AMBIGUOUS Lauren Elizabeth McGugan Process Analysis Document H00131593 E19CA Year 3 Fashion
CONTENTS 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21 22-23 24-25 26-27 28-29 30-31 32-33 34-35 36-37 38-39
Design brief lace research inspiration/trends sensation research conceptual art colour print paris fabric samples final fabrics final collection look five - bomber jacket sleeveless top baggy shorts look one - over garment sweatshirt trousers concluson and references
DESIGN BRIEF
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The collection ‘Ambiguous’ is a menswear collection designed primarily for A/W 16/17 however with the intent to translate as a trans-seasonal alternative to the current market. Taking heed from existing brands at upmarket level Harvey Nichols, an obvious demand for street style inspired looks was taken note of as well as contrasting menswear elements such as tailoring and sportswear. Competitors were considered to be Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens and Y-3 as well as lower level casual brands such as ADYN and A.P.C. The idea of sensations was explored through the conceptual way in which these are monitored both physically and mentally. With inspirations taken from conceptual artists, ideas were trialled through experimentation with different mediums such as symbolism; also mirrored through the use of neutral monochrome shades reflecting the structural make up of the second inspiration; lace. Initial points of interest lead to further research into artistic mental portrayals culminating in the Rorschach test which ultimately forms part of the main focus across the collection as a digital print. Layering and blending techniques were used with different shapes and sizes of ink blot experimentations to create interesting and alluring patterns. Lace is mirrored through shape and detail. Inspiration was taken from intricate, picturesque structures to modernise ornate patterns found in lace and create stories and depth within garments. An influential trip to Paris provided key linear aspects from the Eiffel Tower structure and a record of railings from Parisian windows. The curved nature of lace provided grounds to many key aspects of the collection, primarily in manipulation. Experimentation with textures and 3D applique was carried out to aid in the chosen quilting technique providing surface sensations as well as play on visual perception, an evident concept throughout the collection. Exaggeration is a key feature in ‘Ambiguous’ through silhouette, shape and details. Captivation from portrait’s featured in ‘Beauty by Design’ exhibition offered ideas from historic dress in both genders. High necks, puffed shoulders and larger sleeves were amplified in garments bringing a traditional twist to modern menswear. Contrasts of large pockets, oversized armholes and drawstring waists keep the collection at a sports luxe standard and at the street wear inspired market it is aimed for. Period costume is reinstated through trend Re:Master such as volume and also suggestions of opulence and decadence interpreted through surface textures and hints of warmer nude shades.
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RESEARCH: LACE
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Starting with lace, techniques were researched in historic depth to gain a better understanding of the fabric and traditional methods of both production and fashion. ‘Beauty by Design’ provided an array of period lace fashions to dwell upon as well as an insight into current interpretations of the future for lace in the fashion world. It was noted in many of the portraits featured, lace was a prominent choice for both genders and tended to appear in neckwear or framing parts such as sleeves, cuffs or garment trimmings. Some of these were manipulated further in the modernised styles that were projected. It was decided that taking these old fashioned aspects and reinventing them to a modern market was an idea to be taken forward as it would produce unique and unusual design aspects and reinstate the idea of lace in a more subtle but interesting way. From this, dress and costume were looked into further from periods that lace was most prominent such as the reign of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. A variety of sources built knowledge and ideas higher such as recognition of Rembrandt paintings and a case study on the film ‘Young Victoria.’
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INSPIRATION/TRENDS To coincide with the theme of exaggeration from historical garment structure, current inspiration played a part in modernising these ideas. Designers such as Givenchy and J.W. Anderson provided direction on volume in shapes and ways in which silhouettes can be emphasised or employed with subtle awareness. The Re:Master trend for A/W 16/17 was adopted as a driving gear behind the collection in terms of texture and concept to gather and build upon all of the points of the brief so far. Trading in the 21st century ‘skinny man’ look for oversized proportions and exaggerated dimension, Re:Master represents a fusion of sportswear elements with traditional techniques to keep looks current and edgy. Opulent applique was considered to contrast against the simplicity of modern shapes making for unusual yet alluring garments.
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SENSATIONS
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Sensations grew from the seed of personal experience and the true definition of the term. What is a sensation? “A sensation is a physical feeling or perception resulting from something that happens to or comes into contact with the body,� in short, experiencing a sensation is unique and individual. To gain a deeper knowledge of both the term and what it means to feel the reaction, experiments and trial were tested out. It was decided that the theories and results of monitoring sensations both physically and mentally, would provide a steady ground to build a compelling concept.
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CONCEPTUAL ART Sensations were studied through conceptual art by referring to different artists and their methods. Inspired firstly by Barbara Kruger’s bold, controversial statements thoughts were pushed to come up with ways of portraying messages without words. Information was gathered from a pool of people through surveys in order to find out what it feels like to practice sensations in their fullest forms, both good and bad- in theory, the personal experience. Practices were conducted of different ways of picturing these through drawings or manipulations; for example, influenced by artist Katie Lewis, abstract designs were drawn from a fifteen day diary based on emotions experienced.
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COLOUR
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As well as intense sensitivity, more subtle areas were also considered such as the sensation of feeling light and warmth on skin. The light and dark elements of shadows and highlights also tied in with the ‘reveal and conceal’ nature of lace, thus creating a formidable link between both themes. It was decided to steer clear from any colours that could misinterpret the time period inspirations for out-dated looks and that these colours were more coherent with the fusing of sportswear elements.
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PRINT Research on monitoring sensations lead to traditional methods of doing so, thus the Rorschach test. The test, consisting of symmetrical inkblot images, is a psychoanalysis evaluation where blots of different shapes are presented to a subject in order for them to describe what they suggest or resemble. Not only was the meaning and depth behind these images intensifying; the images themselves depicted immense abstract beauty. Interpretations of these were then developed into new blots trialling with alternate ink solubility, dabbing and running of the liquid and layering metallic shades on top of dark ink. The most successful of the procedure were then edited in Photoshop to create repeat patterns as a possible digital print. Pairs of images were then layered and mixed to create effective, illusion prints.
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PARIS
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A trip to Paris provided immense creativity and webbed together ideas garnered prior and during the trip. In order to incorporate a touch of the opulence mentioned in Re:Master trend, the Palais Garnier Opera House was visited and proved extremely thought provoking. The breath-taking interiors and intricate architecture raised notions of surface textures or embellishment that was further encouraged by the ceiling murals and columns. Many miniscule details within the marble work reflected imprints and pictures commonly found in lace materials. Many costumes on display also depicted the puffy proportions and gathered shapes previously looked at. Another notable feature of the trip was the every day details of Parisian windows. The beautifully decorated iron railings around them and are world-renowned city decor. The curvaceous silhouettes of the linear structure gave inspiration to create a form of fabric manipulation involving the lines and shapes seen in Paris that would also coincide with the symmetrical nature of the inkblots.
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FABRIC SAMPLES On return from Paris, fabric manipulation was experimented with thoroughly following on from all the main points of research gathered. Quilting was chosen as a surface texture to represent linear areas of interest such as shadowing and curved silhouettes. A more subtle interpretation of lace, the quilting would be produced on smooth, luxurious fabric to give off a decadent look whilst maintaining masculine qualities. Gathering and ruffles were also experimented with offering some ambiguity into the collection, as this is a technique most commonly used for females in today’s market.
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FINAL FABRICS
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A variety of weights and textures were sought after to gain an interesting overall feel to the collection and inherit the touch sense into the equation. Heavier knitted fabrics would be contrasted to lighter weight polyesters or cottons as well as more sensual and sleek substances such as satins and silks. When looking for thinner fabrics for a sports luxe contrast to the heavy outerwear garments, interesting woven surfaces were chosen to emphasise the concept and the array of textures. This was repeated in the choice of bouclE effects and diagonal exteriors.
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FINAL
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COLLECTION
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LOOK FIVE: BOMBER JACKET
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Look’s one and five were picked as the outfits to be taken in to production as they offered the most potential in terms of drafting and manufacturing skills as well as strong examples of the overall concept. Starting with the most complicated of the garments, the quilted overlay bomber jacket provided confusion with the layering and connections that would have to be made to make sure it was fully lined and finished to a high standard. The toile process went smoothly however it was easy to see problems that would occur in lining stages. The quilting itself took an extensively long time to do with twenty plus hours alone spent marking out the curvaceous pattern with tailoring chalks. A further eight hours was then spent on the machine sewing into all the lines. The finished look was well achieved and the satin gave a beautiful shine on the negative areas of stitching. A polyester rib was sourced to attain the sports/street wear inspired look that was aimed for. The wool base of the jacket was put together with ease however problems occurred when attaching in the quilted sleeves which had already been partially lined to conceal the wadding in the storm flap areas. It was decided to use the quilted satin as a functional sleeve instead of previous intentions as a panel feature. All lining pieces were joined in at the armhole to connect all the pieces into one garment. The jacket had to be severely anchored in many areas as the weight of the sleeves was so heavy, this was done in the underarm panels, around the armholes and shoulder seams.
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SLEEVELESS TOP Whilst narrowing down the most effective prints created it was decided that using two opposing repeats would be more interesting and in fact give a stronger concept and connection through the overall collection. The top in look one took a simplistic and feminine look inspired by J.W. Anderson. Coinciding with opulent inspirations, duchess satin was used for the overall body of the sleeveless top with a subtle panel of printed silk twill offering a focal point and distorted hemline. The neckline was heightened and gathered to reinterpret the ruffled necks of periodic men’s fashion as well as opposing stereotypes. The pattern was made from a shirt block removing sleeves and altering arm holes. The neck was then cut and spread twice in order to create the emphasised neckline. The toile proved a successful fit on a male model however it was decided that the panel be moved up considerably as it appeared unflattering and did not fulfil its purpose, as well as shortening the hemline commercialise. The printed panel was bagged out so that it could be seen in an attractive light from any angle. All edges were then finished off with facings and under stitched to give a neat, professional finish.
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BAGGY SHORTS An amplification of the stereotypical silhouette of the ‘basketball shorts’. The pattern process proved rather difficult when connecting the dots from where to join all the layers, how the fabric would achieve the shape and how it could be professionally finished to a high standard. As exaggeration was becoming a strong factor across the collection, it was decided to run the pockets right down to the hemline. This meant that as well as the inner and outer short layers there would also be a layer of lining running in between to create the pocket. The crotch was also dropped to devise the street wear style marketed for. The toile achieved the shape with great progress however an issue with finished seams was noticed. As the seams of the inner shorts were visible on both sides of the fabric, these would need to be French seamed in the final garments as another layer of lining was not an option because of bulk. A polyester fabric was chosen with a diagonal weave as it provided more depth of texture throughout the collection. The outer layer was fused to stiffen the fabric so that the sharp shape was achieved to an optimum. French seams were successful however got a little more complicated when it came to closing up the layers at the hem as it caused a bit of bulk. On reflection the outer layer probably did not need the fusible as it caused predominant extra weight, which in turn altered the look of the drawstring waist band, however the overall silhouette, fit and look of the shorts was deemed successful.
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LOOK ONE: OVER GARMENT A loose but structural look was sought after for the over garment, made more interesting by sloping edges on the neck and hem. The front of the collar was cut and spread for extra bulk and flare. The toile showed that the shoulders needed to be widened to provide more commercial leeway. An alternative back neck also had to be created that was smaller than the front to avoid it surpassing the oversized look aimed for. A boucle effect wool was chosen to suit the winter outerwear market as well as offering texture and colour contrasts.
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SWEATSHIRT The sweatshirt was kept minimalistic in order for the focus to be kept solely on the ruched sleeves. To achieve the extreme look the sleeves were cut and spread into multiple times, which resulted in the pattern making an apple peel shape. Originally, only the top seam of the sleeve was sewn together with inserted elastic however, although it accomplished a nice gathered look, it was not emphasised enough. Elasticising both seams on each arm was trialled through the toile and an exaggerated look achieved. Polyester rib was repeated to finish off all the edges and coincide with the other look. A thick jersey blend mirrored the luxurious Harvey Nichols band of the target market whilst remaining current and wearable.
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TROUSERS Dropped crotch trousers finish this look with recurring characters of the collection in the form of quilted pockets and printing. As the sweatshirt and over garment are both minimalistic the print was chosen to repeat all over the trousers, lifting the look. The pocket was deepened and instead of initially having two, changed to one large pocket, reminiscent of a large hoodie pocket. Adding quilting to the pocket gave the detail extra dominance and also added edge to the garment. The ideas went to plan in both the pattern and toiling process, swiftly moving to final stages. The drawstring waistband was again repeated in this garment to demonstrate fluidity in the collection and turn ups were chosen for a loose fitting, casualwear alternative. Open seams were chosen for a high end finish and the pocket was topstitched as the focal point of the garment. As the cotton used was lighter-weight than the polyester fabric for the shorts, the waistband was much more successful. When the garment was completed it was decided that the hem made the overall look too boxy and did not fit in with the concept. It was decided to scrap this idea and instead insert the already used eyelets to the hem to create another drawstring element. This also added commercial value to the garment as it could be adjusted for different needs.
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Designed with the innovator in mind, ‘ambiguous’ is a modern and futuristic look at the menswear wearability stereotype, suited for any free minded thinker that wants to push the boundaries, turn heads and look cool whilst wearing clothes that not only look good but have taken on an art form with meaning and depth behind them.
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REFERENCES Fig. 1. (2014). Rainbow week: Yellow. Available: https://cinemattire.wordpress. com/2014/01/15/rainbow-week-yellow/. Last accessed April 2015. Fig. 2. Tim Blanks. (2014). Spring 2015 Menswear Givenchy. Available: http://www. style.com/fashion-shows/spring-2015-menswear/givenchy. Last accessed April 2015. Fig.3. Drowning by Alban Gosdidier. Available: http://smashingpicture.com/not-wading-but-drowning-by-alban-grosdidier/. Last accessed April 2015. Fig. 4. Christopher Jobson. (2015). The daily routine of famous creative people. Available: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/tags/infographics/. Last accessed April 2015. Fig.5. TPDuke. (2012). DISSERTATION PREPERATION: ANTI-CONSUMERISM AND CULTURE . Available: https://tpduke.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/vc501-dissertation-preperation-anti-consumerism-and-culture/. Last accessed April 2015. Fig. 6. Tsavina. (2014). Projection. Available: http://tsavina.tumblr.com/ post/25389665149. Last accessed April 2015. Fig. 7. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Digital Print Fig. 8. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Digital Print Fig. 9. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Eiffel Tower Fig. 10. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Parisian balconies Fig. 11. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Quilting sample Fig. 12. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Final line up Fig.13. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Final line up Fig. 14. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Quilting Progress Fig. 15. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Final Jacket Fig. 16. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Sleeveless top toile Fig. 17. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Final top Fig. 18. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Final shorts Fig. 19. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Over Garment toile Fig. 20. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Final garment Fig. 21. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Sweatshirt toile Fig. 22. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Final sweatshirt Fig. 23. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Turn up trousers Fig. 24. Lauren Mcgugan, (2015), Final trousers 39