CAPSULE FASHION COLLECTION 1 & 2 E19CA – E19CB PROCESS ANALYSIS DOCUMENT HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY YEAR 3 FASHION
PROCESS ANALYSIS DOCUMENT
MUSEUMS – INSPIRATION In the beginning of the project, I spent most of my time visiting museums and looking for inspirations. I visited the Tate Modern and the Saatchi gallery, along with some parts of National portrait gallery. When I visited the Tate Modern and Saatchi gallery, I could actually relate to their work and communicate. I think art is very essential in terms of looking for inspiration. Each and every time we enter to a museum or an art gallery, the place is so exquisite you never know what will come in your way and hit you. TATE MODERN Visit to Tate Modern was quite unexpected. I’m going to be honest here, I’m not a very big fan of modern art and wasn’t quite looking forward to Tate Modern but like I said, anything can come up your way and can guarantee that will provide surprise, humor, complexity or maybe mass of inquisitiveness. This is what happened to me, I fell in love with some of the portraits done by George Condo. I did not really get the actual concept of his paintings but there is so much to it. In most of his painting there is so much emotions and human qualities, which I could actually relate to my project or maybe the concept. It’s more of abstract as well, which I could relate to architectural form and shapes.
Fig.1 Faustian Moment
Fig.2 Female Portrait
Fig.3 L’ Amour
After Condo’s portraits, the other art that kept me thinking was Sheela Gowda’s large scale setting of Behold, which consisted of steel car bumper and knotted human hair. To me at first it was just hair and some car bumper. But, later after doing a bit of research I know that the artist wanted to show that in Bengaluru (India), the paradox and superstitious rituals co-exist alongside the modern urban and economic transformation.
Fig.4 Behold
‘For Behold 2009 she was inspired by the humble talismans of human hair that are knotted around car bumpers to ward off bad luck. The hair originates in local temples, where it is cut off as a sacrificial offering when pilgrims fulfil sacred vows. In today’s consumer driven world, the longer lengths are sold to make wigs or supply keratin for beauty products, while the shorter sections are kept to make protective talismans, such as those used by motorists.’ (Nada Raza, Tate.org) For me Tate Modern was very interesting, there were so many things that I could relate, think and argue on. Here are few images from the Tate Modern. Next up, the Saatchi Gallery.
Piet Mondrian
Theo van Doesburg
Fig.5 Collection of Abstract, Tate Modern
Victor Passmore
SAATCHI GALLERY Champagne life, 14-woman artist presenting a group show in Saatchi Gallery. I think that this exhibition was brilliant. Art is something people should not take it as an entertainment, and should start appreciating it. I was actually very happy to see the work of Julia Dault. Each of her work had dimension and you could actually feel the artist’s effort and strength. It was very structured, had minimal color and had its own aesthetic, in a sense as to what shape it wanted to be.
Fig.6 Julia Dault, Saatchi Gallery
Figure.6 Julia Dault, Saatchi Gallery
All of the art displayed in the gallery actually spoke of something, Alice Anderson’s Bound, with the wooden bobbin and copper thread. The winding action is inspired by her childhood. Every art speaks for itself. Apart from all the other art displays, I could relate Julia Dault and Alice Anderson’s work in my project and concept.
Fig.7 Alice Anderson, Bound
But oddly fascinating art display was the pale wax figures, almost melting. The artist Virgile Ittah, showed four different categories of wax figures with each having different meaning to it but regarding human pain and death.
Fig.8 For the man would remember each murmur
Fig.9 Regarding the pain of others
Fig. 11 EchouĂŠ au seuil de la raison
Fig.10 Dreams are guilty
PROJECT CONCEPT
Fig.12 Project Concept
As humans have the ability to feel mentally, we often find ourselves having to having to for whatever reason contain our emotions. From this we form a kind of façade, a mask or shield to hide these emotions from others and thus, our feelings are like the contents in our everyday bottle of water or a jar of jam, it feels and perhaps is safer to contain them. This is perhaps a type of anxiety that is probably often ignored and although not all cases become a serious one, it seems that even though in our modern day society, with so many various communicating platforms offered to us, we still find it hard to express our true emotions. That is a part of what defines us as an individuals and should be something that is organic to us. These human emotions of ‘bottling-up’ or containing our feelings, in conjunction with our relationship with shapes and forms that encapsulates us in our everyday life, like bottles and jar to the buildings that shelter us, can then be used to inspire forms and silhouette.
Fig.13 Sketchbook pages, removing identity
I also wanted to work with removing identity, and how one person’s identity is constantly changing to that they can please others. I will be working with lot of lines and abstract things in my sketchbook. I have also take inspiration from architectural forms.
Fig.14 Mysterious with Urban aesthetic
Fig.15 Architectural inspiration
Overall, the concept is very mysterious and dark but I’m going to add some of the urban vibe to it. The end collection of this project is going to be structured, with loose and oversized silhouette, as you will see at the final line up.
COLOUR: BLACK
Fig.16 Black Ink Portrait
The color I have chosen is BLACK. The color black relates to the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, and as a result it creates an air of mystery. It keeps things bottled up hidden from the world. The color black can be associated with many fear, power, death, evil and sophistication to mention a few. And the
reason why I’m using black as my main color is because it flows with the project concept, because it’s dark and mysterious. Black is quite a challenging color, and it’s not going to be easy for me in my design process. I will have to balance my design details with the color. But, at the end of everything I know the outcome will be very good as black affirms, design and style. People might describe it as color of sadness and depression but it is also a color of sophistication and elegancy.
SILHOUETTE: FLARES AND OVERSIZED
Fig.17 Silhouette mostly flares and oversized
In this project I will be playing with oversized and flares for my silhouette. Flares and wider trousers are surely taking up this season and have been emerged back as a leading tend. Of course, inspired from the 1970’s both flares and oversized silhouette blends contemporary with timeless for elegant, effortless and fresh style. Apart from the two important silhouettes, I will also focus on with the volume. The collection is going to be a bit wonky, oversized and a little bit of frayed bits here and there. BRANDS: THREE INSPIRATIONS
Fig.18 Ellery land collection
So before we started the project we had to look at three brands as our target. But while I was doing the research I just thought of taking inspiration as well. So the first brand that I was inspired by was Ellery land, because the brand focuses on well-cut fabrics and modern designs. The silhouette is feminine with a rough edge. The designs are very architectural, minimal yet chic.
Fig.19 Acne Collection Pre-Fall 2014
ACNE, the design aesthetic of the brand has quite inspired me, with a lot of oversized silhouette and structured designs it has really helped me get on with the design development.
Fig.20 Alexander wang S/S 2013
Alexander Wang is known for his laid-back, downtown, and model off duty aesthetic. Key elements why I chose him as my inspiration is because his designs mainly contain sportswear inspired silhouette and materials, structured tailored pieces, oversized men inspired with sharp and clean details, along with edgy interpretation of casual clothes.
Details
Fig.21 Sketchbook page, strings details
My entire project revolves with string and hardware details so in my designs I have tried to incorporate drawstrings and buckles for details. The drawstring details come from the theme of strings attached to the puppets that’s mentioned in my design strategy statement and the buckles to actually show the attachment of different pieces in the garment. I will also try to use details with buttons and zips.
Fig.22 Detail for buckles, belts, buttons and zips
MARKET TARGET The target market is intended for a high-end market and for women between the age of 22 to 30, who like a certain statement through what they wear and already have established a strong sense of style. These women are most likely to already be in the fashion industry but women from other careers would also be interested, like an art curator or a blogger or someone in the music scene, for example, where they often need to communicate ideas or emotions through what they do, therefore would have a better understanding of this collection.
THE MAKING: GARMENTS Before starting with the garments, I started playing with small paper samples in the mannequinn. The paper smaples were inspired by the Julia Dault structres seen in the Tate Modern. I looked at circular things when I was making the samples, but when I started doing the design development, I actually decided to work with more with more details, rather than all the circular things that was going on. After few samples, I started working on the pattern for the garments which was a nightmare for me because, I was rushing to do the garments and did not pay much attention to the design developments. I had to do the design developments again and re-do the patterns.
Fig.23 Making the pattern, creating ideas
THE GARMENTS The fabric for the garment was decided, I wanted to use velvet when I was doing my design development. But after re-doing the design developments I decided to use Neoprene and sheer material for the garments. I was happy as to what I was doing, considering what was happening to my project earlier.
Fig 24. Neoprene and Organza Voile
I struggled quite a bit in the making of the garments because, I was confused with what fabric to use at first. I wanted my garments to be mininalistic, so I added few details to it. The garments were to have a very minimal and urban asethetic along with urban vibe to it.
Fig 25. Toile Experimentation , garment construction
OVERALL PROJECT EVALUATION Overall, I really enjoyed the project. The urban theme to the project made it more interesting for me because I could relate it with my asethetic. I did my my ups and downs like every other projects in the past years but I did overcome them and managed to finish all of it. Out of all the things I think I struggled with sketchbook a lot, I worked out with my project them and evrything but I just couldn’t put that to work. Second thing that I actually struggled in this project was my design development and garments. I think was was overthinking when it came to garments and design development. I was confused and was rushing to do them, when I could actually think with a cool mind and could finish them off easily. Thirdly, I think I have improved in my drawing and digital work. I struggled quite a bit in the previous years with my digital and I think I have improved quite a bit.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Internet http://www.pinterestimages.co.uk https://veroniquemklomp.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/assignment-two-describe-a-brand-acne-studios/ http://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/alexander-wang
http://www.pinterest.co.uk http://www.instagram.co.uk
Museum Tate Modern Bankside, London SE1 9TG Saatchi Gallery Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY
Images Fig 1. Own image from Tate Modern Fig 2. Own image from Tate Modern Fig 3. Own image from Tate Modern Fig 4. www.tatemodernimages.co.uk Fig 5. Own images from the Tate Modern Fig 6. Own image from Saatchi Gallery Fig 7. www.saatchigallery.co.uk Fig 8. www.saatchigallery.co.uk Fig 9. www.saatchigallery.co.uk Fig 10. www.saatchigallery.co.uk Fig 11. www.saatchigallery.co.uk Fig 12. www.pinterest.co.uk Fig 13. Own image from sketchbook Fig 14. www.pinterestimages.co.uk Fig 15. www.pinterestimages.co.uk Fig 16. www.pinterestimages.co.uk
Fig 17. www.pinterestimages.co.uk Fig 18. www.elleryland.com Fig 19. www.acnestudio.com Fig 20. www.googleimages.co.uk Fig 21. Image take from sketchbook Fig 22. www.pinterest.co.uk Fig 23. Own image Fig 24. www.googleimages.co.uk Fig 25.Own image