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U P C Y C L I N G AND RECYCLING
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D E V E L O P M E N T
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DESIGNS
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P R O D U C T I O N
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R E F L E C T I O N
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R E F R E N C E S
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R E S E A R C H
The student’s research started with a Google search into recycled fashion; recycled crisp-packet dresses were common hits, but the student didn’t want to pursue this avenue; she wanted to go deeper and find something more inspirational. An early idea was to concentrate on urban regeneration and renewal, with environmental considerations to the fore and a strong ‘green’ theme. Designers mentioned in the brief such as Issey Miyake or Martin Margiela were researched in the quest for inspiration. This was more fertile, but the student wanted to create a collection rooted in up-cycling, recycling and in-touch with contemporary designs. At this point, the City of Dundee began to figure; a city with a not so great reputation that is becoming a hub of creative activity and a Scottish example of modern renewal. A city with a rich industrial heritage but now becoming known for regeneration and cutting-edge fashion; in other words, capturing the Dundee ‘buzz’ became germane to the students project.
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The student found inspiration from the City of Dundee and the creative changes that have been happening in the past ten years. Dundee has an important heritage such as the jute textile industry, marmalade jam and journalism (the Beano) which has been re-worked and updated, nowhere better illustrated than in the waterfront changes and the dynamic architecture of the City. The V&A museum are building Scotland’s first design museum on this very waterfront and using the City’s heritage to promote the enterprise. Oor Wullie’s Bucket Trail can be found throughout the streets and landmarks, a famous comic-book character. Also, the creative industry in Dundee is changing with many designers such as Hayley Scanlan returning home to create their collections, made in places like abandoned jute mills. There is no doubt that the city itself is being regenerated and the student could relate her collection to this in her interpretation of the brief. Capturing the energy, dynamism and spirit of Dundee became a key aim.
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In the research stage the student had found two inspirations that linked together to create the basis of her collection. The city of Dundee and the up-cycling that is currently happening there, helping to create sustainable fashion within the UK. The student will be designing a collection inspired by this rather than more routine interpretations of up-cycling and has tried to find a less literal outcome for the topic of sustainable fashion. Dundee is an industrial city which has (for the years the student has lived close to it) had a poor reputation, but this is changing rapidly; the construction of the V&A design museum on the renewed waterfront is a good example of this. The student looked at the rough and dreary exteriors of some of the 1960’s high rise buildings in Dundee (often now being demolished) and compared them to the re-developed jute mills which house much of the modern textile industry. This inspired fabric manipulation using Photoshop to edit primary imagery – photographs were taken with the twin-aims of investigating and contrasting colour and texture. The student also wanted to look at journalism based in the city; the Beano (a comic book aimed at children but loved by adults too), with its characters such as Dennis the Menace and his dog Gnasher inspired the students textures and colour pallet - from the scruffy black coat of Gnasher and Dennis’ hair to the bold red and black stripes of Dennis’ jumper. The student found inspiration for her silhouettes from various sources, mainly trend prediction website WGSN, looking closely into the Spring/Summer 17 trend Edgelands which is based on the same themes as up-cycling. Silhouettes such as frills, patchwork and panels came to the students attention but still wanting to find a contemporary link for her designs Martin Margiela was a perfect inspiration for silhouette. Defining what she really wants the garments she creates to look like the student has looked at how she can translate the information she has gathered from the trend research and combine it with the research into Dundee. Details such as raw edges, over-sized eyelets (on trend for s/s 17) and panels investigated in her sketchbook and analysed in preparation for the design process. Another important part of the students’ concept had to be sustainability. “Fashion was apparently so expendable it had turned into litter.” Here, Lucy Siegle is making the point that with fast fashion, consumers have little regard for the purchases they are making, symptomatic of the ‘throw-away’ society. The clothing that they have bought is so cheap it is not worth taking care of, loving or keeping. A new item to your wardrobe could be a cherished piece that you want to wear. Sometimes, people forget to invest in what they really desire and fail to get value for money. The student wanted her collection to be as desirable as possible, whilst remaining at a mid market price point, and consumers to really love the quality of the produced items: Recycled and up-cycled items do not need to be rubbish. Whilst looking at sustainable fashion, the student found that many designers produce their collections in studios around Dundee, and have been praised by the V&A museum for doing so. “With the exception of a few stubborn outposts, hundreds of years of manufacturing heritage were junked in ten short years”. The trend towards cheap and disposable fashion has taken over the market and for brands to compete with each other they constantly have to look for cheaper manufacture. However, a consequence has been the abandonment of much of our heritage. The student would like to see clothing manufacture rationalised; we can’t continue with the pressure of overseas manufacture, with associated issues of pay and employment conditions; design and manufacture within the UK must be encouraged and on a small scale, this is happening in Dundee – small is beautiful. The student will go on to create three garments, of one outfit. She will design a final line-up of six garments and from there will manufacture these garments using the considerations for sustainability investigated in her research. The garments will reflect the research into Dundee and its heritage through texture, colour and fabric manipulation. The student has gathered fabric samples compiled in a fabric book to help her find appropriate materials for the garments.
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UPCYCLING AND RECYCLING The student found the idea of up-cycling or recycling challenging, particularly with regard to finding an original starting point. However, a key concept was to produce wearable and desirable garments. Few consumers really want a dress made from bin bags; this collection needed to be commercial and the student struggled trying to keep a consistent message. Finding inspiration in Dundee gave the student a basis for researching up-cycling and recycling and how she could make it commercial. “I would say shop less. I could say shop here. But I would be an annoying hypocrite, since I shop a lot and buy clothes without reading the labels. I would however, encourage thrift shopping. I would advocate buying quality over quantity. I would encourage sewing together your own stuff, and keeping that stuff even if it’s falling apart (a good look, I really believe). I would also encourage a change in attitude.” This extract from a foreword by model Lily Cole really struck a chord with me. The student herself doesn’t jump to boycott the high street and buy eco fashion, she doesn’t look at green fashion design or recycling as her design handwriting but she does believe that it’s time for change. Buying to last shouldn’t be forgotten or overlooked, the collection the student desires to design with the huge social issue of sustainability is one that is “built to last” garments that consumers not only need but really want or love.
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F.K.A Twiggs is a celebrity which the student felt would represent the brand well with her contemporary sound and style. Her followers have a style with edge and she isn’t one shy of breaking rules.
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The student found her inspiration for fabric manipulation from the buildings in Dundee, including an image of a sky-rise block of flats that she inverted on Photoshop. This inspired the idea of using silver foil in a pattern like the small windows on the front of her black jute panels running down the front of the jumper. She had reached the conclusion that laser cutting would not have a positive effect on the environment and wasn’t the right manipulation for this project.
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The student used the size 14 blouse block to create her jumper pattern. Tracing the block and then adding a 6cm panel down the centre front and back. Re-tracing the pattern pieces and adding 1cm seam allowance to the panel. The student then added 5cm to the cuff to give an extended sleeve. When constructing this garment the student was disappointed with the fit at the hem of the garment, she felt that it needed to be tightened up and slightly shorter so as not to obscure the detailing of the culottes. This is when the student decided to add black ribbed-knit to the bottom to create a more contemporary finish.
C U L O T T E S The culottes were an interesting garment to make; taking the size 10 skirt block the student adapted it to make the shape she desired, adding flare by slash and spreading the darts along the front and back of the pattern. The student was really happy with the look of the garment; it looks contemporary through the use of raw edges and big eyelets as a feature at the front of the garment. The zip did cause trouble for the student as the fabric slipped during manufacture and the fabric marked really easily so the student has to avoid mistakes and take her time.
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The polo neck is a garment that the student enjoyed making, with a simple pattern and straightforward construction. Taking the knitted top-block in the size M, the student traced it and lowered the front neck line by 2cm and the back by 1cm. Measuring these two lowered necklines the student found the length for the polo pattern piece. As this is a spring/ summer collection she decided to use a lighter fabric which meant that the polo neck wouldn’t stand well so she decided to make the neckline lower and therefore it would sit better. Also, making this garment sleeveless as the jumper on top will be warm enough for the summer months.
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C O S T I N G S The student used a variety of materials from sources around the UK for her garments. Selected materials came from fabric stores such as Top Fabrics, London and Remnant Kings, Glasgow or Edinburgh. Fabrics cost was around ÂŁ150 for all three garments, this makes the student think that the collection would be a mid-market collection compatible with brands such as Zadig and Voilter or Harvey Nichols third floor.
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The student has created a collection inspired by what she considers sustainable fashion to be. She has read literature to inform her investigation of sustainable fashion and how it might affect her designs. The collection created effectively represents her concept of creating garments that can be loved and proudly worn by a consumer. She also feels she has effectively used recycled material in a fashionable way, linked to her research and inspirations. Constructing these garments was a process that the student found enjoyable; the pattern cutting was at a high level and the sewing technical with the use of leatherette; she had to use a leather foot so as not to mark the material. The student contends that the collection is of high quality and is made to last, improving customer value for money. Consumers may also be able to connect with the students inspirations from Dundee, such as the recycled jute fabric made in the Verdant Works, the colour pallet inspired by well-known cartoon characters and the vitality and textural contrasts inspired by the ever-changing waterfront. The student has learned more about the sustainable fashion world by an in-depth investigation. Looking back to a conference attended in March, she started to think about how she as a designer might help a global cause, our environment and sustainability set within the context of the UK fashion industry. She found answers to some of these questions, considering issues such as child labour and unsafe working conditions by looking at the manufacturing industry in the UK and avoiding fast fashion. There is no question that the student herself is more educated on the subject of sustainability but now she would like her collection to educate prospective consumers on where their clothes come from. The student has taken the project and interpreted the brief into what she considers a successful outcome. In a shorter time period than a normal twelve week project the student has tried to manage her time and efforts to create the best possible garments. Building on my last collection, with a fresh brief, she thought it imperative she found a way to communicate her inspirations. The student feels you can see an overall ascetic to her collection from her final six collection, to her colour pallet, to her fabric choices, and then to her final garments, with an apparent consistency of approach.
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SIEGLE, LUCY. TO DIE FOR. LONDON: FOURTH ESTATE, 2011. PRINT. BLANCHARD, TASMIN. GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK. LONDON: HODDER & STOUGHTON, 2007. PRINT. A
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HOPKINS, TANSY. (10TH JULY 2016) “RANA PLAZA: ARE FASHION BRANDS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE THEY DON’T DIRECTLY EMPLOY?”. THE GUARDIAN 2015: N. PAG. PRINT. W
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“HAUTEBASICS”. PINTEREST. N.P.,2016. WEB. 7 JULY 2016. “INSTAGRAM PHOTO Y @GREG93. MAR 22, 2016AT 1.24AM UTC”. PINTEREST. N.P., 2016. WEB. 7 JULY 2016. “Dundee Jute Mills - Making Of Industrial And Urban Scotland - Scotland’s History”. Educationscotland.gov.uk. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 July 2016. “Chloé Pre-Fall 2016 Fashion Show”. Pinterest. N.p., 2016. Web. 7 July 2016. “Log In | Tumblr”. Pinterest. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 July 2016. “How To Become An #Anotherlover”. Pinterest. N.p., 2016. Web. 7 July 2016. “User Login | WGSN | Creating Tomorrow”. WGSN | Creating Tomorrow | Trend Forecasting & Analytics. N.p., 2016. Web. 4 July 2016.
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