Kerrie Ward Hide and Seek
Contents
Design Brief: Concept Colour and fabrics Silhouettes
4-10 11-12 15-16
Development of ideas
17-20
Development of line-ups
22-24
Fabric Sampling
25
Toiling of outfit outfit outfit outfit outfit outfit
26-31 32-36 37-41 42-47 48-52 53-57
garments; 1 2 3 4 5 6
Toile Review 58-60 Final line-up
61-62
Production outfit outfit outfit outfit outfit outfit
63-65 66-69 70-71 72-74 75-76 77-78
of final garments 1 2 3 4 5 6
Stling 79-80 Final photoshoot
81-94
Reflection 95-96
‘Wanna play dress up? Who do you want to be today?’ What if we could put something different on each day and disguise ourselves as someone else just like we did when we were children? Tripping over sleeves and oversized hems, dripping in Mammy’s sparkles and traipsing through the house in Daddy’s brogues, you are suddenly transformed into an adult-like figure. The innocent, care-free eight year old cheeky child remains apparent beneath this disguise but for that short length of time her performance as someone else shines bringing delight to her audience. ‘Wanna play dress up? Who do you want to be today?’
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Too often we are forced to follow rules and give up our puerility as we grow up and emerge into adulthood. We sometimes feel trapped and controlled in how we play out our lives. This collection wants to break these rules and show that it is ok to allow that inner eccentric and imaginative eight year old child to sparkle. You can drop the disguise as the serious adult that follows the regulations that have been set by those around you.
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Let the inner kid peep through. Savour those feelings of dressing up as a child. Throw on your mother’s oversized dresses and tops all at once, plod through your house in your dads shoes, position that princess tiara on top of your tatty hair and discard any stresses you may have took on over time. The aim of the collection is to create six interchangeable outfits that allow the person to choose how they please the format in which they want to follow for their up and coming ‘performance’ that day. Through astute layering, an effective colour palate and textural fabrics my collection reflects details and elements from the trends of A/W’15.
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My colour palette was motivated mainly from the amusing yet humiliating images of me mid-performance from which my whole inspiration was triggered from. Certain garments and fabrics I had tossed over me in these pictures stood out to me. I seemed to have been colour conscience even back then. Different shades of these vibrant blues and pinks mixed with glittering fibres gives the palette a youthful and fun vibe which is also fitting for my specific target market.
As a little girl, anything that sparkles or appears to be fun to twirl round in is a certified purchase in your eyes. I wanted to introduce fabrics that combine these fun characteristics through their textures and instant appearance. Combined with influential materials like rich duchess satin, wool and stiff cotton, my fabrics reflect my main inspirations that I drew from my parent’s closets along with the playful reminiscent times I had as a child playing dress up. My collection is a salute to hand-crafted techniques to show originality and emphasize my identity as a designer. 12
The aim of the collection is to encourage the audience to take on a considerable new approach to their day to day ways of adulthood. I want to show that not everything has to be serious and humourless and sometimes just letting go and twirling around in a fun dress or over exaggerating features can lead to a happier existence. Furthermore, the collection represents the designer I am and my personal design aesthetic and identity. I would like my collection to stand out for the small details in which I have gone into, the fabrics I have made and chose to include and the quality in which I have made these garments. I feel like they are original and fitting to my personality as a young designer. My target market for my collection is aimed towards women aged 18-29 who have a strong sense of identity and individuality. They have a modern femininity that combines masculinity with pure girly qualities. They are likely to have a profession in the arts and have a strong appreciation of the small exciting details when purchasing a garment.
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Simone Rocha S/S 13
The silhouettes in my collection are crucial in re-enforcing my general concept and theme I want to portray. In keeping with the idea that I am playing dress up in my parent’s closet, most of the garments are oversized and out of proportion. Taking elements from menswear and womenswear each garment should be compatible with each other which allow the collection to be more wearable. Clean cut, non-fussy garments allow for effortless layering and volume. Garments falling off the Dries Van Noten shoulder and extending passed the standard length reinforce the sense of the care-free attitude that goes with my concept.
J.W Anderson S/S 15
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As a child I obviously didn’t have the money to buy any jewellery and ‘borrowing’ my mother’s often led me into difficulty when I lost it time and time again so stickers became my best friend. I covered every piece of clothing, body part and anything within my range just to make things look more fun and glittery. I often used these as a badge and decoration. Refashioning these small details into my garments allows the memories to continue on whilst exhibiting a bold element on the garments.
Mary Katrantzou
A/W 14
Missoni A/W 11 Sarah Walton ‘Old ladies Dogs’
As a child your mind is free to wander whenever it feels like it. Doodling and scribbling down images on a piece of paper often represents the extent that your imagination goes to as a child. This imperfect lines and continuous fluidity can be somewhat beautiful and indeed art in its own right. Looking through the eyes of a child what if you transformed those scribbles into embroidery and wore them every day to remind yourself of the ease at which you could allow your mind to flow. Reinventing subtle embroidery on parts of a garment may hold a wonderful sense of delicacy and affluence about them. 18
Lela Rose S/S 14
Christopher Kane S/S 14
Jonathon Saunders A/W 14
Whilst thinking of how I may convey the perception of seeing past the exterior of an adult to find the real self that lies beneath, I started to explore with devore techniques and how it may add a striking texture and fabric to the overall look. As one layer is burnt away revealing what’s underneath I thought it was a fitting technique to my concept. Using this as a means to introduce a striking pattern to the collection also gives it a double impact overall. Angelina fibres: I wanted to convey the sense of camouflage and how people disguise themselves in some way in the collection. I didn’t want to go down the mandatory route of army print and traditional camouflage so I looked into making my own print and fabric out of Angelina fibres. I thought this technique was an eye catching contemporary means of expressing this. Melting the fibres together in whatever way I want allows me to choose what colours and pattern the fabric will be. Camouflaged in sparkles and bright colours conceals and protects you yet nevertheless evidently shows your true colours that lie beneath the disguise.
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In my first line-up I wanted to give the idea that the fun and exciting child underneath is trying to break through the adult that lies on top. Using tulle bursting out in random directions breaking through immediately adds fun and excitement to the garment. Asymmetric details feature throughout show how nothing really fits correctly and lies out of proportion on the body just like it would on child in adult’s clothes. Layering oversized garments reflects how I used to throw every piece of clothing top of each other as a child. Garments falling off the shoulder and not fitting correctly again reference the fit of the clothing on me in the pictures. Including techniques like the stripy devore and embroidery add beautiful textiles to the garments. By introducing the sparkly Angelina fabric, the collection automatically becomes fun and exciting.
However I felt that the line-up was missing something and should be pushed furthermore to really emphasize my concept and message I was trying to get across in the collection. I felt it was too structured and didn’t allow for movement or the sense of freedom. Although some features were exaggerated I felt this needed to be explored more in order to make a convincing statement.
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I wanted to include much more layering and mismatching of garments in this new line up also as I felt it was something that wasn’t pushed enough in my original line-up. Adding more knitwear to the collection makes it a more interchangeable, interesting and complete collection. With the introduction of the oversized men’s coats to the new line-up, I feel it now conveys my concept to a much higher standard. By making them reversible it gives the option of being two different people and personalities within one shell of a coat.
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I feel that the devore adds in a new texture and pattern to the collection. Being influenced by the background decor that appears in my original pictures, the stripped pattern breaks up the blocking of colours in the collection. The Angelina fabric introduces some sine and sparkle and also allows a new colour to come through. The traditional chunky knit jumper allows for some handcraft to appear in the collection whilst also showing the nostalgic elements within my concept. This is contrasted with a sheer sparkly knit layered under a smooth duchess satin dress.
OUTFIT 1
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I used a size 12 bodice block to create the bralet as I wanted it to fit perfectly on the model. I used the shoulder dart as a princess line and curved the panels either side of it to make a better fit. Square across at back on size 12 bodice.
CF
CB
This was too big once toiled so bagged out on the back of the bralet. I had to take this is by a 5cm along the top of the centre back bralet and 7cm along the bottom centre back of the bralet to coincide with the curve of the back. I found putting it on a mannequin or person and chalking these measurements was the easiest way to get a good fit.
I used a size 14 blouse block for the shirt as it give me the fit and oversized look that I wanted to achieve. I extended and dropped the shoulder making sure it was at a slant so that it give a smoother fall on the shoulder. I took this measurement off the sleeve head so it would fit correctly into the armhole. When measuring if the sleeve fit correctly into the armhole after doing this, I noticed there was too much ease in the sleeve so I took 2.5cm off each side of the sleeve so that it would fit correctly. To give the oversized look I extended the sleeve length to make it 83cm in total and widened the bottom so that a hand would fit through easily. 28
When drafting the collar I extended one side of it making it asymmetric and out of proportion. For the concealed button stand, I extended the right centre front out twice by 1.5cm for the width of the buttons and then doubled this to 3cm. I added three sets of 3cm sections on which will fold back on each other for the concealed button stand. I finally added on seam allowance. I repeated this for the left centre front but reduced it by 3cm as this would be the side the bottons will be placed. I notched each section as to know where to put the buttons and where to fold.
1cm
3cm
RIGHT CF
3cm
1.5cm
1.5cm 3cm
1cm 3cm
LEFT CF
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3cm
1.5cm
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As I was going to be getting the skirt professionally pleated, I wanted to have a rough idea of what it may look like so I toiled the skirt with 2cm pleats ironed in. I first sewed up a quick toile just to get the correct length to the skirt. I then pleated a full piece of material that I and measured to the length I wanted the skirt to be. I took the waist measurement and multiplied it by two which give me the exact measurement when the material was pleated. Although the particular fabric I used didn’t hold the pleats perfectly, I was happy with the shape and length I would achieve after being professionally done.
OUTFIT 2
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I used a size 14 blouse block for the top to create the oversized look. I dropped the shoulder and reduced the amount of ease in the sleeve for a better fit. I extended the neck of the top upwards by 7cm and curved this around in a smoother line from the shoulder up. I wanted to keep the neck quite baggy so it would fall back down on itself. This top will be made out of a shimmering knit so I wanted to make sure the shape compleimented this material rather than over power it. I also made the sleeves 83cm in length to coincide with my other sleeve lengths.
Once I was happy with the fit and length of the garment, I then returned to the patterna and made every curve on it more angular and right angled. This then allowed me to take pacific measurments of the garment so it could be keyed into the Shema machine and knitted.
I moved the shoulder dart in the dress to the underarm and reduced it in size for a more visually attractive fit. I measured 9cm up from the bust point and drew a line across to the side seam to mark the tip of the triangle shape. I then extended the side seams out to create the fit I wanted to achieve and shaped the hem of the dress gradually from the side seam to create the hem dip from my design. After I extended out from the side seams the back of the dress appeared to be much too big. I also wanted a more dramatic kick out from under the arms of the dress as it was too fitted for my design. I took it in at the armhole and side seam to the measurments of the back and added a more dramatic transition out to achieve the bigger silhouette. It was now slightly more fitting to the body across the back but still went out at the side seams to suit my aspired shape. 34
The tulle for the dress would be attached to the lining underneath with I made 20cm longer than the outside shell of the dress. This will give me a guide to follow for length etc. of the tulle. I gathered the tulle to the diameter width of the lining and sewed it on in the correct position.
I used the men’s casual block to achieve the shape and oversized fit of this coat. I wanted to tie the two outer garments in the collection together so I kept the seam details and uneven hems as I have in my coat in outfit 3. I felt that making the sleeves elongated would be over powering as this is also a feature of the knit garment underneath. I drafted a crisp, grown on oversized collar to the centre front to add a dramatic feature to the coat. 36
OUTFIT 3
I used the same pattern for this high neck top as I did for my sheer knit top in outfit 2 so that they tied in together in the collection. I will be using devore fabric for this top so I wanted to keep it quite simple so that the silhouette wouldn’t take away from the striking technique. I liked the slouchy natural fall of the material and oversized fit of the top.
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I kept this skirt simple and closed to original block so it didn’t overcomplicate the fabric that I would be using. I used a size 12 block which allows the skirt to fall onto the hips of the model and altered the length to my pacific design. A knit overlay will be going over this skirt so I just extended the skirt pattern by 15cm in length keeping the shell the same measurements as the skirt underneath.
I used the men’s casual block 38� for the coat. I extended each side of the coat to different measurements so that it give me the disproportioned and uneven look. I repeated these measurements on the front of the coat. I drew on the collar to the centre front creating the shape and width I wanted from my designs, finishing at the breaking point of the coat. I dropped the armhole for a more slouchy feeling and repeated the pattern from the other garments for the sleeves.
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I wanted to add seam detail to the coat on both sides so i put a seam down the back like I did with the shirts in the collection and then added stitch detail to reflect the welt seam detail in other garments. I was happpy with the general fit of the coat.
Every detail and measurment I did on the outside of the coat I repeated on the inside so that the coat can be reversible. I treated this as a fully lined coat so this was possible, using two outerwear fabrics instead of lining and facings.
OUTFIT 4
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For the knitted jumper I used a blouse block size 12 as this would prevent the use of darts and give a more oversized silhouette and fit that I wanted the create. I again dropped the armhole and extended the sleeves and hem to tie in with the other garments. I want the jumper to fall off the shoulder so I widened the neckline out to within 10cm of the shoulder seam.
6cm cm
9.2
7.5cm
5.2cm 5.2cm
26.4cm 26cm 27.2cm
6cm
30cm 60cm
57cm
After toiling this and making sure I was happy with the width of the neck and length of the garment I then went back to the pattern and made every curve on the pattern angular so that it would be easier to take measurments when keying it into the Shema knit machine for my final.
9cm
CF
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I used the same pattern for this shirt as I did for the shirt in outfit 1. I put a seam down the centre back as I want to do a welt seam for detail on the shirt as a design feature. I added 2cm onto one side of the centre back so that the fit of the shirt will remain the same after I do the welt seam down the back. I extend the each side of the shirt making one side longer than the other. I repeated this for the front of the shirt. I wanted to keep these shirts as crisp and minimal as possible allowing the final details and good finishes stand out.
I used the same pattern and techniques for this skirt as I did for the pleated skirt from outfit 1. After toiling the length of the skirt i repeated the pleated process to get a rough image of what the skirt will look like after being professionally pleated.
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I used a size 12 block for the trousers. I added 3.5cm onto the side of the pattern to give extra for the pleats. I then squared over on the knee point of the pattern and drew up. I cut and slashed the pattern up and opened it up by 3.5cm. I now had 14cm extra so I split the waistline into sections to allow for pleats to be inserted. I wanted to keep the trousers simple so I only put two pleats in the front of the front and none in the back. This reduces bulk and makes a cleaner CF silhouette.
OUTFIT 5
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CF
I used a blouse block size 14 for the dress as I didn’t want to include any darts and wanted to keep it quite a boxy oversized shape. Because there are no darts in this block I did come across some problems. I explored a few different ways to try and create a neckline I was happy with that give the impression of the dress falling off the shoulder on one side without it bunching or not sitting correctly. I first extended out the shoulders and widened the neckline so that it would automatically fall off the shoulder like my knit jumper did. However, this didn’t allow the dress to sit properly and caused the sleeve that was meant to be slouching off the shoulder to sit incorrectly. I then drafted an asymmetrical neckline thinking this may solve the problem but again the same problem occurred. I decided to pin the neckline and compress the shape whilst on a person to a suitable fit and then flat pattern his shape onto a new pattern so that I knew the fit was correct. Because I dropped the sleeve and compressed it in this manner, the armhole was now too small for an arm to sit comfortably in so I dropped it my 3cm to fit properly.
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For the tulle inserts I created panels with an angled top on either side of the centre front and back which wrapped around the sides rather than having a side seam. The tulle would then be inserted into the top of these panels and sewed back up so that it would be a complete dress underneath the tulle. Slight alterations had to be made to the positioning and length of these tulle panels once toiled to get the garment as close to my design as possible.
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OUTFIT 6
As this top was not going to have any straps holding it up on the shoulders, and the curved neckline would find difficulty staying up on its own, I decided to insert a bralet on the inside of the garment. This which would be attached at the side seams so that it was easier kept up.
This bralet would be attached at the side seams of the top and tacked discreetly in place on the inside of the garment. To make sure the bralet fitted perfectly, I moulded the bralet on a model and mannequin, pinning it n certain areas so it was a perfect fit. 54
For the outer shell of the top I used a bodice block size 12. I curve the neckline to the appropriate design and put a centre back seam down the back for getting in and out of. I moved the shoulder seam to underneath the arm for a slight fit and then extended out the side seams to the shape I wanted to achieve. Once toiled the back of the garment was too big for the model so I took it in by 2cm at the top gradually sloping back into the original fit of the back as I didn’t want it to be fitted anywhere else but at the back line.
SLEEVE
For the sleeves, I notched where they would attach to the garment and drew a rough curved line across the sleeve and lengthened them to the correct length. After I attached these to the dress I then pinned the exact shape I wanted to create and flat patterned them back onto a new pattern to create the proper shape.
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I used the same pattern for this skirt as I did for the Angelina skirt in outfit 3 but I did not include the sheer knit overlayer that will be going with the skirt in outfit 3. Keeping it a simple shape like the other skirt allows it to compliment the top of this outfit rather than stand out against it.
Changes after toile Review
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I decided that outfit 2 didn’t need a coat as it was covering up a beautiful outfit and the devore techniques underneath. The sheer knit over-skirt on the angelina skirt in outfit 2 was too overpowering and lost the colours of the angelina beneath so I decided it was stronger on its own. I also changed the bralet from outfit 1 as I thought a less fitting garment would tie better in with the rest of the collection as nothing else in the collection was fitted. I give this new crop top a similar V-neck to my dress in outfit 2. I also extended the shirts in length as I want4d them to show more especially for outfit 4 as the knit jumper came out longer than originally expected.
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Final line-up
I felt that the final line up was a lot more fluent and compatible with my concept.
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I fully lined the bralet to give it a better finish. Making sure the V-neck was crisp and to the perfect angle was important. Understiching the inside allow the lining to lie flat on the inside of the garment.
I wanted to create a clean and crisp finish to the shirts in the collection. The invisible button stand gives a minimalistic finish to the shirt. I used welt seams to finish all of the seams on the shirt with give nice stitch detail inside and out. It was quite hard to get perfect but I was pleased with the end product. I again wanted to keep the overall design minimal so I attached a plain cuff onto the sleeves as they were wide enough to get your hand in and out of without difficulty.
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The crisp pleats in the skirt contrast wonderfully with the plain cotton and satin. I wanted to keep the pleats as perfect as possible so I only put one side seam into the garment adding an invisible side zip in to ensure the clean finish. Before sending the fabric away to get pleated I invisaile hemmed the fabric so that when it came back pleated the hem would be even and straight.
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CF
SS
Once the devore top was made, I realised the neckline was too small to fit over a person’s head. I think this was because the toile material I used had a small bit of stretch in it. As I was limited on the devore fabric as I had made it myself to the measurements of the pattern, I had to put two panels in the side of the neck to extend it out the correct diameter. The material was difficult to handle but I successfully got it extended. I french seamed the whole top to make the quality of it better and more attractive.
I was happy with the fit of the skirts and how they sat on the hips rather than the waistline. However whilst making the skirts the fabric itself caused me some trouble. Because it is so delicate if not layered correctly it isn’t very sturdy. When the skirts were made they didn’t hold in the pressure points around the hips in the skirts. I original had just attached the Angelina fabric into the side seams with the underlying material. I took this apart and layered more fibres on top, used bond web for more strength between the layers and heat pressed everything into place. It did result in the garments being stiffer that originally intended but they do hold the shape and security much better now. I wanted to keep the hem of the skirt uneven and imperfect to show off the fibres from the fabric. I hand stitched some extra fibre underneath to give extra effect.
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The mohair texture in this coat really added detail to the collection. I loved the coat falling off the shoulder and being clasped together with the belt in the middle. The mohair material did cause some difficulty when sewing because of its textural element so it kept getting caught in the foot of the machine. It also has some stretch in the fabric so overlocking the pieces together makes it stronger. This coat will also be fully lined in a different wool which will add even more beautiful texture to the coat when finished completely. I will then fully line the coat in the two fabrics making it reversible. seam detail down the CB will give the coat a nice finish. Overall, I am happy with the length and fit of the coat.
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I was really happy with how the sheer knit came out. I got fully finished hem and cuffs attached to the piece when knitting it on Shema so it would have better value and a neater finish. I cut and sewed the rest of the fabric overlocking all of the pieces together as there is some stretch in the material. I was worried the neckline of the garment would stretch and go out of place from putting it on and off over people’s heads so I roll edged the neckline together with a piece of plastic so it would have a sturdier and neat finish. This will prevent any stretching or unshaping of the neckline.
I fully lined the dress so that the V-neck was sharp and neat. I attached the tulle to the lining a few centimres above the hem of the outer layer. I then trimmed the tulle to make sure it was all the perfect accuratelength was sewn on.
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The traditional design and cable knitting on the jumper ties in with my collection and inspirations very well. The dark rich navy blue is a pleasant contrast to the bright blues and pinks in the collection. I had a fully finished rib knit attached to the cuffs and hem of the jumper for a complete finish. I used the linking machine to attach the neckline and all seams to the rest of the garment.I feel that this piece is one of the strongest in the collection.
The skirt was finished in the same manner as the pleated skirt fom Outfit 1. I put an invisable seam in between two pleats on the side seam so when hanging on the body it was not visable where the seam of fastening was.
I finished the shirt off in the same maner as the shirt from Outfit 1. For a professional clean finish, I binded the shirts along the hem in a contrasting satin material. Because the hem is uneven, this hid any raw seams whilst adding a nice detail. I overlocked the insides of the trousers for a simple finihs. I half-lined them to prevent the wool fabric from irritating the skin in any way. 74
I felt the contrast of the duchess satin and the tulle worked perfectly in the final garment. I was happy with how the fit eventually turned out after a number of different alterations in the toile. This dress is one of the most obvious to my concept and makes the collection tie together. I was unsure on weather or not I should add extra tulle into the side panels for extra effect but I think the amount I did use is a happy medium.
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After having difficulty making the fabric for this outfit I was worried it wouldn’t hold the shape and fit I wanted. Although the fabric is stiffer than I originally designed. I feel it suits this pacific silhouette well. I bonded it with a blue duchess satin so that it would allow the Angelina fibres to stand out. Like I did with the skirt in Outfit 2, I hand stitched fibres into the hems and necklines of each garment leaving a raw edge for added effect.
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I wanted to keep my styling quite plain and emphasize the innocence within the collection. I chose a dewy and natural look for the makeup and the hair I wanted to keep quite scruffy and effortless. I paired the collection with tough brogues in metallic shine to make them a little more edgy and go better with the colour scheme and materi-
I got a lot of my inspiration from Simone Rocha’s past looks and styling. As a designer I feel she has the same designer aesthetic that I aim to achieve. In each look she balances the perfect amount of masculinity with feminism.
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REFLECTION
I have learned a lot whilst doing this collection. I utilized my skills and pushed them further than I thought I could. By making my own fabrics and putting such emphazise on the textile and fabric side of the garments, I feel like I have now gained an extra strength in which I can take further in future employment. Including a diverse selection of fabrics, allowed me to learn how to handle and finish a wide range of materials in a professional manner. In reflection, I am very happy with the end result of my collection. I have realsied my favourite aspects of my course and now have a clear understanding in which direction I want to progress in. I feel that each garment was given equal attention in order to assure they were finished to a high standard. The simplistic and clean silhouettes were made valuable with attention to details and fit. The hand crafted textures and fabrics that were used throughout were fundamental to its success and really add a lot of excitement and interest to the final collection. My concept shines through and is evident through the garments. I believe I have represented myself as a designer very well within this colleciton whilst also showing my personality and passion.
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