Spring-Summer 2017 By Jiya DavĂŠ
Research For this unit I have been looking at various different prints in the fashion industry. I also looked at digital as well as screen print. Digital print is more expensive and uses true colour and any colour can be used. Screen print on the other hand uses indexed colour block design and is therefore cheaper in comparison. My chosen brand is Elie Saab and I designed a series of prints as well as T-shirts for Elie Saab’s Spring Summer 2017 collection. I chose spring/summer because I prefer the lighter pastel colours.
Saab born in Lebenon in 1964 is a self-taught fashion designer who started dressmaking at the age of 9 for his sisters. He later began to sell his fashion designs to local women in his neighbourhood. At the age of 18 Saab opened up his couture house in Beirut managing his own team of 10 employees. His product line consisted of evening and bridal wear. He soon presented his first collection which was instantly embraced. Saab was later invited to Paris by the Chambre Syndicale De la Haute Couture. In 2007 he set up his flagship boutique in Le Triangle D'or. I love the way Saab combines Western silhouettes with Middle Eastern embellishment. His feminine designs are extremely flattering on the female form and have been worn by A list celebrities (Halle Berry) to royalty (Queen Rania of Jordon) to name a few. He uses very opulent sheer fabrics such as taffeta, organza, noble and satin. I’m particularly drawn to all the intricate detail on his designs and I love the lighter pastel shades he uses.
I drew inspiration from the image above. I really like the couture 2011 prints. Very subtle, soft hues with barely there floral effect.
Elie Saab Brand SWOT analysis: Strength: Strong brand identity Weakness: Not tapped into globally Opportunity: Asian market Threat: Similar brands following suit e.g. Zuhair Murad
Target market: Royalty, wealthy elite, celebrity, rich and famous. Feminine elegant wealthy women, loyal Arab clientele Product: Haute couture, Ready to Wear, Accessories, Bridal Marketing: Fashion Shows, Website, Events, Magazines, Social Media Market Level: On par with Chanel
Elie Saab is known for Haute Couture and Bridalwear. His collections usually have a lot of intricate embroiderry. However I have been looking at some of the brands prints.
Customer Profile Board
Mood Board
Competitors Board
Target Market
Colour Board
My research pointed out that Elie Saab needs to expand their clientele and tap into the Asian market. Keeping the brands core style the same, I started looking at creating floral patterns from flowers that are popular in Asian culture and encorporate that into my design. I first looked at the Japanese cherry blossom tree and then Orchids. I decided to design my prints using Orchids as they are very highly regarded in Asian culture. I took several pictures of some orchids and then cut out some of the flowers and stems using Photoshop. I then used the mirroring process to create my final prints. I also did a few prints using Kaledo repeat print however I prefered the outcome of the prints I created using Photoshop and chose those as my final 6.
I experimented with the size and placement position of my designs on some tshirts using Kaledo Style and a generic tshirt template. I later designed 6 new tshirts inspired by my print and brand using Kaledo Style. I also created the front and back technical drawing of each design.
Final Designs Design 1
T-shirt Design Front and Back
I created around 25 designs using Kaledo Print as well as Photoshop. I chose my final 6 designs based on what would work well as a collection.
Asymmetrical front pleat detail. Coverstitch hem
Technical drawing Front and Back
Design 2
T-shirt Design Front and Back
V neck butterfly sleeve
Technical drawing Front and Back
T-shirt Design Front and Back
Design 3
Peplum cap sleeve T-shirt with darts on the front. Coverstitch hem
Technical drawing Front and Back
T-shirt Design Front and Back
Design 4
Cap sleeves T-shirt with pussybow front detail. Coverstitch hem
Technical drawing Front and Back
T-shirt Design Front and Back
Design 5
Off the shoulder sweetheart neckline with front darts. Coverstitch hem
Technical drawing Front and Back
T-shirt Design Front and Back
Design 6 Elastic waist, T-shirt dress, kaftan sleeve
Technical drawing Front and Back
Digitising Lectra: There are of 4 computer programs I have used in this Digital Fashion unit: Kaledo, Modaris, Diamino and 3D-Fit. Kaledo is a drawing program which allows you to create technical drawings, mood boards and colour palettes. Modaris is pattern cutting software which allows you to digitise a block onto the computer and then alter it to your design. Diamino allows you to create lay plans for you patterns created in Modaris. It also allows you to create markers to print out your pattern on the Lectra paper printer. 3D-Fit is used to create a digital toile of your pattern. You insert your pattern created in Modaris and then digitally stitch the pieces together to fit the garment onto the 3D maanequin. This allows you to see if your patterns works together and if there are any amendments required to the original pattern.
A - GRAIN LINE The grain line is added first by clicking the A on the mouse from left to right 2 - Next the 2 button is clicked to mark the CORNER 1 – Intermediate point C – CURVE POINT 6 – A notch is marked using the T button 3 – DRILL HOLE (Internal mark eg end of dart o) 7 – INTERNAL LINE (eg press 7 & then digitise as normal with 2’s, 1’s C’s etc) 1F – (At the end of an internal line) D – DELETE (Cancels the last action) F O – Click FO at the end of one pattern piece before starting a new sheet FF – This function marks the end when Digitising is complete
Access paths must be preset before digitising so that the file is saved in the correct place. The model is given a name but no spaces must be used. Accuracy is key during the process in order to get a good on screen model of the pattern. The file is set up in Modaris. Select Display and Title Block, a yellow grid will appear – this is where you will be able to see the size and piece name details. (press Home on the keyboard to resize if necessary) •
To import your size range select F7 and Imp.EVT and left click on the model block
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Select the size range storage folder and the size range file you want to import (S,M,L,XL or 8,10.12,14,16,18) open.
• •
Each piece you digitise will be placed on an individual sheet To create a new sheet for the first piece select Sheet and New Sheet A new sheet will be created automatically for the remaining pieces as you digitise
• Select F1 menu and Digit and look for the prompt on screen ‘2 points for horizontal axis’ before starting make sure cursor is on sheet.
Digitising mouse
Modaris Pattern
Once digitising is compete. The pattern can be opened up where it was saved on the computer. Then we can begin to make adjustments on the model. Straightening up jagged edged, making sure the side seams match etc. You can also reshape, add grain lines as well as seam allowance. Check the side seams match by using the Marry function. Once this is done the 2 pieces can be divorced. I added grain lines to every pattern piece by clicking F4 Axis, grain line, then by holding ctrl & lefting click on the pattern piece draging & left click other end. I also named each pattern piece.
Front, Back, Sleeve, Cuff and Rib
Mirror Pieces: If the pattern is symmetrical only half of it needs to be digitised. The pattern can then be mirrored by going on F5- Sym 2 points. Click on each end of line to mirror (left to right) holding shift down as you click will replace the piece instead of creating a new one.
Seam allowance can also be added by clicking on F4. Line seam. Hold shift & right click all lines with same seam allowance. I added a seam allowance of 1cm. Finalise by clicking on Exchange and go into Industrialisation menu at top of F4. Left click centre of piece. This is now complete to save.
Variants Variants are the link between Markers and the 3D fit model. Each time a new 3D model is created, we need to make a new variant. Only the pieces needed for the 3D fit are selected. All single (S) and paired pieces (DH) need to be named, and once this is done the variant is saved. The variant then saves as a yellow box on the
Diamino Marker Layplan
A PDF marker was also created showing the layplan. This helps to plan out how much fabric we need. I created both a paper marker as well as a fabric one. The paper marker is to scale and can therefore be used to print out the pattern. Creating a layplan using Diamino means I have the most efficient lay out, eliminating wastage or left over fabric which saves time and money.
The 3D Process When creating the 3D model the pieces need to be stitched together. Desk of stitches is used after finding the information in the variant. Once the stitching is complete, slip on points are added to the part of the garment the body will go through, eg arms and head waist etc. Once this is done you can check 3D fitting. Next clicking assembly/simulation creates the garment on a chosen mannequin. In my case I chose Flo. After the assembly is done then the garment can be pulled down by clicking on Fall/relaxation. The mesh may then need to be refined in order to eliminate any holes. The mesh is often 3 and needs to be changed to 1 then click simulate.
Modaris Pattern Progression
I started with my original Tshirt pattern and modified it into a vest. I took a measurement of where I wanted the new neckline and altered the pattern accordingly using F1, add a point and dragging the original point and putting in the new value. I also reshaped the armhole as well as shortening the the pattern. For this I clicked F3 and pinned the ends. Then I clicked on the hem line and dragged it in the direction I wanted then used DX & DY to input the new length leaving DL blank. Once complete I removed the pins.
Once I had completed the vest I created my 3D fit. Here are some examples of vest on Flo. I added and existing pattern and one of my own designs.
This is what my jersey tshirt will look like. It has a rub cuff and coverstitch for the hem.
Future Hybrid Technology Is Google’s Project Jacquard the future of wearable technology? Right now the idea of wearable technology is fairly basic. A wristband or a watch to monitor your heart rate or your step count for the day. However Google is currently working on something rather innovative which could change the idea of wearable technology in the fashion world. Project Jacquard is the name given to a project by Google Advance Technology and Projects Group (ATAP) who have officially partnered up with Levi’s to create an iPhone interface on fabric. It is fascinating to me that the structure of textiles is the same as the structure of touch screens which are used in everyday technology such as in mobile devices tablets etc. Software and fabric isn’t usually found under the same umbrella however this can be a possibility and something we could see in the near future. Ivan Poupyrev; an interaction designer who has previously worked with Disney Research is the technical program leader on the project. He explains in more detail how the yarn is currently made. The yarn itself is braided which makes it stronger than the usual twisted yarn which is weaker and more prone to breakage. This means the yarn cannot be broken by hand. It also comes in a variety of different colours and can easily be integrated into textile making it virtually invisible. “The idea that Jacquard is an interface blended into the clothing that we’re wearing has implications in the way you would use sensors, products, applications and anything that we do with our technology,” said Joao Wilbert, creative technologist of Google Creative Lab in London. Such an interface would push “technology out of the way” and it’d make interactions with electronics “more natural and more seamless,” he stated So how does it all work? Well the technology is weaved into fabric
using conductive yarns which are made up of thin, metallic alloys. These can be combined with either natural or synthetic yarn. The alloy can be combined with cotton, polyester, or silk which makes it strong. They look like traditional yarns. The discrete design enabled the conductive yarns to be attached to connectors and circuits the size of a button on a jacket. Existing apps can connect to the garment using Wi-Fi. Right now Bluetooth is being used to do everything required and it is run on a standard watch battery. This means the garment can be modified to the user to do various different things as the user goes through the day or life. Denim is particularly durable. And in production alone before the finished product even reaches the shelves it has been washed, stretched, and been subjected to heat. All of these procedures can be detrimental to sensitive technology. The creators are considering whether the product can be made recyclable. And also waterproof so it can be washed and used like regular fabric. The thread can also be integrated in other fabrics and isn’t limited to denim or even flat fabric. Wool for example can also be used. The whole garment doesn’t need to be made into a touchscreen. Only a small patch will suffice. As long as this fabric isn’t torn
into it will function. This technology is still at a developmental stage. There is a lot to consider when it comes to mass production. “The clothing industry makes 19 billion garments per year,” observes Poupyrev. “Compare that to the 128 million smartphones made last year. So when we talk about interactive textiles, we need to think about it at the scale of clothes manufacturing, using existing supply chains and existing industrial weaving machines.” The idea of such technology integrated in our garments sounds very exciting and when I first came across the project I instantly found it interesting. It does however raise some concerns that the technology can be made so discrete and the conductive thread can be virtually invisible that the user can unknowingly be sharing information by doing simple gestures via their garment. I believe advanced smart textiles have a promising future. There are such wide range of possibilities. It can also be used to aid
the elderly or someone with very restricted movement. After all we don’t always have our phone in our hands and it isn’t always practical. Sportswear can be integrated with such technology to monitor movement. A small wave could be used to turn the lights on and off. The smart technology can be used to control media as well as to answer the phone. All this without having to take your phone out and simple by touching the fabric. However accidental gestures which trigger a response can cause a problem. The more I think about the possibilities the more I think that wearable technology will have a promising future. Although there are several kinks that need to be ironed out, however if they are successful, the possibilities are endless. Levi’s have stated that they intend to release their smart jeans in early 2016.
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