applications and put them together. It took me a very long time because I first cut out all the flower petals and then stitched them by hand. After I had done all the applications. I found silver rainbow shimmer beads which I used, also I found some old Indian traditional silver jewelry which I than put onto the closings. When the cape was actually done I had the feeling that still something was missing while I was evaluating it. Therefore, I started to add some extra beads on some parts and add additional embroidery. In the beginning I thought that the hardest part would be to make the cape as a garment but soon I realised that the most difficult part was to add the applications. As I had done most of the work by hand, it took me nearly a year to complete it! I have put all my skills, knowledge and effort into this piece.
Exhibtions
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM: • FASHIONED FROM NATURE. • FRIDA KAHLO – MAKING HERSELF
UP TATE MODERN • PIERRE BONNARD • JENNY HOLZER