Imaging Couture
Unit X provides students at Manchester School of Art with a unique opportunity to collaborate with peers from different courses to work on a brief set by industry, in this instance, Manchester Art Gallery. Students were given special access to the Gallery of Costume housed at Platt Hall and worked in groups to developed original, image based responses. Students are studying: Fashion Art Direction, Textiles in Practice, Art History, Interior Design, Photography, Illustration with Animation, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Filmmaking. Responding to garments including: 18th Century Man’s Silk Tailcoat, Balenciaga, Campbell’s Souper Dress, Comme des Garcons, John Galliano for Dior, Madame Gres, Pierre Cardin, Schiaparelli, Yohji Yamamoto. This project was funded with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Collecting Cultures funding.
Using the fluidity and structure of the garments as a key inspiration and starting point, we wanted to focus on deconstruction and movement to replicate this concept. Using only paper, staples and tape we have managed to create a visual extension of the body that flows within the natural contours of human skin, which acted as a canvas for us to build upon. We have used the medium of dance and acrobatics to portray motion through moving image, which is a conceptual response to the fluidity in the collection. Combining the two together has blended both movement and deconstruction into a cohesive installation.
Emma Boys, Evie Mckenna, Oliver Perry, Emily Wilkinson
During this project, we have been inspired by a 1950s Madame Gres dress. The bold stripes and rich colours, along with the beautifully made structural bodice have all contributed to the decisions we have made. Furthering our knowledge of Madame Gres, we discovered her love for drapery and her unorthodox approach to garment design. As a creative, she would simply drape and pin her materials onto her model in alternative fashions, in order to make new designs that referenced that of Grecian style. Inspired by the simplicity and style of her approach, as a group we became fascinated by it and took on the challenge of creating something of our own.
Maisy Dinsdale, Kristine Kho, Kyriaki Theodorou
The Andy Warhol inspired, printed paper Souper Dress from 1968 was our core inspiration for this work. It was an iconic piece that featured a form of branding on the dress and intertwined both fashion and art. From looking at the dress, the stereotypical 60’/70’s American housewife sprung to mind as somebody who would wear this dress. We decided to create an animation based on a housewife that breaks the stereotype of being inferior and controlled. Feminism is important and we felt that it was important to address this issue. Alongside feminism, we looked at different identities and breaking free from suppression.
Mathew Palmer, Josh Steel, Kalon Smith, Sayf Taj
Drawing inspiration from the works of Rei Kawakubo and Pierre Cardin, this project explores different concepts about the future and the deconstruction or manipulation of human form. After looking deeper into both designer’s history and their inspirations, we discovered that both of them were inspired by futuristic elements, however from completely contrasting points of view. Whilst Rei Kawakubo’s response to the future was dark and dystopian, Pierre Cardin’s response was utopian and bright, which can be seen throughout both of their earliest collections. Linking this to contemporary fashion, we aimed to create a response to our ideas on the future in 2018.
Poppy Leaver, Sahara Roberts, Saoirse Rose Sadeghian, Kizzie Willett
Inspiration for structure and form can be taken from the visual cues in everyday instances. The architectural form of a building, the shadows created by a moving object, the creases in one’s clothes or sheets of paper. The possibilities are endless. We wanted to create a shoot and installation that incorporated these elements and contrasted to the human form. This concept considers Kawakubo and Yamamoto’s designs that push away from the usual Westernised silhouettes in fashion through the re-configuration of textiles and garment construction, as we attempt to juxtapose the fragility of natural movement against the dramatic arrangement of shapes and fabrics.
Ellis Commins-Dean, Noreen Calalang, Callum Coulton, Georgia Sturdy
Inspired by the intricate tailoring and optically fascinating details of the 18th Century Men’s Silk Tailcoat we have created an immersive, kaleidoscopic style experience that aims to be both stimulating, yet visually beautiful. Collating our individual skills, as a group we have produced a film consisting of photographs and moving image taken from our colourful and boldly styled shoot. We have projected our film onto shards of broken mirror, thus creating a fragmented, distorted effect around the room and allowing the viewer of this abstract installation to feel like they are physically within a kaleidoscope.
Sophie Hobbs, Lainey Pellow, Rebecca Wilkinson
We took Pierre Cardin’s inspiration of the colour yellow in his own work as well as his love for creating texture. We have translated this into an interactive experience with a focus on how yellow as a colour can influence you. One of our main objectives was to engage our audience fully, we achieved this by making our work interactive. We have focused on the idea that yellow immediately creates energy and positivity in hope that these connotations allow our audience to fully immerse themselves in our work. It is also important to us that our work is accessible to all.
India Barr, Sara Carpentieri, Georgina Monger, Martha Wragg
This project explores the idea of restriction in modern society; using photography, film, and illustration to highlight the many ways we can be affected by some form of restriction. The models we have collaborated with, use body language to express the negative aspects of restriction, which provokes the viewer to reflect on the society we live in. In contrast to this we have used simplistic compositions and attractive colours to emulate this theme in a way that is aesthetically appealing. Through displaying these aspects of restriction, we are also celebrating the power fashion has to give people a sense of freedom.
Shiwan Gwyn, Satchel Haycraft, Noah Redman-Bennett