Ferris wheel Liliya Kanayeva
"Life is like a Ferris wheel...sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down. In the end, you just have to learn how to enjoy the ride.” (1)
When we started our final project I decided to continue my idea from last semester. My theme was about round and curve shapes, but I want to make it a bit more personal. I always do, I always put something personal into my project, but this time it’s going to be something more special for me. Lots of things changed during this year and I changed a lot too. It’s reallyreally personal, but anyway I want to share it with you. Have you ever been that busy, worried about something or tired? Have you ever had a bad feeling, that makes you feel bad and unhappy, and I know you have, at list ones in your life, but one day you just realize, that you need sit down, have a rest and watch the things around us. While you are unhappy, busy, worried or something else, you’re missing the beautiful life around you and life is short. Sometimes we just need to watch a bit more. Imagen you are on huge Ferris wheel and you can see everything there. What would you see?
Visit to Tate Modern and Saatchi gallery.
To get some fresh ideas I visited Tate Modern gallery. I go there quite often, but I can always find something new and really interesting for myself. During my visit to Tate, we were asked to select objects and take pictures of them. So I kind of knew what I need. I kept the idea in my mind and tried to select something what relates to my concept. I found some very interesting works. Here they are :
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But work by American photographer caught my attention.
Fig.4 “Water Drops”
Fig.5 That was I was looking for. You can see a colour, a shape and a texture. These things can feel up your project so well. And you can develop your idea so easily. I’m really pleased for what I found in Tate Modern gallery. To continue my research a next stop was Saatchi Gallery which is my absolutely favorite. I was really lucky and I found many thing as round shape, so it helped me to get even more ideas. And of cause I took some pictures.
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After research we have done, we were asked to select one picture as a final one. I chose a photo by American photographer.
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Next step was to start developing my idea and filled up my story. It immediately reminds me a moon and I was about to start my project in that way. I wanted to start from moon and then continue with planets, black holes, endless space and parallel galaxy. And I was really excited about it, but being realistic I realized that I didn’t know how could I continue my idea. That idea was too complicated I think. But then I was thinking how can I start my project, because I need something “endless”, something I can play with non-stop. And then suddenly the words “Ferris wheel” came up in my mind and I think it’s perfect theme for my project and my concept is not just about Ferris wheel, it’s about a view, about everything around as. A lot of things around us have round and curve shapes so I can easily fill up my story and I won’t have any problem with ideas for my sketchbook. Just need to look around. So turned my project from “moon” to “Ferris wheel”.
Colour / Style "You can wear black at any time. You can wear it at any age. You may wear it for almost any occasion." — Christian Dior (2)
I had no problem with choosing colour for my collection. I knew that it’s going to be black colour for sure. I really love black a colour. For many designers, black is their mainstay. Also for me it symbolizes elegance for hundred percent. And another reason of choosing black was a season of the collection – it’s autumn/winter. I think black perfectly suites this season. For my collection I still want to keep sleek, smooth and clean lines and make sophisticated silhouettes, oversized , a bit baggy and urban. This is what I want for my collection style.
Developing First step of developing is paper sampling. Inspired by art work from Tate and Saatchi Galleries, I made paper cone and then I made more of them, but in different sizes to see how I can play with them on a stand.
Fig.11 Sample 1(paper) Cone
Fig.12 Saple 2/ Paper cones penned together
Fig.13 Sample 3/ Paper cones To get different texture I squeezed them and I liked it even more.
Fig.14 Sample 4/ Squeezed paper cones, pinned together and placed on a body
Fig.15 Sample 5/ Squeezed paper cones, pinned together and placed on a neck
Fabric research
I started to look at the fabrics to choose best ones. I worked with neoprene last semester, even though it’s a bit tricky to sew, I’m really in love with it and I’m going to use it again. It’s really contemporary and perfect for urban style. It also gives you amazing silhouette and you can develop a shape which stays easily. Also it’s going to be a cotton and I really want to try quite light fabric as organza. My point is mixing these different fabrics to make it look very organically as one “family”. To get my fabric I went to Shepherd’s bush, Walthamstow Central and Hackney market, and how it always happens to me I changed some fabrics. I planned what I wanted to buy, but when I went there and I found some really nice. I found different types of neoprene, nice leather and jersey fabrics.
Fig.16 Fabrics / Shepherd’s bush market.
Fig.17 Fabric board
Fig.18 Fabric samples
Calico sampling
I found really helpful and useful manipulation on a stand. If you struggle it always helps. It gives you new ideas for the garments. For my starting I sewed two circles together and made it double. So I could place it on a stand and play with it.
Fig.19 Sample 1 (Calico) Folded circle and pinned on top It game me a good idea for a top or dress.
Fig. 20 Sample 2 ( Calico) Folded circle and pinned together, placed on a body
Fig.17 Sample 3 ( Calico)
To try something else I cut out a circle in the middle of my calico sample to see what can I get from it.
Fig.21 Sample 4 (Calico)
I placed it on a stand as an armhole and I got a nice shape for a shoulder. I really like it. It will be good idea for top, jacket or dress in my collection.
Fig.22 Sample 5 (Calico) Pinned one part of my sample to get more round shape.
Fig.23 Sample 6 ( Calico) Half circle on a front
After spending time on manipulation on a stand and got inspired I finally started my designing process, so next stop was flat drawing. Before I start use a computer, I always do it as hand drawing first. It’s much easier for me to do for example 20 quick hand drawings, get right idea and do it properly on a computer, then spend lot of time doing it on a computer straight away. Next step: I got all my designs and then put it as whole outfit.
Fig.24 Flat drawings/ trousers
Fig.25 Page from sketchbook
Making garments Outfit #1 I was really excited about my trousers for first outfit so I decided to start from them. First step is to get right pattern. I used trousers block size 10 and draw “funny shape� by myself.
Fig.26 Cutting out/ trousers
Fig.27 Sample of trouser from calico.
For my trousers I used neoprene with really nice perforated texture. It’s quite thick fabric, so I could build the shape which I want very easily. Also I used top stitching from sides.
Fig.28 Trousers, front / outfit #1
Fig.29 Trousers back/ outfit #2
Also I made a fitted top and oversized coat for my first outfit. I have plain top, so I didn’t have any problem with it, but when I started to make my coat I did some experiments with calico on a stand. So I could get a perfect shape for it.
Fig.30 Sample of jacket from calico/ Outfit 1
Fit.31 Sample of jacket from calico / Outfit 1
Instead of using normal wadding fabric I bought a single duvet and took some bits from it. It had such a soft texture and it looks very nice. After a few tests a put all wadding from the duvet, so I could get a shape I wanted.
Fit.32 Outfit #1 from calico
Fig.33 Jacket/ Outfit #1
When I made my jacket and I tried it on I realized, that it’s really heavy, so I decided to take some wadding out to make it a bit lighter.
Fig.34 Final jacket/ Outfit #1
And it actually worked! I like the result.
Outfit #2
For my second outfit I have oversized dress and crop jacket with round sleeves.
Fig 35. Sample of crop jacket Also I used really similar fabric to my trousers, which is neoprene with perforated texture. I didn’t any functional details, so made a big round pocket for dress.
Fig.36 Dress / Outfit #2
Fig 37. Final Dress
Time for photo shoot
Fig. 38 Collection
When I completed all my garments I did a photo shoot with a professional photographer. I’m in love with her work. She is very good at what she does. Also I got a professional model, really tall and slim, but she canceled everything the day before the photo shoot. I was really upset about it and I tried to find another one, but I couldn’t so I decided to model myself and to be honest I really liked the result. I received 15 amazing professionally edited photos. She took pictures of whole outfits (front and back) and some details.
Fig. 39 Jacket/ outfit #1
Fig.40 Jacket /Outfit #1
Fig.41 Top and trousers/ Outfit 1
Fig.42 Jacket and dress / Outfit #2
Fig.43 Dress/ Outfit #2
What I would like to say at the end of our final project? I loved it so much. Honestly I think it’s the first time when I absolutely love the whole project and like every single thing about it. It’s was a great opportunity for us, because before we had an only chance to make one garment, then it was one outfit and now it’s a collection and it’s amazing, but at the same time it’s quite difficult and challenging. We had to create one esthetic for the collection. Anyway I very-very pleased with a result. I’m so grateful for an amazing experience.
Bibliography
Quotes: (1) https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/422775483751710730/ (2) http://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/4056/black-in-fashion-anothers-topten-quotes
Pictures : Fig.1 Tate Modern .Own photography Fig.2 Tate Modern .Own photography Fig.3 Tate Modern .Own photography Fig.4 Tate Modern .Own photography Fig.5 Tate Modern .Own photography Fig.6 Saatchi gallery. Own photography Fig.7 Saatchi gallery. Own photography Fig.8 Saatchi gallery. Own photography Fig.9 Saatchi gallery. Own photography Fig10-38 Own photography Fig. 39 Photo by photographer Gabriele Gudkovaite. Taken 19.04.16 Fig. 40 Photo by photographer Gabriele Gudkovaite. Taken 19.04.16 Fig. 41 Photo by photographer Gabriele Gudkovaite. Taken 19.04.16 Fig. 42 Photo by photographer Gabriele Gudkovaite. Taken 19.04.16 Fig. 43 Photo by photographer Gabriele Gudkovaite. Taken 19.04.16