F L O U
A T E L I E R
F A S H I O N T R A I L * CLAUDIA DEMCAK University for the Creative Arts • Fashion Atelier • Year 2 • Semester 2 Flat and descriptions of draped garments for research for final draping projects: bias cut and fabric manipulation.
CONTENTS Fabric
Manipulation
Lanvin Dress | 4 Lanvin Top | 5 Halston Heritage Dress | 6 Donna Karan Dress | 7 Philosophy by Alberta Ferreti Skirt | 8 Alexander McQueen Dress | 9 Versace Gown | 10
Bias
Cut
Rick Owens Dress |11 Givenchy Dress | 12 Vionnet Skirt | 13
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DESIGNER: Lanvin
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STORE: Harvey Nichol PRICE: ÂŁ1,380.00 FABRIC: 54% Linen, 23% Viscose, 21% Cotton, 2% Elastane FINISHING: Hem and neckline are baby-serged and finished with slip stitching. Edge of shoulder ruffle is simply baby-serged. There is an invisible zipper at the right side seam. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: Pleats are created from the bust to the left shoulder on the stand to look quite natural and fluid. Shoulder ruffle is achieved using a panel of fabric that continues from the back of the left armhole, is brought to the front and pleated along the armhole. The end of the strip is sandwiched in the side seam for a clean finish.
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DESIGNER: Lanvin
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STORE: Harvey Nichol PRICE: ÂŁ430.00 FABRIC: Crepe Jersey 75% acetate, 20% polyamide, 5% elastane FINISHING: Neckline, armholes and hem are all finished by turning the edge under twice. Neckline and hem both machine stitched with a chain stitch, which looks like a straight stitch on the top but has a chain underneath to allow the stitches to stretch with the fabric. Armholes are finished with a flatlock stitch, which is a double chain stitch. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: Left shoulder is pleated at back and front. Front piece is twisted once in the centre and excess fabric at the inside of the left shoulder is pleated underneath a few times in one spot to create extra drape in the centre of the top.
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DESIGNER: Halston Heritage
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STORE: Harvey Nichol PRICE: ÂŁ350 FABRIC: Crepe 100% Polyester FINISHING: Neckline is bound and serged on either edge of the bias tape. Armholes are turned over twice and topstitched. Hem is finished with a baby-serge to allow stability. Invisible zipper in the left side seam. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: Fabric is on a bias to allow fluidity in the drape. Top was draped first - off centre towards the left the fabric is slightly twisted and gathered at the waist. A part of the skirt front was gathered to create cowling and to match the top, creating a radiating effect toward the focal point at the waist. Adding to the focal point, there is a partial, gathered waistband, attached at the left side seam on one end and at the off-centre focal point on the left. From this partial waistband there is a panel attached with a little gathering. It is sandwiched in the left side seam and the third and final edge iscurved from the focal point to the bottom of the side seam, creating a variation of a tulip wrap skirt.
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DESIGNER: Donna Karan
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knit back underneath georgette draping STORE: Harvey Nichol PRICE: ÂŁ2,915 FABRIC: Georgette 100% Polyester Jersey 100% Rayon FINISHING: All finishng is hidden. The shoulder and side seams are French seams with topstitching to hold them down. The neckline and armholes are bound and slip-stitched to the back of the fabric. The slit isfolded over twice and slip stitched. The edges of the panels draped to the front and back are finished with pin hems. The hem is serged and slip stitched. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: This dress looks very streamlined and simple bit it has there is some complicated draping within this design. The gathering from the bust to the centre of the waist is actually made with small pleats that are secured and stabilized at the waist with rows of topstitching along the start of the pleats. There are two rectangular panels tacked to the right side of the body with an edge of each panel, allowing the top of the fabric to fold over and create a cowl effect. The back of the dress is made with a jersey fabric that is fitted. Over top is the same georgette as on the front, fitted at the right sideseam and draping from the left side, as the fabric coming out from the left shoulder flares out. The flat shows what the dress would look like from the back if this back draped panel was brushed a little to the right, but the fabric naturally drapes around to the front a little. 7
DESIGNER: Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti
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STORE: Alberta Ferretti on Sloane Street PRICE: ÂŁ255.00 FABRIC: Double Crepe 100% Polyester FINISHING: Waistband is faced, front overlay fabric is finished at the bottom with a baby serge to allow drapability in that specific layer, and the hem of the skirt is serged, turned up and slip stitched because it is a structured foundation and does not need to drape. Also, it looks clean as the finishing does not show. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: I was pleasantly surprised to find this skirt after sketching and experimenting with horizontal pleats very similar to the ones on this skirt. This skirt is very simple but I included it because validates that these kinds of pleats are possible and can look very beautiful, and it also taught me the ideal way to finish the hem on this kind of draped style.
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DESIGNER: Alexander McQueen
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STORE: Harvey Nichol PRICE: ÂŁ1,495.00 FABRIC: 76% wool, 24% silk; lining: 100% cupro FINISHING: Neckline finished with a facing, sleeve and skirt hems turned up and hand stitched with a slip stitch, fully lined. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: Contemporary, re-envisioned bows at each shoulder create a softer version of a soft-shouldered look. They appear to be created as part of the bodice self pieces, but are separate and attached. They are wide, clean-finished tubes of fabric that are tucked and pleated the same way for each side, and stitched to the garment at about one third from the bottom of the tubes.
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DESIGNER: Versace
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STORE: Selfridges PRICE: £5,470.00 FABRIC: 100% Silk (self and lining) FINISHING: Fully lined, hem is catchstitched under the lining. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: The fabric is folded into tiny pintucks that are handsewn to a foundation layer as separate panels before the panels are sewn together and lined. (I have studied Madame Gres’ techniques and created a half scale pastiche of one of her micro pleated dresses. I assume Versace used the same or a similar technique.)
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DESIGNER: Rick Owens
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STORE: Liberty PRICE: ÂŁ560.00 FABRIC: 97% Viscose, 3% Spandex FINISHING: Topstitched French seams. Machine-bound hem. (Binding strips on a straight grain sewn to hem, folded over and topstitched on either edge.) The neckline is stimply baby-serged and folded over to allow drape in the front and back cowls. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: Fabric cut on a bias to allow full drape potential and smooth shaping in the cap sleeves. The cowling on the front is acheived with pleating at shoulder seams and the pleats are staystitched a little bit away from the shoulder seams on the back to add stability. Then those pleats are allowed to drape and are tacked again at the centreback seam/exposed zipper.
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DESIGNER: Givenchy
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STORE: Givenchy.com PRICE: ? FABRIC: Satin dress Crepon draped panels over arms 100% Silk FINISHING: Encased elastic waistband, pin hem slit, double folded hem with slip stitch. Neckline is mostly likely bound and slipstitched behind the fabric because there is no stitching showing on the front at the neckline. Tie is clean finished around with a back piece. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: This dress was made with the fabric on a bias to allow full potential of fluidity. The skirt is a simple A-line shape. The bodice is gathered at the waist at the front and the back. The focal point of the dress is at centrefront neck, where there are cutouts, a tie, and where draped panels over the arms stem from. These panels are simply gathered at the ends and expand as they relax along the arms of the wearer. These panels needed to be draped to make them rest against the arms in a flattering way, so that they would not stand away from the arms too much at the top. 12
DESIGNER: Vionnet
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actual pattern of the skirt depicts the grain of each panel
train
STORE: Vionnet.com PRICE: ? FABRIC: 100% Silk Chiffon FINISHING: Edges of slit and hem are turned up twice and topstitched at about .5 cm. DRAPING TECHNIQUE: Different bias grains are used to achieve a garment that is fitted at the hips and has a lot of movement and volume towards the ankles. The top, hip panels are cut on a slight bias to allow stretch and curvature around the body but not too much so that the pieces stay structured and keep their shape. The skirt pieces are cut on more of an angled bias to allow a lot of drape and fluidity.
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