KATY BETH By a Thread
CONTENTS
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BRIEF 4 - 5 RESEARCH 6 - 19 CONCEPTULISATION 20 - 21 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT 22 - 35 TOILE DEVELOPMENT 36 - 71 SCREEN PRINTING 72 - 77 FINAL PRODUCTION 78 - 91 REFLECTION 92 - 93 REFERNCES 94 - 95
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DESIGN BRIEF “By a thread” focuses specifically on the creative yet frustrating practice of fine art by entering the mind of an artist in their studio. With direct emphasis on the emotions and mental illness that comes with the entire production of that final piece of art, I aim to create a six outfit, A/ W 16 collection, which tells the story of this process. Using oversized silhouettes that replicate that of an artist within their studio, the collection will embody comfort with functional, work-wear detailing yet keeping it contemporary in order to target towards an independent mid level market Many artists suffer with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and drug abuse. Therefore their art is a façade, it is a way for them to release all these feelings but also a way to hide them away. With particular focus of the frustration and being lost in the chaos of experimentation and exploration of creating that final masterpiece, I will look at ways of portraying this exasperation into fashion. Deconstruction techniques of fraying, ripping away at the seams and cut-outs are ways to convey this idea of losing your mind and deterioration of sense as well as “Holding on by a thread” Base colours of the garments will be dark and quite plain however, darker hues of primary colours – burgundy, forest green, midnight blue and mustard yellow- will be prominent within the print which will be done through painting the garments. This combination of colours seems very relevant to my theme of the artist struggling with depression, as primary colours are the bases of all art. Fabrics should relate to the work wear aspect of design therefore denim, linin and cotton seem applicable. Denim is what will dominate and what will be distressed, as it is most willing to manipulate. Fraying seams the most appropriate deconstructive technique that the collection will encapsulate as it represents losing your mind and falling apart. My target market is aimed at 18 3 - 5 year olds who have a strong personal style and unafraid to make a statement. I would say it is a collection more aimed for the creative minded, hard working and style conscious person. They have a good income, which they use to accomplish personal projects and buy garments, which show their influential and individual style. Their lifestyle is hectic, constantly moving therefore want key pieces in their wardrobe, which are bold, wearable, innovative and interchangeable. I chose this age range as my collection is for a mid level market where expensive fabrics and design techniques were used and to afford these garments my market will need a good disposable income. The clothes are comfortable and suitable for layering with good quality fabrics and make. This collection embodies the whole idea of the art studio. Everything will be done by hand, which, I feel this gives the collection a personal sense, and as though you are actually wearing a unique piece of art. 04
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RESEARCH
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In order to research my concept I wanted to try an enter the mind of an artist and explore how they act within their studios. The initial inspiration for this brief came from when I visited the Duncan Shank’s exhibition in the Huntarian Museum in Glasgow. The Exhibition showed his whole creative process, from his roughly noted sketchbooks to developing with different medias then onto his final artwork which may have came years after the first sketch. The flow of the room really made you feel as though you were right there with the artist and going through all the motions with him. You see him go through inspiration, exploration, disappointment, years of trying then triumph, joy and relief at that final piece. I realised then that I wanted my collection to tell this story to the consumer: that it may be a whole string of failures and hard going at the beginning but it eventually works out and you see the results. This could be portrayed from making the collection a progression; rough at the start yet more refined towards outfit six. The studio is where this is where it all begins. From paint spillages and spatters and the whole atmosphere within a studio, its chaotic and messy yet you are completely submerged in the work and that’s what I want to convey within this collection. I visited Glasgow School of Art’s fine art department and I was inspired by what they were wearing and how they did not care if any paint got onto their clothes. They used lab coats and aprons as hand towels and to dry their paintbrush leaving prominent brush marks on them, which I could explore into transferring into a print. The screen-printing room in Heriot Watt University is also highly influential with pigment splattered everywhere, spillages down the sides of walls and tables. Again the students were using lab coats, which were covered in paint-smudged fingerprints.
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Creativity and mental illness have long been associated with each other, which started with Aristotle, who equated insanity with genius. In relation to the creative process of fine art, many artists have been linked to the coined term ‘Tortured Artist’. Some of the greatest pieces of art have come from artists who suffer from self destructive behaviour or severe depression and bipolar disorder. The most notable ‘tortured artist’ is Vincent Van Gogh who suffered from manic depression, hallucinations, alcoholism and episodes of derangement, which led to famously cutting off his ear and eventually his suicide in 1890. Van Gogh’s paintings that he produced after his depressive states are his most profound, which proves the theory that you are at the most creative when coming out of any state of pain as there is unsuppressed ideas with more emotion and meaning behind the art. “I have put my heart and soul into my work, and lost my mind in the process” - Van Gogh Other artists which have produced work while suffering from mental illness and self-destructive behaviour include: Edvard Munch, Georgia O’Keefe, Michelangelo, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. In order to relate to fashion and my collection, I must now research how to put all of this exasperation into the garments through details and colour.
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DESIGNERS
Faustine Steinmetz An East London brand that spin, dye and weave all of their own fabrics. Each fabric is solely hand-woven using traditional handlooms. This brand is inspirational with the ways that they hand make everything and hand paint/dye the yarns. They make a point of hand craftsmanship, which I feel is a dying art within the fashion industry with all the technology taking over. They see their garments as wearable art, which is exactly my aim for this collection. They are a role model brand with a market similar to what my brand is aiming to achieve - independent and unique. Marques’Almeida Youthful London design duo Paulo Almeida and Marta Marques trained at the prestigious Central Saint Martins, showing their first collections with the support of Fashion East. Launched in 2011, the label specialises in soft twill denim with an emphasis on using fray and raw edges as its main detail. Their garments portray soft romanticism, which I feel to be such a beautiful contrast against the fray. They are a brand not afraid to go all out with the distressing of denim, which I hope to achieve within my collection.
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Charles Jeffrey S/S 16 “Nothing is really forced or reasserted when I design,” Charles Jeffery is a Central Saint Martins Graduate who designed his collection inspired by the people around him mixed with an 80’s vibe. But what inspired me most was that he fully painted garments. I found this technique compelling as each garment would be unique. I think that point of making it individual, no two pieces the same is really important within my theme: Making each garment its own work of art. He demonstrates a new way of thinking to the fashion industry. Most designers tend to use research based practice to create contemporary fashion where they study a overdone era or feeling. “I try more to react to things around me, and to be more organic in my process. I try not to make it look like something else than what it is”. This free spirited and fresh approach to the fashion industry is what makes Jeffery such an inspiration.
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Raf Simons x Sterling Ruby AW14 This Iconic pair collaborated to create a youthful, homemade and heartfelt collection. Inspired by sewing patches on your clothes during your teenage years, it also has a chaotic galactic atmosphere to it. Simons and Ruby approached garments like canvases – manipulating, defacing and marking out their territory in order to create something new. This inspired me most, the idea of using the garments as a blank canvas. I am also drawn into the anarchic feel to the collection; the rushed paintwork to me gives the sense of a struggle and Sterling Ruby comments on this “The pace of fashion is a shock to me, art has a slower pace.” This demonstrates that Ruby was rushed and felt under pressure and therefore relates to my research of frustration and striving for perfection.
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CONCEPTULISATION Silhouette. Oversized garments will be key throughout the collection in reference to the comfortable, bohemian-like artist work-wear. The idea of separates is strong within the collection as it also symbolizes the disconnection and detachment of mind. Colour Throughout my research, certain colours kept reappearing; predominately primary colours of Red, Blue and Yellow. However when looking into mental illness these colours are plagued by darkness. Therefore darker hues of these come into play in the form of print and paint, keeping the actual garments them selves quite plain symbolizing the “blank canvas�.
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Fabric For the collection I wanted to recreate a work place atmosphere throughout therefore denim seems most appropriate. Linin was my second choice as it reminds me of canvas therefore fitting for this concept. In my research I came across the idea of doing a progression; rough to refined. Fabrics for this would have to be more luxurious fabrics at the end as it represented the elegance of the gallery. However I decided to go without the idea of the progression as the silk in the end just was not fitting in and in a way cheapened the collection Furthermore to keep it work wear only, wax cotton or a waterproof fabric seems to adhere to the brief. Therefore I will work this fabric into the collection also. Detail Strong use of fraying denim and keeping it very unkempt is key within this collection. The use of the technique of faggoting is another main detail within the final garments to represent the artist completely losing his mind and barely holding on by a thread. The ideas of unravelling and ripping apart, stretching and rolling up sleeves are prominent throughout the collection.
Print Paint splatters and chaotic mess was the initial idea for a print, however as the brief developed throughout the research the print becomes more of a prominent feature. I need it to stand out rather than just an accessory. The print is now inspired by the ways of Charles Jeffery and Jackson Pollock who both create unique pieces of art, not planning the outcome but accepts every mark as intended and beautiful, which I feel, suits this concept perfectly. This collection embodies the whole idea of the art studio. Everything is done by hand, therefore the paint will be hand painted rather than a digital print which will be sampled and documented further on in the process.
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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
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I began my design development, and I was struggling to try and put all the elements researched into the collection without it looking too chaotic. I was also finding it difficult to not design it too stereotypical artist wear. What was holding me back was the decision between making it a collection for artists, or collection inspired by artists for a regular consumer to wear. Coming to the conclusion that my collection was to be inspired by artists, I could continue with my development. I started off with shapes that remind me of work-wear, therefore overalls, dungarees, aprons and lab coats and then worked on top of these base silhouettes. Once I had a silhouette that I was happy with, I continued to develop by adding by researched techniques and functional pockets.
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Throughout my development I was still unsure about a few garments so some in particular kept dramatically changing, but the basis of the theme was still very clear. It was time to go into the workshops and I was still not clear on what I was making therefore I started toiling the garments on the line up above hoping that it would strike some more inspiration as I draped on the stand and seen the garments made up. However to no avail I was still contemplating designs and a week before the toile review I was encouraged by the mentors to make my collection more complex, therefore it was back to the drawing board.
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This became my revised line up after starting again. Due to time limits, I kept some garments roughly the same with some additional elements and then some completely new developments. I felt a lot happier with this line up as to me it felt more contemporary, and it incorporated my researched elements a lot better. Although I felt very pressured to get a new line up done in time for the toile review, It did teach me a lot about time, and if I know I a, unsure about a garment, not to wait until last minute and hope that it will strike inspiration later on, but to get my line up sorted as quickly as possible in the process. 28
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For my colour scheme for the collection, I researched paint palette’s by the artists I previously mentioned (pg). There was clear evidence of the three primary colours, red, yellow, blue which had been transformed into different hues by the artist mixing with each other and the additional black and white paints. Therefore I created my colour palette develop from these primary colours. Keeping in mind that my concept has a darkness within it therefore I kept the colours quite sombre as though they had been plagued by darkness, similar to the artist’s mind. The results were hues of burgundy and the darkest navy. For the yellow, when darkened it was not a colour that went well with the other two therefore I mixed together a dark, greyish green that blended better. When playing around with the paints, I mixed everything together to create chaos on the palette which resulted in a murky, khaki green. This I thought was very appropriate as though symbolising the unclear and muddled thoughts of the artist. And this type of green was always visible in the artist’s palettes.
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While researching into deconstructive techniques in order to portray the artists mind, I came across the hand stitch technique of fagotting. It involves joining two pieces of material by means of an insertion stitch which Victorian ladies used often on delicate lingerie. With it being so light and thin, this is an ideal way to convey the state of the artist and the ideas of detachment The idea of wire came to mind to represent a painting hanging on a wall in a gallery. After many attempts with different widths of copper wire, I found that 60mm was most pliable by threading it through eyelets. However this was really bulky and not that wearable therefore I decided against the wire. Next I tried the most obvious choice of just normal thread and although it was a little flimsy, I liked how it was vulnerable and delicate just like the artist’s mind. It could also be seen as an artist trying to mend themselves, mind and the wear and tear that their clothes have taken over the years. There was difficulty in choosing where exactly to place the fagotting as I wanted it to be a delicate detail and just have hints of it throughout. As the final garments are together I think it will be a detail that comes at the end, as it will feel too forced if made to be deliberately there. The desired effect is that it will look like artist has mended their clothes themselves.
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TOILE PROCESS
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LOOK ONE WRAP JUMPER DRESS SPORTS BRA
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Heading into the sewing workshops, I felt there was still a lot of development to be explored with my proposed garments. I knew however that with this garment, I wanted to create the sensation of comfort and safety you feel within the studio space. At first this garment was a loose off the shoulder, waist length jumper, then it developed into an oversized t-shirt dress. With guidance from the mentors of the course and some fresh eyes coming back in semester two, I combined the two initial ideas to create this wrap sweatshirt dress, which is inspired by the wrapping of an apron in the workspace. I kept to the original jumper block that I had previously extended the neckline out in order to make the garment slouch off the shoulder. However I enlarged it further to emphasise the slouch and I also dropped the shoulder by 5cm. The sleeve was lengthened to exaggerate the pushed up, rolled up sleeve effect that I had previously researched. To create the wrap, 3cm under the armhole, I grew out 20 cm from the side seam then curved and tapered it back down to a widened hem. This was done for the front and back, which would be then cut on the fold. The wrap and the shoulder on the toile turned out well however the garment itself was too round and baggy. Therefore after some re-design I curved in from the point of the wrap, not wanting to shorten the actual wrap itself. By re-shaping the garment and shortening the width of the hem, the garment seemed slimmer and more elegant which I was a lot happier with. On the front of the dress there is a large pocket, which was caught into the side seams. However when the garment was folded in the pocket kept protruding out like a pouch. I tried pleating the pocket to see if I made any change, which it did but made the pocket more noticeable, which took away from the overall look of the garment. I unpicked the pocket to make it smaller but as the garment sat without, I preferred this look. Therefore I edited my final design to no pocket.
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For the sports bra that sits underneath the wrap jumper dress, I again edited the woman’s size 10 stretch top block to draft my pattern. The neckline was lowered and widened and the block was cropped to 15cm under the armhole. For my first toile I draped on the stand with thin knotted straps as a back detail however on reflection I saw that this was not fit for my market therefore I changed my design to a simpler racer back which was achieved by curving away at the back block pattern. I added a piece of elastic around bottom edge in order to gather in the garment and make it tighter to the body. However once tried on for fit, under the armhole was gaping out by 2.5cm therefore I tapered in the side seam, which fixed this problem, and the fit was better.
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LOOK TWO DUNGAREES WATERPROOF TOP
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The original design for the dungarees, seen in design development, had a very wide leg. Thus when drafting the pattern, I proceeded to cut and spread the trouser pattern five times, adding in 5cm right up to the crotch line. As I wanted the leg to be very loose from the body, I excluded the darts from the pattern. After toiling, the leg seemed to fold in towards the inside leg seam. Going back to the pattern I evened up the spread in order to balance out the flare. When toiling I used a heavyweight denim which was not draping as well as pulling everything downwards. For the top half of the garment, I had designed a pocket feature on the bib of the dungarees which when toiled was successful. As mentioned in the development stage, I decided to redesign most garments throughout the toiling process and the dungarees silhouette was changed into more of a rounded leg. Re-drafting the pattern from the block, I extended out from just under the waist an sketched out a curved line which tapered back into the hemline. For the bib of the dungarees, the pattern stayed the same except with no pocket feature from the last toile instead there was the addition of jean pockets to the trousers. For this toile I also added the darts back in as the fit on the previous pair around the back was not great. The toile was very successful, with enough voluminous shape and the fit was a lot better, this was also due to changing fabric to a lightweight denim. This toile was shown at the toile review and the advice given was to make the bib and waist less fitted to the body in order to make them feel like men’s dungarees on a woman Editing the pattern, I added on an extra 2cm to each side by tapering upwards from the hip to create a boyish figure. I also done away with the darts and inserted a yoke instead. This was achieved by slicing through the darts to 5cm drown from the waistband. However after toiling this was too large a yoke and I edited it gain to just 3cm. Originally the zip was going to be down the centre back seam however I changed it to two zips down the side seams. In order to do this I had to add 5 cm and zip guard onto the back waistband, which would wrap underneath the front waistband. A standard jean zip would be inserted on the final garment.
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The initial fabric for this top was to be jersey therefore I started off by using the stretch t-shirt block to create a simple t-shirt with short sleeves. However as I changed the fabric to a waterproof fabric with no stretch I re-drafted the pattern using the bodice block. As I wanted it to be quite square and baggy to the body, I drew a straight line from the armhole to the hem to create an overall a box shape. I cropped the top to 5cm above the waist and excluded the darts from the pattern. The toile fitted and sat well therefore I put the pattern to rest. However when I came to make my final top, I had discovered that the fabric was shrinking when I steamed the fabric. Due to the bodice being made up already, I could not fit the un-steamed sleve into the armhole without a lot of ease. In order to solve this problem, I decided to resign the top slightly. I drafted a new pattern, with the same length and neckline but I added a grown on sleeve. This slight difference meant making the final a lot easier. I also cut into the pattern to create a clod shoulder detail, which would be later stitched with the fagotting technique.
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LOOK THREE SHIRT TANK TOP MOHAIR SKIRT
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The shirt dress pattern was drafted by using the men’s shirt block as I wanted the width and oversized element to the garment. The first toile that I drafted was basic in order to see the width of the block and the length which was had extended by 30cm. I dropped the shoulder also by 15 cm to put emphasis on the oversized baggy shape. Once toiled the length was bit too exaggerated therefore I shortened and shaped it on the stand however this then became too short. For the second toile I decided to add a yoke to eliminate the shoulder seam into the shirt design. This was accomplished by joining up the front and back pattern pieces at the shoulder seam and marking from the shoulder down 20cm at the back and front. Drawing a straight line across and then tracing over to create a full piece (see opposite). The initial idea was just to put a tie around the waist to create some shape but I thought I would see how putting a casing with a tie, only in the front of the shirt which would then gather it in. This was done by dividing the front panel into two and placing a narrow channel in-between ,w hich is joined in at the side seam. Once toiled I was unsure if it was as effective as I hoped and during the toile review I was advised to keep it plain with a regular waist tie. The collar for this toile was a little tricky as I wanted it to be casual, not standing to prominent and stiff. After looking at collar types in some research books I decided to go with a flat, convertible collar so that it also folds back on itself when open. See the diagram below that documents my measurements and how to draft the pattern piece.
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This garment changed a lot over the weeks and as I added in the mohair fabric later on in my process therefore in order to incorporate it I had to re-design garments. The design originally was a denim V-neck dress, then into a wrap dress and eventually developed into a top and skirt separates.
The jersey top is just a simple design, draped on the stand however I feel it is appropriate and needed within the collection. I cut two large pieces of jersey fabric and sewed 3 edges together. Placing it on the mannequin I then cut away at the neckline and armholes. Struggling to get both sides equal I concentrated on one half, achieving the shape I wanted. I then folded the block in half and evened up the other side. I then used this as a template for drafting my pattern neatening up the curves and adding seam allowance. It may seem like a simple garment but its boyish, baggy shape allows it to tuck into another garment to show folds and have a pushed up texture. It also allows the garment to be interchangeable within the collection.
This skirt was drafted from the jersey medium skirt block. Once patterned, the toile needed shortened and it was far to big around the waist even with the final going to have a zip inserted into the side seam. Therefore I trimmed 2cm off both side seams. With the design in mind, and taking into account the mohair fabric, the question is posed whether or not to put a waistband on or just to face the waist edge. The fabric will not fuse either so with both options there is the risk of lack of stability and structure. Another option would be to use elastic and not put a zip into the side seam. With not enough mohair to try all three to test, I sampled the elastic first in cotton and then in the mohair and it proved successful. 55
LOOK FOUR MOHAIR JUMPER APRON JEANS
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As the mohair is quite a challenging fabric, the design for this had to be reasonably simple as but effective. Using the size 10 stretch block, I dropped the shoulder by 5 cm and the sleeves extended again by 5cm. This was done to make the jumper have a more slouched appearance. The jumper was also cropped by 15 cm from the block length. With the mohair, the only way to hem so it does not effect the fabric is to blind him. However due to time limits and not having a blind hemming machine at my disposal, I finished the cuffs and hem with a blind hand stitching technique which proved successful. After a final review of the jumper, the neckline did not seam to be cohesive with the others therefore I widened the neckline in order to make it slouch off the shoulder similar with Look one’s Jumper Dress. This neckline was originally finished with a cover stitch, however this altered the fall of the mohair. Second, I made a facing however this made it bulky and unflattering. The only suitable finish was again to hand blind stitch the neckline.
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The idea for this apron developed from a one-piece front that would tie round the body, to a full garment with a crossover back. I drafted the pattern from the size 10 dress block, dramatically lowering the neckline and armhole. I take 6cm off the armhole side of the shoulder and 4cm in from the neckline, leaving a 5cm strap as the shoulder seam. I wanted the fit to be baggy against the body therefore I added 3cm out from the hem on each side and instead of shaping the side seams, I extended straight up to the armhole to create that boyish figure. For the back of the pinafore I made the shoulder seam again 5cm by shaving off the same as the front. In order to make the wrap effect, I mark the same point on the back that I lowered the armhole to on the front. Next drawing a curved line from the shoulder seam down to the mark on the opposite side seam, to create that crossover back. Once I toiled the garment it was very long and crossover on the back was not very definitive. Therefore I draped the toile on the stand and cut away the excess length and shaped the back to be more of a feature.
The jeans for look four started off by using the trouser block and tapering in the leg on both the front and back by 3cm to create a skinny leg. Jean pockets were added and the pattern for a 4cm waistband was drafted. The toile, which was done in a cotton fabric, turned out well with the length just being little long. The next toile was done in lightweight denim and all that was added was a yoke, which I measured at 1.5 inches at the side seam down to 2 inches at the centre back seam. Again the toile was successful and ready to move onto the final painted pair of jeans.
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LOOK FIVE FRAY TOP BOMBER JACKET WATERPROOF TROUSER
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For this design I originally wanted the arms to be constricted down. Therefore for this toile I used the bodice block and raised the neckline to come straight across and from the nape of the neck I made the length on the top 35cm. This length included 3cm at the neckline for fray allowance. I altered the armhole buy straightening and lengthening to join the neckline. I then extended out 12 cm from the side seam to create the constricting structure. As there is no shoulder seam due to the fray at both the front and back neckline they must be joined together with a strap. There are two straps that attach on the inside of the front and back then come together and tie. Once toiled and tried on, I was not too keen on the constricting element. Thus I changed the idea to just a boxy crop top shape which still has the fray and tying straps. The second toile of this was very successful.
The pattern for the shell of the reversible bomber jacket was derived from the blouse block. Firstly I dropped the shoulder by 5cm then proceeded to I add volume into the sleeve by adding onto the length and then taking away the shaping of the bloc. With the main bodice I shaped the side seam to again add volume. The toile was done in lightweight denim and I used elastic to represent the cuffs and waistband, which would be in rib jersey. The toile was successful and the lining/reversible side will be the same pattern.
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These trousers evolved a lot over the first semester. At first being a pair of jogger bottoms with deep pockets, which matched that of the above top, to a pair of tailored linin trousers. Finally resulting in the final idea of the waterproof wrapped trousers. Before the wrap on the trousers, I started on a pattern for a pair of pleated trousers. On the pattern I ignored the darts at the front, but kept them in the back, and extended the waistband by 15cm for the two 5cm knife pleats. I then drew a new line down to the hem which had been extended by 3cm to add extra volume. This toile turned out great and I was happy with the volume in the trouser. However I just felt they were lacking in something. I looked back at my line up and decided to add a similar wrap seen in Look one’s jumper dress. With the jumper dress the wrap is grown onto the main body. I tried to replicate this with the trousers however came to realise that the waistband would not work. With the next toile I moved the wrap down two cm from the waistband to allow the band to go on comfortably. The wrap was in two separate pieces that were first bagged out then attached into the side seam. The wrap was now functional but shape was not quite right. The next sample I attempted to put in-seam pockets within the wrap, which were inserted in behind the wrap and were a success.
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LOOK SIX PAINTED DRESS CARDIGAN
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The idea behind this dress, trapeze-like silhouette, stayed consistent trough the toiling process but how to achieve that shape is what my toiles explore. For one toile, I tried cutting and spreading, however similar to that of the dungarees the fabric weighed to one side. The back of the dress also then became far too big for the body. I edited the design to give the garment more stability in the back then attempted to gain the trapeze shape by simply extending out diagonally from under the armhole to the hem of the dress which was also extended out by 15cm. The shape was achieved successfully and the next issue of this dress is the fit. As it is low cut, I had to shape the V-neck to sit close to the chest. I tried the dress on a model and marked the excess of 2.5 cm. I went back to the pattern and drew a line from where the excess was to the armhole. Cutting down this line, I close the gap, removing the excess and retraced the pattern. I tried the dress back onto the same model and the excess had successfully been removed. However once tried on a smaller bust, there was a slight gap but I feel this is due to different body shapes and not everyone’s body will be perfect to the garment. Large in-seam pockets were added also to give the dress a very casual feel.
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The cardigan that accompanies look six was drafted from the blouse block. The length was dramatically extended to make the overall length 175cm. The shoulder of the cardigan was significantly dropped by 25cm to give it a very slouchy appearance. The shape and length turned out as hoped for and only one toile was necessary for this garment.
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SCREEN PRINTING
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The Initial idea for the print was to be a giant smudge of mixed paint, and when this was sampled on paper (image on left) it was very successful with different outcomes each time. The main fabric, which would be printed on, would be the denim therefore I tried the technique onto the denim fabric, with just acrylic paint. The results were good but not successful enough to use as a finalised product. The colours were very dull and it has a rough texture. I scanned in one of the samples (image to right) and tried to get it sent away to get digitally printed however nowhere that I could find printed on denim. I looked into getting the denim coated then send that off as well as the print to get printed but unfortunately noone would do this. The question was raised whether or not to use coated white denim and then print however the only coated white denim I could locate was very thick and would not be appropriate for the designs. There was now the question of how to get the look I was hoping to achieve yet keeping denim as my fabric as there was suggestions of using a canvas fabric instead. I arranged a talk with Mark Parker, the head of textiles at the university and asked if he could think of a way to get my desired effect. We decided to do some tests of using Opaque mixed Pigment on the denim, which was successful. Therefore the problem was solved and I could get onto sampling colours and techniques within the screen-printing workshop.
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The process began by mixing up my own colours of red, blue, yellow and green with the combination of bonding agent, opaque and pigment. The more opaque you add, the more vibrant your colours will stand out on the fabric. With the pigment it is just a case of adding until you gain the correct colour. Therefore it is just a case of taking the time of getting it right. The final outcome of the colours I was very pleased with and could continue to sample my technique. At first I used a screen, however the colours just seamed to disappear and the paints were not blending the way I hoped. So I approached it differently by just placing the pigment and opaque mixtures straight onto the fabric and using the squeegee, results were exactly what I had hoped for.
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This technique was very successful and therefore I could go ahead and paint Outfit 6’s dress. I decided to paint each panel separately as that would give the dress a more unique look as each panel is its own piece of artwork. After the dress was painted, It was hung to dry overnight then you have to set the pigment with the heat press which allows you to then wash and wear the fabric comfortably without it coming off. It also softens the fabric which the denim certainly needed as it had stiffened a little overnight. I placed the fabric between two sheets of baking parchment to stop the fabric from staining the machine and then the two teflon sheets required, and set the temperature to 150 degrees. After two minutes the fabric is set and ready to get put together. 77
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FINAL PRODUCTIONS
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LOOK ONE
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LOOK TWO
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LOOK THREE
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LOOK FOUR
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LOOK FIVE
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LOOK SIX
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REFLECTION In refection, I would say that I have battled with myself throughout the process of making the collection (which is very fitting) as I spent a long time, not entirely passionate about my ideas. However now seeing it complete, I can say I am proud of what I have made and accomplished over these last few months. If not for the help of my lecturers, technicians and peers, I would not know who I am as a designer or my aethetic, but this year has taught me all of that and more. Within my collection if I had the time, I would have over exaggerated the fray and ripped denim as I feel it is lacking even though it is a main point within my research. That said, I am very pleased with how the screen-printing and silhouettes of my garments have turned out.
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REFERENCES Bondon, C. (-). PROJET PERSO - RELATIONS FUSIONNELLES.Available: https://fr.pinterest.com/clarabondon/projet-perso-relations-fusionnelles/. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Gorton, T. (2015). Fashion East announces menswear designers for SS16. Available: http://www. dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/24881/1/fashion-east-menswear-designers-ss16-charles-jeffrey-gracewales-bonner. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Le Drezen, C. (2015). FASHION EAST: CHARLES JEFFREY SS16.Available: http://www.dazeddigital. com/fashion/gallery/19942/3/fashion-east-charles-jeffrey-ss16. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Paik, C. (2013). Fei from China wearing Alexander Wang. Available: http://christinapaik.tumblr.com/ post/55682010403/fei-from-china-wearing-alexander-wang. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Prime, R. (2013). Reconstructional Clothing by Nina Berger . Available: http://www.coolhunting.com/ style/restructional-clothing-by-ninna-berger. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Ramalho, J. (2012). Marques Almeida ss12 backstage. Available: http://marquesalmeida.tumblr.com/ post/20802081901/kate-imogen-and-katya-ss12-backstage-by-jorge. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Shin, K. (2014). Art of KwangHo Shin. Available: http://newyorkartcollector.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/ art-of-kwangho-shin.html. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Steinmetz ,F. (2015). Faustine Steinmetz AW15. Available: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/ article/23738/1/faustine-steinmetz-aw15. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Sussman,A. (2007). Mental Illness and Creativity: A Neurological View of the “Tortured Artist”. Stanford Journal of Neuroscience. 1 (-), 21-24. Toms,B. (2014). Beyond the Interzone. Available: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/ gallery/17742/2/beyond-the-interzone. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Trengove, P. (2015). FAUSTINE STEINMETZ SS15. Available: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/ gallery/18473/12/faustine-steinmetz-ss15. Last accessed 24th April 2016 Unknown. (-). Faggoting. Available: http://www.v ictorian-embroidery-and-crafts.com/faggoting.html. Last accessed 24th April 2016
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