Louise Skehan Fashion 3 H00108995 Capsule Collection 1 - E19CA Capsule Collection 2 - E19CB Process Analysis Document
Once Upon A Time...
An Taobh Eile An Taobh Eile:- Translation from Irish meaning The Otherside The womenswear collection An Taobh Eile aims to combine elements from both urban and luxe style to create a one off and unique high-end collection, for Spring/Summer 17. The collection should encapsulate a youthful urban look while also maintaining a luxurious and high-end feel. Fabric choices should be carefully considered as well as garment finishes and fabric manipulation, keeping the market place in mind while meeting these standards. Inspiration for An Taobh Eile comes from a number of different places. As a starting point students were asked to gather a collection of inspirational images visiting art and fashion exhibitions and galleries and to creatively explore these images. The Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition 2015 and Another Minimalism - Art After California Light and Space in the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh were visited. Retrospective by Maree Hensey at the RSA exhibition was a particularly inspiring piece. Retrospective is made with glass containers filled with metal objects, burnt paper and ashes. This piece conjured questions full of mystery. Why were these objects put here? Who put them there? What do they represent? This piece provoked thoughts of Alice in Wonderland and the mysterious bottles filled with potions, such as the iconic bottle labelled ‘drink me.’ Though Retrospective had quite a dark energy compared to the positive and upbeat world usually seen in fairytales so a more gothic Alice in Wonderland, like the Brothers Grimm version, was explored. This in turn inspired a gothic fairytale concept, combining the fun and mystery of fairytales with a darker gothic influence. It also inspired an underlying theme of mental illness and things not being as they seem. The other side of the story. An individual might look fine but beneath the surface they are suffering deeply from an ‘invisible’ illness. This also links in to the psychedelic nature of Alice in Wonderland as some individuals may turn to alternative coping methods such as drugs to escape the harsh reality of life and into a world of illusions. A visit to the Holland & Sherry mill in Peebles also forms an influencing factor on this collection. Looking at things such as manufacturing method, types of fabric Holland & Sherry produce, the high quality, colours, etc. Rather than using basic Holland & Sherry fabrics, new ways, using fabric manipulation techniques will be explored to represent Holland & Sherry’s fabric, reinventing and remastering their fabric. Fashion of the 80’s was also briefly explored to help round up the collection. Looking through the Universities Vogue archives shapes and silhouettes from this fun decade influenced the final line-up of An Taobh Eile and also fit in well with the urban theme, garments such as bomber jackets encapsulate both urban style and vintage 80’s.
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Contents Gallery Visit............................................10-13 Concept – An Taobh Eile.......................14-15 Holland & Sherry visit............................16-21 Market.....................................................22-23 Trend Research.......................................24-25 Colour Palette..........................................26-27 Final Collection........................................28-29 Design Development & Toiles.................30-35 Outfit 1......................................................36-41 Outfit2.......................................................42-47 Evaluation..................................................48-49 Bibliography & References.......................50
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Gallery Visit To inspire a concept for the collection as a starting point The Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition 2015 and Another Minimalism - Art After California Light and Space in the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh were visited. Another Minimalism - Art After California Light and Space in the Fruitmarket Gallery was explored first. This exhibition was a play on lights and illusions, with many wonderful pieces created using light and shadows.
In particular ‘Yellow Rose’ by Ann Veronica Janssens caught my attention. Yellow Rose was made using artificial mist and 7 artificial lights. This piece was a full body experience. As one passes the entrance to the room this piece is situated in the bright lights catch the viewers attention, pulling them in. In an almost trance like state the viewer is pulled closer and closer as the lights and mist envelop them, it is a truly spiritual experience. The closest people on earth could come to the concept of ‘heaven’.
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The RSA exhibition held a huge variety of art pieces from paintings to photography to sculpture. There were many inspiring pieces held here but a few were particularly eye catching. ‘Retrospetive’ by Maree Hensey being one of them.
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This evoked feelings of mystery for the viewer. What were the objects in the glass jars? Why were they put there? What were the ashes before they were burnt? What secrets are hidden here? This piece provoked thoughts of Alice in Wonderland and the mysterious bottles filled with potions, such as the iconic bottle labelled ‘drink me.’ Though Retrospective had quite a dark energy compared to the positive and upbeat world usually seen in fairytales so a more gothic Alice in Wonderland like the Brothers Grimm version was explored.
‘Untitled’ by Dimitrios Lachanis This piece evokes a feeling of darkness, isolation and lonliness. Not only the dark tone of the photograph but also the connotations usually associated with the raven which is the main feature of this photograph. The shape and texture created by the tree is also quite beautiful and haunting. Like the previous piece this photograph evokes feelings of mystery.
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Rorschach. Great Mother Earth by Rebecca Elizabeth Fry. Paper, oil, water, gold-pigment, beetroot and sand. Rorschach is a psychological test using inkblots to determine personality traits and emotional tendencies. The obvious interpretation of this piece is the associations with mental illness. Mental illness and the stigma attached to it as well as the lack of understanding surrounding this taboo subject is a very current issue today. This piece inspires a continued fight for the understanding of mental illness. On an aesthetic level this piece is beautiful to look at and inspires the viewer to try think of ways to recreate the inkblot using different materials and techniques. Using these three images a concept was formed.
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Concept Using the three art pieces that were explored at The Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition 2015 as inspiration the concept for An Taobh Eile was constructed, this was a gothic fairytale theme, combining the fun and mystery of fairytales with a darker gothic influence. It also inspired an underlying theme of mental illness and how things may not be as they seem. The other side of the story. An individual might look fine but beneath the surface they are suffering deeply from an ‘invisible’ illness. This also links in to the psychedelic nature of the Alice in Wonderland fairytale as some individuals may turn to alternative coping methods such as drugs to escape the harsh reality of life and into a world of illusions. Mashing this concept with the urban/luxe theme An Taobh Eile was created.
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Founded over 170 years ago in 1836 Holland & Sherry initially specialised in both woollen and silk cloth. Moving along with the times and keeping up to date with forever changing trends they now specialise in everything from sea Island cottons and worsted suiting’s to Harris Tweeds and beautifully delicate cashmeres. Holland & Sherry export to over 50 countries worldwide from their Peebles warehouse situated in the Scottish Borders. On Monday the 25th of January a trip to the Holland & Sherry warehouse in Peebles was organised for year 3 fashion students. Here students were given a tour of the Holland & Sherry warehouse going through the whole manufacturing process from design development to setting up looms and weaving the cloth. Students were also shown where advances in technology have made this manufacturing process quicker, easier and more efficient.
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They were also shown where Holland & Sherry design and choose patterns, colours and textures to be used in upcoming seasons and trend forecasting, as well as other industry processes such as fabric sample books to send out to current and potential clients. A tour of the archives was also given. This is where the vast amounts of stunning fabrics and information about all of Holland & Sherry collections are held. This tour gave a better understanding of the industry processes.
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Using the tour of Holland & Sherry as a starting point for inspiration students were asked to remaster and/or reinvent Holland & Sherry textile to fit in with the Urban/Luxe theme using fabric manipulation techniques such as laser cutting, printing, embossing, etc. Initially it was decided to use tartan as Holland & Sherry Inspiration in the collection An Taobh Eile, as this is a traditional Scottish cloth that embodies Holland & Sherry’s contemporary interpretation of traditional cloths. Some tartan samples were purchased from different online retailers to try to achieve a high end textile for a cheaper price. However this was taking what Holland & Sherry do too literally and so this path soon got dry for inspiration and so alternative methods were explored.
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It was then decided to try and create a 3D tartan which is a modern and unique interpretation of the traditional Holland & Sherry tartan. Laser cutting was the preferred method as it would give a more effective and dramatic effect than more subtle techniques such as embossing. Using Adobe Illustrator a tartan pattern was created and vectorised for the laser cutting programme. The patterns of the garments that were going to be made using the interpreted 3D tartan were first digitised and then had the tartan pattern placed on them using Adobe Illustrator. This was to ensure accurate placement of the tartan shape on the garments. These patterns including the tartan shape were then laser cut. 20
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Market An Taobh Eile is a collection created for the high end market place. To retail in luxury department stores such as Harvey Nichols and The House of Fraser. The target market will be strong and independant females aged from 21-45 who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in and stand out from the crowd. They don’t buy into the fast fashion trend and are more interested in buying more expensive, but well made, garments that are durable and will stand the test of time. This individual will not necessarily have a job in the creative industry but definitely has a creative flair and understands the creative process. To gain a better understanding of the market place Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh was visited. Brands such as Boutique by Moschino, Valentino and Alexander McQueen were thoroughly investigated for sewing methods and finishing techniques as well as fabric choices. These brands would be considered possible competitors for An Taobh Eile. Techniques used by these brands will be considered when choosing what sewing methods and finishes will be used in An Taobh Eile. Celebrities such as P!nk and Ke$ha would be perfect ambassadors for An Taobh Eile as they are fierce women with strong beliefs and a powerful attitude. They positively influence people everywhere to be who they want to be and to stay true to who they are. Never conform to fit in.
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Digital Wave Spring/Summer 2017
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The Spring/Summer 2017 trend Digital Wave was researched to help inform the collection An Taobh Eile. Digital Wave is about the new technological age and how it is creating a nostalgic yearning for analogue technology and design. It is about changing society and opening minds to equality and understanding globally. Digital Wave was strongly influenced by the 80’s embodying the anarchic spirit of 1980’s new Wave music. Oversized urban wear, powerful graphics and bright colours. These ideas were taken to help inform the concept for An Taobh Eile. An important but underlying theme of An Taobh Eile is that of changing societys view of mental illness, to try to open minds and gain understanding of an illness that still has so much stigma attached to it. 80’s silhouttes were also explored. Shapes such as the bomber jacket, crop tops, etc.
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Colour Palette
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Design Development & Toiles
With the concept for An Taobh Eile pinned down and silhouttes explored through sketching it is time to start toiling and developing the chosen silhouttes and garments. This process eliminates problems that may be encountered in the making process before the construction of final garments in the final fabric begins. It also helps make the construction of the final garment quicker and easier as problems have been solved on toiles.
The first garment worked on was the skirt for outfit 1. The final garment will be made using black neoprene and side strips of grey airtex mesh. For the toile fabrics of silimar weighting are used to get a better idea of how it will sew together and sit. The skirt pattern was manipulated to be a figure hugging pencil skirt. The only problem encountered with the skirt was the side strips, initially these were seperate and had a seam running down the middle which looked messy. This was then fixed and made into a single strip that connected only to the side seams of the skirt body. This was much neater and more effective.
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Once toiling was completed for the skirt to be made into the final garment, it was Sherry inspired 3D tartan. As previously the pattern was digitised and the tartan it was intended to be cut.
and a precise pattern was ready time to laser cut the Holland & explained using CAD programmes shape placed on precisely where
This method was also to be used on a second garment, a long, sleeveless, hooded jacket. Again this garment was toiled and perfected before cutting of the final fabric. When Laser cutting the neoprene it would only fit in one way while fitting the whole length of the garments to be cut. This so happened to be against the grain which was noted, however with the nature of neoprene this was not visible on the right side of the fabric. This did not affect anthing about the design and so it was decided that it would be cut this way.
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Doing the Bomber jacket toile, again fabrics similar to the final fabrics were used to get a more accurate idea of how the final garment would be. The ski jacket pattern was used for this oversized bomber jacket. It was manipulated to the desired length and sleeves were also elongated for an exaggerated oversized effect.
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This garment is a basic vest top. Using the knitted top pattern it was manipulated to make it shorter. There are 2 variations of this top. One will have a sublimination print on it the other will be dyed a poppy red. Both fitting in with An Taobh Eile’s theme and colour palette.
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Outfit 1
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Outfit 2
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Personal Evaluation The womenswear collection An Taobh Eile was designed for the high end market place for Spring/Summer 17. To be retailed in luxury department stores such as Harvey Nichols and The House of Fraser. The target market was strong and independant females aged from 21-45 who aren’t afraid to stand out from the crowd. They go for more expensive items that will last rather than buying into the fast fashion trend. Combining elements from both urban and luxe style to create a one off and unique high-end collection. The collection should encapsulate a youthful and urban look while also maintaining a luxurious and high-end feel. While keeping this in mind the gothic fairytale concept also had to be considered when designing this collection. When choosing fabrics one fabric choice was to be inspired by Holland & Sherry. Tartan was the chosen fabric to focus on for this collection. After some exploration in using tartan as is it was decided to instead try and create a 3D tartan using laser cutting methods. I feel that my collection An Taobh Eile fulfilled the brief successfully. All areas of inspiration were included in the concept for An Taobh Eile. As well as reimagined fabric inspired by Holland & Sherry. The finished garments turned out as I had imagined. There were a few problems along the way, neoprene was both lovely and awful to work with. It has a beautiful finish and sews really well. Top stitching open seams worked very well as it served a function as well as being aesthetically pleasing. However when working with more intricate details such as the waistband, neoprene was quite difficult as it tended to stretch and warp. This can be seen in the skirt waistband which is slightly larger than designed and a little bit uneven where the zip is joined. Dupion silk was an extremely beautiful fabric with a wonderful aesthetic however it was difficult at times to work with also as it unravelled very easily and quickly. It was a conscious decision to use dupion silk against the grain as i wanted the visible lines vertical on the garments. The most difficult part I encountered doing this project was time management. As time in the sewing workshop is limited to get an industry finish one had to work hard and efficiently. The small amount of certain machines in the sewing workshop also caused problems delayed some garments. I feel An Taobh Eile is my first collection where my style and handwriting have become evident.
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References *All images my own unless otherwise stated. Fig 3. Aisha Pena. (17th March 2015). P!nk para Glamour Junio 2013. Available: https://ellaesfashion. wordpress.com/category/revistas/page/2/. Last accessed 5th March 2016. Fig 1. COVERGIRL. (27th June 2014). P!nk. Available: http://www.covergirl.com.au/covergirl-models/pinkcovergirl. Last accessed 5th March 2016. Fig 2. Just Jared. (7th January 2014). Ke$ha & Cher Lloyd: Y100 Jingle Ball 2012!. Available: http://www. justjared.com/photo-gallery/2773127/kesha-cher-lloyd-y100-jingle-ball-2012-14/. Last accessed 5th March 2016. Scottish Textile and Leather Association. (24th November 2015). Holland & Sherry Limited. Available: http:// www.stla.uk.com/products/holland-sherry-limited/. Last accessed 7th February 2016. Fig 4. WGSN. (2015). Digital Wave Spring/Summer 2017 Women and Young Women. Available: https:// www-wgsn-com.ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/59270/page/6. Last accessed 15th March 2016. WGSN. (2015). Future Trends > Fashion Forecast. Available: https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk/ content/reports/#/Future+Trends/w/Fashion_Forecast/24662. Last accessed 26th February 2016. WGSN. (26th May 2015). Future Trends > The Vision. Available: https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk/ content/reports/#/Future+Trends/w/The_Vision/24470. Last accessed 26th February 2016.
Bibliography Heriot Watt University Vogue Archive. (). Vogue Archive. Available: http://isguides.hw.ac.uk.ezproxy1.hw.ac. uk/az.php?a=v. Last accessed 17th February 2016. Pinterest. (2015). Louise Skehan Pinterest Boards. Available: https://www.pinterest.com/aradia90/. Last accessed 20th April 2016. Scottish Textile and Leather Association. (24th November 2015). Holland & Sherry Limited. Available: http:// www.stla.uk.com/products/holland-sherry-limited/. Last accessed 7th February 2016. WGSN. (2015). Future Trends > Fashion Forecast. Available: https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk/ content/reports/#/Future+Trends/w/Fashion_Forecast/24662. Last accessed 26th February 2016.
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In all Darkness there is light, In all beauty there is ugliness, In all happiness there is sadness, Every rose has thorns...