THE COUTURE CIRCUS
During my time in couture sewing techniques I learned many things about myself now only as a tailor but also as a designer; I found that I was able to learn new techniques along with perfecting techniques I already had learned. Along with the technical aspect, I was also challenged to think outside the box...ALOT! That is one of the best things about having Cindy as a teacher, she is so PERFECT in her way of making young designers think about things the way they never would have before. I knew that I would be taking this class as of fall semester 2013 and I could not wait for it, thankfully Rooth allowed me to take this 400 level apparel class to satisfy my costume craft credit (also taught by Cindy.) I started researching that semester once I had finished my design for LCT’s production of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost. After a challenging show both mentally and artistically, I was really looking forward to some fun in a brand new class with students I had never met before. The first day of class was a bitt nerve-wracking for me, I wasn’t sure of what to expect from a department so different from my own, yet so near and dear to my heart.. AFter being in Couture Sewing Techniques for just a few weeks I was feeling right at home. Some of the girls were even breaking out of their shells a little bit, which always makes me feel more at ease. Cindy is also an avid pinterest user, and urged us to create our own board that allowed us to digitally work on our journals throughout the semester while also helping us brainstorm new and innovative ideas for this semester’s projects. We were urged to find garments and designers that we liked and admired and sample those design details in our garments. I was finding a lot of circle skirts that were amazingly fun (like the one on the bottom right of this page) and after careful contemplation I was able to come up with an Idea for my upcycled garment. I found the perfect couple of photos to depict what I want to do with my first garment, and I am so excited! I am always one to try to challenge myself along with grabity, using as much fabric as I can; this is a special challenge for this specific garment because I have chosen to use my lovely roomate, Justine Liza, as my model. I always describe her as five feet tall and about ninety pounds...in reality an exaggeration, yet you get the gist....she is very petite. The great thing about Justine is that she isn’t afraid to show off her body, and loves that I can make clothes for her...I had to pay hommage to her by creating a glam crop top to go with the skirt (inspiration in top right corner)
For one of my personal research days in couture, I tried to find designers that do their renderings in many different ways. I found that many designers today use tons of different mediums such as watercolor, oil, pastels, and many different digital mediums. I found this to be very inspiring as I like to use lots of different mediums in my drawing, experiementing is fun!
I am also involved in the spring musical at NDSU, this spring we are doing Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. I am lucky enough to be working with Bill Brewer, a world renowned costume designer from North Carolina School of the Arts. So far, he is kicking my butt but we are having so much fun and I am learning so much not only about myself as a designer, but about design in general. I am finding and seeing the details that truly can tell the story through each character and it’s only the beginning!
For our last project of the semester we gotto design our own restist silk s carves. I looked on pinterest for a lot of geometric and floral designs...trying to find something differentyet I ended up choosing my same old, same old, eiffel tower....and I’m so happy about it!
Throughout the process of making both of my couture garments, I tried to think of other ways I could make my garments innovative and interesting in both silhouette and texture. These specific techniques shown have many different processes including dip dyeing, sharpie dyeing, bleach dyeing and felt/wool dyeing. Although I was unable to use these techniques in either of my garments, it is great to know that there are many different techniques to use and ways to use them, this is another quality that I find Cindy especially helpful with. For my second couture garment I was able to use some of the Japanese pattern manipulation books that i purchased at the beginning of the semester, I was aiming to bleach dye the “bro tank” at the end of construction, but the fabric I had purchased was unable to take both bleach and dye. It’s ok that I didn’t do that technique in the end, because it made the tank more classic and able to be worn by both sexes, which I found to be a great learning curve in the process. Although I was unable to use these techniques along with many more that are available, I have found more of a creativity within fabrics and hope to be able to use these in the future. We also watched a video on “Snow dyeing” in class that i found very interesting and innovative, a perfect winter event in our frozen tundra.
DYEING TECHNIQUES
ELSA SCHIAPARELLI
ELSA SCHIAPARELLI
STAPLE DRAPING
I find inspiration in fabric manipulation, many of these garments contain couture sewing techniques like pleating and ruching that can be transferred into other garments that others design. These specific techniques make these garments look either harder or softer in their movement in combination with fabrics and texture.
SCULPTURAL CLOTHING
For our second writing assignment in Couture, we were to choose a couturier designer post 1950, the designer I chose was Jean-Paul Gaultier, not only for his amazing fashions (see all looks on page) but for his great philanthropy along with challenging gender norms and model figure norms. I am so enthralled by his work... ESPECIALLY THE EIFFEL TOWER TIGHTS!
I find so much influence from other couture designers and their use with silhouette and texture. To the right we see a massive use of pleating to create an almost gill like effect, very useful in costume. The other images on this page are from Jean-Paul Gaultier’s couture collection. The below image is one of my favorites as the crystals really embellist the skeletal effect of the costume. VERY GAGA!
The above photo is one that I have always found to be a source of inspiration. Using the internet web-data base, TRENDLAND I have found inspiration in both runway photos and fashion advertising campaigns. This particular campaign focused on cultural diversity and how that relates back to high fashion. I am inspired by the fringe of the aboriginal design as well as the simplicity of the ready-to wear fashoiins. I feel that this campaign did a great job with showing how fashion really has no language, it speaks to EVERYONE.
The photo to the left is one that I find to be one of my favorite Jean-Paul Gaultier works, the genderbending qualities that he strives to play with. Men’s corsets were originallyused in battle as a means of structure and strength in battle. The photo shown plays on this masculine-feminine bender by also showing one of Gaultier’s most famous designs; originally for MADONNA, the cone bra. Along with the cigarette, I find this design to be totally inspirational and something I would love to create.
These are some of the initial images i found for my crop top and circle skirt combination. The orange skirt on the bottom dress was the main source of inspiration for the amount of circles put into my garment. I love the way the model is moving, and because my model is way shorter I chose to make the circles become more like a tutu. The top left image is one from the recent MET Ball Gala in New York City. Gabrielle Union is looking amazing in the black and gold combination proving that Black and Gold can look amazing on just about anyone. The shoes on this page are just simply amazing.
I find a lot of inspiration in streetwear, websites like Karla’s Closet, Sea of Shoes, FashionToast, Lookbook, and Jak and Jil, and Style Rookie to be huge sources of inspiration in my design style. The above image as well as the image to the right with the woman next to the mo-ped were major sources of silhouette inspiration for my unisex bro tank. I love the look of really tight legs and an a-line top to create a sort of trapeze effect. Throughout both of my created garments for the semester I kept in mind a sort of circus theme while still using couture techniques and more classic color. One fashion photographer that really captures true, amazing, street fashioin is Bill Cunningham for the New York Times. Not only is his work impeccable, but he captures what it truly means to be a New Yorker. Adventurous, Crazy, Carefree and truly Balzy.
GARMENT BEGINNING
INITIAL SKETCH
FIRST LOOK
UNDERSKIRT
SECOND FITTING
FINAL FITTING
PATTERN SAMPLE
FIRST LOOK FABRIC
FIRST FITTING
FASHION SHOW
FASHION SHOW
*proving anything can be worn as a hat! Thank you!