Fragile things by Mana Dhanraj

FRAGILE THINGS A final year Diploma Documentation for the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology By Mana Dhanraj Contractor manad.88@gmail.com PH: +91 9620309657

This Book is dedicated to the Rishi Valley School tape deck For putting up with my tantrums, giving me feedback, helping me with my products, feeding me and supporting me through it all Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to thank: Deepa & Navroze Myrthe Uzair Raeesa Rashmi Namrata Arvind Archana & Sanjiv Shah Pot Meera Matt Avy Kala Sonia Fateh Tailors Kolor Kode & hypem.com Without whom I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have made it past the first week.

CONTENTS FRAGILE THINGS

PROJECT BRIEF

THE 1960’S

THE BEATNIKS

THE HIPPIE SUBCULTURE

MOODBOARDS

SCREEN-PRINTING

SPRING/ SUMMER 2011 TRENDS

BLUE

TANGERINE

RAINBOW DAYS

CRAFT

NUDE STUDY

TRENDS IN SILHOUETTE

COLOUR PALETTE

FASHION SURVEY

SILHOUETTE ITERATIONS

WORK ON THE DRESS FORM

MUSLIN ITERATIONS

FINAL GARMENTS

THE END OF THE ROAD

THE FINISHED GARMENTS

IN CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

108

FRAGILE THINGS

What is fashion? It is but a battle against mortality, a tide of beauty to counter growing decay, a beautiful and futile gesture in the face of death and ruin. And garments, which are the constituents and the creation of fashion, stand between us and the world; they are more than protection against weather, more than a kowtow to notions of decency. Garments themselves are representations of ourselves, as we create our own characters, and symbols of ourselves, as we are shaped from our background. We recognise this in our garments, and we value our garments for what they make of us, but we must also remember that these beautiful fragile creations are not merely symbols - they are the tangible products of complex and entirely earthly processes. Some of these processes are tedious, some are complex, some may even be dangerous. To create anything beautiful one must marry vision and imagination, with concrete and deft skills; to create anything beautiful requires sweat and tears. Both have gone into the creation of this collection. Fragile Things is a summer collection that takes its inspiration from the sixties and combined with Spring/ Summer 2011 fashion trends to attempt to create a light and sophisticated line of clothing. A combination of subtle prints and light silk fabrics with certain hints of colour this collection is about feeling comfortable, sexy and sophisticated giving the client a fresh and sophisticated look. This book is a documentation of the process that lead to the final collection.

THE PROJECT PROPOSAL To design a Resort collection for spring/summer 2011 based on what defined the 1960’s as an era, focusing specifically on the Beatnik revolution and its transition to the “flower power” hippie movement. A resort collection is a collection launched around winter and aimed at designing clothing in the holiday months when people go on vacation to warm places. It is a collection that has two parts to it: • The casual collection worn during the day. • The sophisticated collection worn at night to parties, events, dinners etc. This collection is emphasizing on the latter. It will still however retain the summery and airy feel that defines most summer collections. It is delicate, feminine and sophisticated. The focus will be on textile manipulation and pattern making with particular attention being paid to the details of finishing and packaging. The collection will comprise of 6-7 pieces. An assorted mix from the following list will be prospective products. • • • • •

Wraps (kaftans, ponchos, stoles) Loose tunics and pyjama pants Short tops and shorts Easy flow dresses Waistcoats and loose jackets

THEME: “The anger is there, the zealousness is there; but what makes it different from the protests of the past is that the Beat attitude is not interested in social reform-in making the world a better place to live in where all people can have decent houses and food on the table; the beat protest is against the spiritual anemia that is a result, perhaps, of the successes of the truly social protests of the past. The Beatniks’ was the only kind of protest possible, one begins to think, in a rich, affluent society. And their protest knocks against every smug layer of American convention with the full brunt of its antithesis.” -Thomas F. Merrill

The theme of the project will emerge from 60’s fashion and the era itself. The 1960s featured a number of diverse trends. It was a decade that broke many fashion traditions and mirrored social movements during the period. It was a time of rebellion; people began to realize the extent to which they could push their liberties. Different modes of self-expression kicked of an all out social revolt against society. Starting from the beginning with the beatnik poets and their poems opening up new worlds to people and their ideas of freedom to the dawn of the hippie counterculture and its influence on today’s youth. People were dressing in psychedelic prints, highlighter colours, and mismatched patterns the primary aesthetic focus being on colour and tone. It exerted a strong influence on ladies’ clothing styles, including bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye, and batik fabrics, as well as paisley prints. What I would like to do is use the original diverse prints and tones to create textures in a limited range of colours focusing more on the concepts and textures behind the era. I would like the poetry (from the beatnik era) to play a big role in how my garments are made, working with excerpts from the poetry itself. Another Idea would be to use the texture and prints to create illusions on the basic silhouette so as to give it some interest. The bold deco prints will also inspire the silhouettes for the clothes.

CREATIVE CONCEPT: As this is an up market resort collection that requires some amount of sophistication I’ve decided to work with layering and interchangeability. The garments need to exude a light and airy feel. Layers can be taken off and put on based on where the user is wearing her garment. For example: If one is on the beach a bikini top and a sarong would suffice but at a restaurant the sarong can double up as a kaftan to make the user more comfortable. The silhouettes will be simple and focus primarily on manipulating basic geometric shapes. This will also put a certain emphasis on the fabric and it’s detailing. Since this is collection is for clients of 2011 it will draw upon ideas for the seasons trends giving it a modern feel so as to fit into the trends of the time. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: • • • • •

• •

How does one work towards a season? Market research for the Indian market? How much does trend forecasting affect the Indian market? What is involved in making a complete coordinated collection? What does a resort collection involve in terms of fabric, colours, and silhouettes? Research history of origins and development of resort clothing Who are the famous designers that launch resort collections every season? Which Indian designers work on resort collections? Material research. (Based on the collection) In what way can I as a designer incorporate my design ethics into the collection?

I. How can I make the collection incorporating principles of sustainability? II. Can I minimize the fabric usage to using scrap fabric from the cloth? III. Can I optimize fabric use by sticking to geometric simple silhouettes using darts and ties to give it an accent? PROCESS: • • • • • • • • • •

Moodboards and themes Market research Identifying the client Working on collages and layering Identifying material Material exploration and Iteration on fabric. Experimenting with shape and silhouettes Working with the fabric and silhouette Narrowing it down to the final products Working on a name for the collection any specific branding etc.

TECHNIQUES: • • • • •

Fabric painting Appliqué, details of trimmings, finishing to be given a lot of attention Dyeing Screen printing Laser cutting

RESOURCES: • 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. • • • • •

Beatnik poetry, research poets such as Allen Ginsberg Ferlinghetti Jack Kerouac Brian Patten Roger McGough Adrian Henri Market research Trend forecasting sites Films about and from the 60’s Designers of the 60’s Pattern making books

LEARNING OUTCOMES: • • • • • 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Designing and facilitating a process that leads to a complete coordinated collection Market research Budgeting and pricing Planning a workflow for a larger scale of production within a fixed time frame Technique acquisition Pattern making Applique Dyeing Textile manipulation Further knowledge into screen printing

THE ORGANIZATION PROCESS 14

After taking a long look at my brief I realized that my approach to this project should be divided into categories that needed to be addressed before I approached the creation of the final garmets. To this end, I asked myself these basic questions: Firstly, what is a resort collection? Secondly, what income bracket am I designing for? Thirdly, what age group is this collection for? Keeping these questions in mind, I chose the following themes and aspects as the scope of my project. • The 60’s The 60’s is an era that exudes a sense of awe in most youth today. There is no one I know who does not want to be part of that generation - it held an interest for almost every kind of person in middle class society today. In a way, the activisim, the joy and most of all, the life in this era has captured the imagination of today’s youth. And yet, the 60s is an era that is as complex as it is short; in a mere ten years, we have seen the emergence of diverse and various cultural factors including beat poetry, music of the revolution, and design trends that revolved around symbolism and colour. Consequently, I also realised that I needed really think about what it was from the 60’s I was going to use as my inspiration for this project. • Spring/Summer 2011 trends Apart from the 60’s my brief had a strong emphasis on making the collection keeping the SS 2011 fashion trends in mind. This would involve doing thorough research into the trends and silhouettes that make the 2011 SS collection what it is. This aspect had to be narrowed down further, to enable me to create a look for my collection that was both unique and fashionable. Since the garments I was about to create were not aimed at becoming haute couture, and would be aimed specifically at a clientele, I began by doing a survey to find out what my intended clientele not only liked to wear, but were also comfortable wearing. The choice of material would also be determined based on the forecasting and client base for the project.

â&#x20AC;˘ Technique & Material Selection the technique and material was to be the final part of my prepatory process. Once I had chosen my colours and the precise scope of my key concepts, I decided to examine the printing and fabric techniques that would enable me to create the look and style that I wanted. To do this, I printed numerous iterations on different kinds of fabrics, as samples and test pieces in order to determine which would be the best way to carry out my designs on fabric. see what works. I chose to go about my project with a heavy emphasis on preliminary research, both on the creative ideas behind the project, and the methods by which I would carry out those ideas. Tackling these aspects seperately at the initial stages would enable me to put together a complete and co-ordinate collection.

THE1960’S

When I think of the 60’s my mind instantly goes to the music and poetry of that era. The boarding school I went to for seven years was almost as if someone had stopped time within its walls. While kids my age started their musical journeys with spice girls and Hanson we began ours with the Beatles. I remember us excitedly huddling over the old tape deck putting in the cassette of the ‘new’ Doors album that someone had just bought, Me begging my mother to send me to a Rolling Stones concert; I am not saying there wasn’t any of the latest music its just that the music from that time is what played the most important part in our lives. As we moved to higher classes we were allowed to join the film club thus exposing us to a whole new aspect to the sixties. Films like Dr. Strangelove, The Manchurian Candidate, A Hard Days Night, Westside StoryFarewell my Concubine, A Clockwork Orange and Apocalypse Now not only made us appreciate good cinema but also introduced us to the political and social take on the 60’s. My form of rebellion to our schools dress code was dressing in long skirts adorned with long earrings and a whole lot of ridiculous homemade jewelry. My roommate introduced me to poets like Roger McGough, Dylan Thomas, Allen Ginsburg, Ted Hughes and Silvia Plat, reading them out on lazy Sunday afternoons. This was how I lived most of my teenage life and it shaped who I am today. This didn’t solve the problem of what I was going to take from the 60’s for my project, Infact it confused me even further; there was so much information it can get disorienting. It was also a decade where the events that took place heavily influenced the art and fashion that came out of it. To save me time I decided to put the decade into a timeline of all the most important events: 1960 Jan - Civil rights demonstrations in Atlanta Feb 13 - France becomes the fourth nuclear power May 6 - Civil Rights Act of 1960 signed by Eisenhower Nov - JFK elected president. Nov - Eisenhower warns the nation about the “Military-Industrial Complex” and its power. Dec - Birth Control Pills go on sale in the US.

1961 Feb 18 - Bertrand Russell, 89, leads march of 20,000 & sit-down of 5,000 anti-nuke outside U.K. Defense Ministry and is jailed for 7 days Mar 1 - John Kennedy initiates 17 billion dollar nuclear missile program, increases military aid to Indochina & announces creation of the Peace Corps Apr 25 - Bay of Pigs, Cuba U.S. planned invasion is defeated by Castro May 4 - Freedom Riders leave DC for a southern tour to test integration in bus stations May 28 - Amnesty International Founded July - Ban The Bomb Demonstrations start worldwide Aug 13 - East German border guards begin construction of Berlin Wall Sept 15 - U.S. starts underground nuclear testing Oct 6 - President Kennedy advises Americans to build fallout shelters 1962 Feb 16 - Boston SANE & fledgling SDS hold first anti-nuclear march on Washington with 4000-8000 protesters Apr 25 - U.S. resumes atmospheric nuclear testing after 3 year moratorium. Oct 22 - Cuban Missile Crisis - Soviet missile bases in Cuba, Kennedy orders naval blockade. 1963 Jan - Alabama Gov. Wallace’s “Segregation Forever” speech at inauguration Jun 11 - JFK Proposes the Civil Rights Bill Jun 12 - Civil rights leader Medgar Evers assassinated. July - Newport Folk Festival July 26-28, includes Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger Aug 5 - First Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed Aug 28 - Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech, Wash DC Civil Rights March 1963, 200,000 attend

Oct 13 - Beatles on TV at London Palladium. 15 million get to see them perform “She Loves You” and “Twist and Shout”. Nov 22 - JFK Assassinated in Dallas, Texas, LBJ sworn in Nov 29 - Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” Released 1964 Feb 9 - Beatles first appear on Ed Sullivan Show, 74 million people watch, the largest audience in the history of television. Aug 11 - Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night movie released Oct 14 - Martin Luther King Jr. wins Nobel Peace Prize 1965 Time Mag calls young people “generation of conformists” Feb 8 - U.S. starts bombing North Vietnam Feb 21 - Malcolm X shot and killed Mar 16 - Quaker Alice Herz, 82, immolates self in Detroit in protest of the Vietnam war Mar 21 - Martin Luther King Jr. leads march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama joined by 25,000 marchers Mar 28 - Martin Luther King calls for boycott of Alabama on TV Apr 17 - SDS leads first anti-Vietwar march in Washington. 25,000 attend including Phil Ochs, Joan Baez and Judy Collins July 10 - Rolling Stones’ I Can’t Get No Satisfaction #1 July 24 - Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone enters charts Aug - Ken Kesey meets Hunter Thompson who introduces the Hells Angels to the Merry Pranksters; Alan Ginsberg & Richard Alpert are at the party. Sept 5 - San Francisco writer Michael Fallon applies the term “hippie” to the SF counterculture in an article. Oct 16 - 100,000 anti-war protesters nationwide in 80 cities

1966 Mar 25 - Anti-Vietnam war protests in NY bring out 25,000 on 5th Ave. Other protests in 7 US cities and 7 foreign cities. Apr - 30 Mississippi blacks build tent city under President Johnson’s window to protest housing conditions in their state Aug 5 - Lennon says Beatles more popular than Jesus Aug 8 – The Politburo Communist Party of China launches the Cultural Revolution. Sept - Timothy Leary holds press conference at NY Advertising Club announcing formation of a psychedelic religion - League for Spiritual Discovery (“Turn on, tune in, drop out”) & starts nightly presentations at the Village Theater. Nov 5 - Walk for Love and Peace and Freedom: 10,000 + in New York City 1967 Jan- The Doors release their debut album self titled ‘The Doors”. The Album included the 12 minute epic song ‘The End” Feb- “The Mersey Sound” an anthology of poetry by Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Adrian Henri is published in the UK. Apr 10 - Vietnam Week starts. Draft card burnings and anti-draft demonstrations Apr 15 - Anti-Vietnam War protest. 400,000 march from Central Park to UN. Speeches by Martin Luther King, Stokely Carmichael and Dr. Benjamin Spock May 20 - Flower Power Day in NYC 1967 Jun 2 - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album by the Beatles released. Jun 16 - Monterey Pop Festival Jun 30 - 448,400 US troops now in Vietnam July 29 - Door’s Light My Fire and Procol Harem’s Whiter Shade of Pale vie for #1

Aug 26 - Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced” hits the charts Aug 27 - Beatles in India with Maharishi informed of Brian Epstein’s death Oct 8 - Che Guevarra killed in Bolivia by US-trained troops Nov 14 - Air Quality Act provides $428 million to fight air pollution Dec - “Stop the Draft” movement organized by 40 antiwar groups, nationwide protests ensue. Dec 5 - 1000 antiwar protesters try to close NYC induction center. 585 arrested including Allen Ginsberg and Dr. Benjamin Spock. Joan Baez has a free concert at the Washington monument to spread her anti war message, 30 000 people came. 1968 Jan 16 - Youth International Party (Yippies) founded Jan 31 - Viet Cong launch Tet Offensive Feb - Beatles go to India to visit Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Rishikesh on the Ganges river. Mar 16 - My Lai massacre 200 - 500 Vietnamese villagers killed Mar 16 - Robert F. Kennedy announces candidacy for President Mar 31 - LBJ announces decision not to run again and offers partial Vietnam bombing halt Apr 4 - Martin Luther King shot and killed in Memphis Apr 8 - Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs established (DEA) May 10 - Vietnam peace talks begin in Paris Jun 3 - Andy Warhol shot by woman Aug 1 - 541,000 U.S. Troops in Vietnam Aug 8 - Nixon and Agnew nominated during Miami riots Oct 16- Jimmy Hendrix releases his album Electric Ladyland which include hits like Voodoo Child and All Along the Watchtower Nov 5 - Nixon elected President Nov 6 - Student Strike at SF State

1969 Apr 22 - Harvard faculty votes to create black studies program & give students vote in selection of its faculty Apr 22 - City College of NY closed after black & Puerto Rican students lock selves inside asking higher minority enrollment Apr 24 - U.S. B-52s launch biggest attack on North Vietnam. Protests in 40 cities July 20 - Men walk on the Moon July 27 - Police raid on gay bar in Greenwich Village NYC results in Stonewall Uprising. 2000 protesters battle 400 police, start of Gay Liberation Movement August 15 - 17 WOODSTOCK Festival 500,000 people gathered for three days of music and peace that changed the world. Jimi Hendrix does his version of Star Spangled Banner. Sept 3 - Ho Chi Min, leader of North Vietnam, dies Oct 15 - Peace Day. 500,000 protesters appear nationwide. First Vietnam Moratorium Oct 30 - Supreme Court orders desegregation nationwide NARROWING IT DOWN With all this down I decided to further narrow down the points of interest as a result of which I ended up with a list. â&#x20AC;˘ The Liverpool poets (Beatnik culture) â&#x20AC;˘ The Hippie subculture Once I narrowed down my field of interest I decided to take a closer look into these three topics so as to figure out how I can use them.

THE BEATNIKS

25 The phrase “Beat Generation” was introduced in 1948 by Jack Kerouac and his social circle so as to characterize the anti conformist youth gathering in New York at the time. The term took its inspiration from underworld slang. ‘Beat’ was slang for “beaten down” or down-trodden, but to Kerouac, it also had a spiritual connotation as in “beatitude”. As Jack Kerouac so aptly puts it: “The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in the late Forties, of a generation of crazy, illuminated hipsters suddenly rising and roaming America, serious, bumming and hitchhiking everywhere, ragged, beatific, beautiful in an ugly graceful new way—a vision gleaned from the way we had heard the word “beat” spoken on street corners on Times Square and in the Village, in other cities in the downtown city night of postwar America—beat, meaning down and out but full of intense conviction. We’d even heard old 1910 Daddy Hipsters of the streets speak the word that way, with a melancholy sneer. It never meant juvenile delinquents, it meant characters of a special spirituality who didn’t gang up but were solitary Bartlebies staring out the dead wall window of our civilization. It is because I am Beat, that is, I believe in beatitude and that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son to it... Who knows, but that the universe is not one vast sea of compassion actually, the veritable holy honey, beneath all this show of personality and cruelty?” The Beatnik revolution was the beginnings of a social uprising that later turned into the Hippie counterculture. It was also for this very reason that most of the beat culture held a negative stance rather than a positive one. The Beats had just begun to feel this feeling of cultural and emotional displacement, Dissatisfaction and yearning. To the rest of the world the Beats were a set of superficial intellectuals with goatees and sunglasses, reading poetry to each other while having conversation using “cool man” jargon. The only flaw in this was that there were never any Beatniks in this sense(except maybe the media influenced yuppies that came along later). Beat culture was an amalgamation of many different and conflicting states of mind; How one dressed or talked would not define a Beat.

26 The Beat philosophy focused primarily on understanding and bettering ones inner self above all other materialist desire. Writers such as Alan Watts began to explore eastern religion such as Buddhism and Taoism. Politically one could see the beginning of a more liberal approach. They embraced African-American culture especially jazz while other writers took to understanding communism. At the time that the terms were coined, there was a trend amongst young college students to adopt the stereotype, with men wearing goatees and berets, rolling their own cigarettes and playing bongos. Fashions for women included black leotards and wearing their hair long, straight and unadorned in a rebellion against the middle class culture of beauty salons. Marijuana use was associated with the subculture, and during the 1950s, Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception further influenced views on drugs. THE LIVERPOOL POETS The Liverpool poets refer to a number of rather influencial poets of the 60’s in England who were heavily influenced by Beat poetry. It was the Liverpool scene that gave rise to the Beatles. It was this time that the amreican beat poet Allen Ginsberg reffered to the city as “the center of consciousness of the human universe” ‘The Liverpool poets’’ approach to poetry differs from that of other poets in that they consistently give the impression of being real people getting to grips with real and pressing situations. Their work is characterized by its very direct form of expression, simple words(handling of complicated ideas in uncomplicated language.) and the importance for the poems to be read aloud for instance the work of ‘The Liverpool poets’ which was written specifically for this purpose, and although the poets have now developed separately, their literary outlook is still characterized by their common commitment to reviving poetry as a performance. ‘The Liverpool poets’ believed that the effect that a poem produces is more important than the poem itself; a poem should be considered as an ‘agent’ (that conveys the poet’s message), rather than as an ‘object’.’ “The kids didn’t see this poetry with a capital p, they understood it as modern entertainment, as part of the pop-movement.” ~Roger McGough~

27 The poets most commonly associated with this label are Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten, they were featured in a 1967 book The Liverpool Scene edited by Edward Lucie-Smith. Other related poets include the Londoner Pete Brown (who wrote lyrics for Cream), Pete Morgan and Alan Jackson (both associated with the 1960s Edinburgh poetry scene), Tom Pickard and Barry MacSweeney (both from Newcastle), Spike Hawkins, Jim Bennett, Heather Holden, Mike Evans, Pete Roche and Henry Graham. Most poets generally came from lower middle, working class background and went to art college rather than university. There was a strong connection to pop music and its effectiveness in reaching out to larger audience. Readings took place mainly in clubs and pubs. One of the most widely influential pieces of work emerging from the Liverpool scene was “the Mersey Sound” an anthology of poetry by Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten selling over 500,000 copies and still widely influential. The Liverpool Scene was a poetry band, which included Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts, Mike Evans, Mike Hart, Percy Jones and Brian Dodson. It grew out of the success of The Incredible New Liverpool Scene, a CBS LP featuring Henri and McGough reading their work, with accompaniment by the guitarist Roberts. Liverpool DJ John Peel, who was then working on the pirate radio station Radio London, picked up on the LP and featured it on his influential late-night Perfumed Garden show. After Radio London closed down, Peel visited Liverpool and met the band; as a consequence, they were featured in session on his BBC Top Gear and Night Ride shows, and in 1968 he produced their first LP. Four LPs were issued with Henri’s poetry heavily featured. Despite Peel’s support the albums achieved little success, although the band did become popular on the UK university and college circuit. Their public performances included a 1969 tour when they opened for Led Zeppelin; they also toured the USA but did not attract much acclaim. The best-known band to emerge was The Scaffold (1963–1974), which featured John Gorman, Mike McCartney (brother of Paul McCartney) and Roger McGough. Initially Adrian Henri was a member, when they were known as The Liverpool, One Fat Lady, All Electric Show.

28 BRIAN PATTEN Of the three Liverpool poets the poetry that held my interest was that of Brian Patten. ‘He aims to please only the true lovers of poetry, ordinary men. He writes ‘for good people, people as huge as the world’ Patten’s poetry fulfills its effect through feelings thus distinguishing himself from the other two. Grevel Lindop, in his essay on the Liverpool poets mentioned that during their performance they kept a keen eye on their audience searching for signs of boredom or discontent. Unlike Roger Mcgough(who recited even the funniest of poems with a straight face) Patten seemed more spontaeneous and at the same time less relaxed. He kept audiences on the edge not only because of the intense passion with which he read his poetry but also because of the sneaking suspicion that he might pick a fight with someone. The theme of love in Patten’s poetry Patten’s work is known for its romanticism and his sometimes subtle reference to the frustration caused by being out of love. His volumes Vanishing trick and Love poems celebrate the ups and downs of love moving from its dizzy, hot high to the more platonic and spiritual aspects. His poems talk of the power of love and the strength with which it binds human beings to each other thinking it is the only way forward. For example in the poem ‘In the Dying of Anything’ Patten talks of love between older couples as compared to their youth: ‘There is nothing simpler or more human than this’, whereas in youth love ‘bursts even against the rainbow’ ‘softly soaking us’. The aged lovers lie in quiet repose catching ‘what life and light we can’. In the poem ‘Nothing is ever as perfect as you want it to be’ Patten expresses a sense of loss and loneliness from being estranged by love. It is beautiful to see how the poet consoles himself into coming to terms with the fact that nothing is ever the way one wants it to happen leaving him to suffer and come to terms with the pain which will soon pass.

29 “You are afraid. If you found the perfect love It would scald your hands, Rip the skin from your nerves, Cause havoc with a computered heart. In the poem ‘A Blade of Grass’ Patten talks of the innocence and open heartedness that love creates in a human being and how as one grows older we become cynical and stop appreciating things around us. His Idea of love doesn’t stop with lovers but goes on to much larger things. “You ask for a poem. And so I write you a tragedy about How a blade of grass Becomes more and more difficult to offer, And about how as you grow older A blade of grass Becomes more difficult to accept.” ‘Patten wrote about what people understood about themselves and wanted to have explained. In this sense he was really their spokesman. The most important thing about Patten’s work is that it has not become dated, and nor will it become so in the years to come, because it feels the pulse of the present, which includes not only ‘the pastness of the past but also its presence’ ~T. S. Eliot~

THE HIPPIE SUB-CULTURE

31 The Hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that began in the US During the mid 1960’s rapidly spreading to other countries around the world. The origins of the word Hippie is originally from the word ‘Hipster’ used to describe the beatniks who moved into areas like Greenwich village and San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. Early Hippie values emerged from the beat generation and its counterculture. Some however created their own communities, Listened to psychedelic rock, Explored their sexuality and used primarily hallucinogenic drugs to explore varying states of consciousness. In January 1967 the outdoor Human Be-In organized by Michael Bowen was the beginning to an upward rise in popularity for the hippie movement. 20,000 Hippies gathered in San Francisco’s golden gate park after which a few months later 10,000 Hippies gathered in Central park Manhattan. This lead on to the Monterey Pop Festival introducing rock music to a number of people marking the start to “The Summer Of Love” The lyrics from the John Phillips song ‘San Francisco’ , “If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”, inspired thousands of young people to travel to San Francisco from all over the world, sometimes wearing flowers in their hair and distributing flowers to passersby, earning them the name, “Flower Children”. In 1969 the Legendary Summer of Love on the west coast and the 1969 Woodstock festival on the east coast of the United states took the Hippie sub-culture to an all time high. In New Zeland nomadic House truckers practiced alternate modes of lifestyle focusing on sustainability. In the UK mobile “peace convoys” of a new breed of travelers made summer pilgrimages to the Stonehenge for free music festivals. In Australia Hippies gathered from all over for the Aquarius festival and the Annual Cannabis reform rally. Even the Chileans had a festival called the “Piedra Roja Festival” which was held in 1970. Despite the movement being quite small at the time the impact it had on culture was huge. Most popular music, television, film , television, literature and the arts embraced Hippie values and style with open arms. The hippie legacy still lives on today in a number of ways from health food to outdoor music festivals and contemporary sexual acceptance the culture has found a place in main stream society.

32 The foundation of the Hippie movement lies as far back as the counterculture established by the ancient greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, St. Francis of Assisi, Henry David Thoreau and Gandhi. The first signs of what we could call the ‘modern’ Hippie emerged in Germany in 1908 where a counterculture arose to promote German folk music. It opposed the traditional notion of the ‘German club’ by allowing amateur singing, planning outings together and a creative dress code. Inspired by the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Goethe, Hermann Hesse, and Eduard Baltzer, Wandervogel this counter culture attracted thousands of young Germans who rejected the rapid trend toward urbanization and yearned for the pagan, back to nature life of their ancestors. Over the year these germans moved to the USA(especially California because of its warm climate) to practice their holistic lifestyle promoting organic foods and their alternate way of living. This, along with the beatnik movement had a great effect on the lives of American teenagers at the time. On the onslaught of the Vietnam war in 1965 the Hippies became an established social group, Along with the New Left and the American Civil Rights Movement. The movement eventually expanded to other countries, spreading as far as the United Kingdom and Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, and Brazil. The hippie ethos influenced The Beatles and others in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, and they in turn influenced their American counterparts. The culture spread and had great influence worldwide through a fusion of rock music, folk, blues, psychedelic rock, literature, the dramatic arts, fashion, and the visual arts, including film, posters advertising rock concerts, and album covers. Hippies rejected established institutions, criticized middle class values, opposed nuclear weapons and the Vietnam War, embraced aspects of Eastern philosophy, celebrated sexual liberation, were often vegetarian and eco-friendly, promoted the use of psychedelic drugs which they believed expanded one’s consciousness, and created intentional communities or communes. The alternative arts, street theatre, folk music, and psychedelic rock was an intrinsic part of their lifestyle as it was their primary form of expression; i.e. their protests and their vision of the world and life. Hippies opposed political and social orthodoxy, choosing an ideology that favored love, peace and above all, personal freedom. On July 7th 1967 the Time magazine featured a cover story on the movement titled “The Hippies: The Philosophy of A Subculture”

33 where it described the guidelines to being a Hippie:”Do your own thing, wherever you have to do it and whenever you want. Drop out. Leave society as you have known it. Leave it utterly. Blow the mind of every straight person you can reach. Turn them on, if not to drugs, then to beauty, love, honesty, fun.” By the end of summer, The Haight-Ashbury scene began to deteriorate. The constant presence of the media brought about the end of the Hippie subculture. the district could not accommodate the droves of people flowing in and with no place to live many took to living on the streets. Problems concerning malnourishment, disease, drug use began to skyrocket as a result of which crime began to rise. By the end of 1967 all that was left were a few dropouts as most from the initial movement moved on in search of a more stable lifestyle. Somewhere along the line the very philosophy that drove the initial group of people to taking up this life got lost in the excitement of drugs and the sudden condemnation of most American ethics and morale. This did not however put a stop to the movement only dispersed into small pockets of people in and around the globe. By 1968 Hippie influenced fashion began to enter the mainstream especially for the youth and adults that came out of the “Baby Boomer” generation. Suddenly you had men with long hair, women in loose, ankle length kaftans and kids in tie dye t-shirts walking around. A style emerged from the “flower children” of early 1967 with girls opting for chunky jewelry and flowers adorning nearly everything. In August 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair took place in Bethel, New York, which for many, exemplified the best of hippie counterculture. Over 500,000 people arrived[55] to hear some of the most notable musicians and bands of the era, among them Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Carlos Santana, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix. Wavy Gravy’s Hog Farm provided security and attended to practical needs, and the hippie ideals of love and human fellowship seemed to have gained real-world expression.

MOODBOARDS 34

Having done the research I moved on to the visual aspect. Using the information I began to look for images and quotes that would go into my moodboards. After searching and collating the imagery I came up with three moodboards. On putting them together it was apparent that there were commonalities in terms of style and imagery thus giving my project an aesthetic with which I would take further into my garments.

SCREEN-PRINTING

The technique I chose was screen-printing. This technique would allow me to work with text as well as the lines one can expose on a screen can be very fine. On looking back at the research I decided to work using the “flower children” as my inspiration along with Brian Patten’s poetry on love. One of the key philosophies to the hippie counterculture was the idea of free love. The sexual revolution had begun and people were finally able to express their emotions freely. The Flower power revolution still holds a great influence on fashion and art in today’s world. It is usually associated with very curved lines and many blocks of bright and vibrant colour. I wanted to use this and give it a twist. The flowers were a symbol of love so I decided to work on different ways of laying them out etc. I chose Brian Patten’s poetry because his understanding of love in his poetry encompassed every aspect of it. The simple language and beautiful descriptions of the seemingly mundane and unimportant events that take place in a relationship make the reader understand what it actually means to love someone. Initially I started out making my floral prints look like they were made on a computer. It had a very vector feel to them. After speaking with my faculty and realizing that these weren’t working. I then started using more fluid and handmade flowers, combining them with the vector flowers so as to give it some sort of interest but those didn’t work either. I then went on to drawing out outlines of the flowers colouring some using basic lines and these seemed to have the effect that I wanted. Combined with the handwritten excerpts from Patten’s poems the prints came together quite nicely.

SPRING/SUMMER 2011 TRENDS

45 The term â&#x20AC;&#x153;trend analysisâ&#x20AC;? refers to the concept of collecting information and attempting to spot a pattern, or trend. Fashion trends usually start a year earlier with the more established designers on the runways. Trend analysers attend the shows and create trend reports based on what they see and come up with certain themes that commonly feature on the catwalk this is then handed down to design establishments that cater to a much larger population thus creating a trend

BLUE

Intense blues make a serious splash for spring/summer 2011. From bold cobalt hues to rippling silks and slippery satins, drenched in oceanic hues this colour flowed through all the collections. Designer brands like Arkis and Yves Saint Laurent used these shades so as to make it the go-to shade for carrying vibrant colour to the workplace. Brands like Burberry used shades of coral as a gorgeous accent shade to their clothing thus softening the impact of the powerful cobalt. Lively yet ladylike there is nothing this colour cant make fabulous.

TANGERINE

The zesty shades of orange give even the most ladylike looks a vibrant youthful flair. This seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival of colours just grows bolder and brighter bringing the heat back to summer. Most designers however, brought down the heat using a contrasting rich colour to temper the shade. A touch of turquoise, a dash of hot-pink or a flash of glossy gold did wonders. Not all collections had bold blocks of tangerine designers like Prada used the colour as a lush accent via bags, shoes and shades.

RAINBOW DAYS

The first thing that catches one eye in the spring/summer 2011 catwalks is the riot of colour, as beautifully rich jewel tones, worn in bold bocks of colour exploded across collections worldwide. It was a complete break from traditional colour wheel rules: blue plus green and red plus pink being the desirable combinations this season. One hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen designers embrace colour for the spring seasons as designer have now and It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the usual selection of designers either. Haider Ackermann tried teal and electric blue; Aquilano.Rimondi combined poppy citrus hues; And the master of understatements himself, Raf Simons, served up a riot at Jil Sander. The best part? As Simons so artfully demonstrated, brights look great with black.

CRAFT

The spring summer shows saw tassels at Gucci, Elie Tahari and Diesel, Feathers at Chanel and Nina Ricci and crochet at Dolce,somewhere between the classic and bohemian style lies an interesting new trend for spring/summer 2011. The season modern design meets age old crafting techniques such as crochet, macramé and appliqué combining beautifully to create detailed hand-crafted collections. This isn’t however a return to the boho trend set by Sienna Miller instead the detailed technique of plaiting, weaving and knotting create pieces which look beautifully handmade and rich in history and add depth and movement to the more glamorous pieces. While it’s been a constant to see the odd, small tassel on leather accessories like handbags and purses, we’re now seeing them prominently - oversized, extra long, brightly coloured or made to stand out in some way. And it’s no longer just handbags: for spring 2011 they’re on everything from shoes to dresses to belts and hats. It is interesting to note that the tassel is not just (as we all seem to associate it with) a furniture trimming; Tassels originated thousands of years ago being used primarily as symbols of status: Religious order and military rank being the two main fields. In the 16th and 17th century Passementerie or the art of tassel making was a thriving profession. No palace was complete without the ornate, handmade tassels hanging from the rich brocade curtains. Once the 20th century rolled around the corner moderation and minimalism became the new aesthetic thereby letting the rich opulent taste of the previous century fade away. Now, In a time of serious global instability we return to luxury; luxury as craftsmanship. The style maybe minimal but is the beautifully crafted object that is the focal point. When it comes to looking at a piece of tassel quality is the key, a well made tassel will always bring with it a certain sense of luxury and authenticity.

NUDE STUDY

The Fluid, figure-hugging fabrics in the softest, second-skin shades present a chic alternative to the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rainbow brights. The point of interest is the experiments with texture, for example: a featherweight chiffon combined with a silk jersey in head to toe tonal ensembles. The lighter nude tones add freshness and elegance to the wearer. There are also instances where the high gloss patented finish used by Richard Nicoll make nude feel new. You know this trend has taken the fashion world by storm because even designers like Alexander Wang gave up black to go with a few soft pastels combined with a white collection. Rick Owens joined the club as well with angles in pearl toned tunics and floor length skirts.

TRENDS IN SILHOUETTE 66

THE CAPRI PANT Skinny pant cuts may have dominated the fashion world for many years now but there have always been other styles coming and going around the edges. For spring 2011 we see the slim cut though not necessarily skin tight crop pants as one of the alternative looks mentioned above. It also provides an opportunity to gain a number of different looks based on this style. Apart from this the revival of 70’s fashion sees the reintroduction of the bellbottoms and the flares, the style of choice being the wide-leg pants. It as an elegant, stylish addition to the 2011 repertoire, particularly when styled right. Sophisticated yet relaxed, sharp and tailored with a mid to high waist: that’s how 2011’s wide-leg trouser sets itself apart. Perfect for masculine-inspired looks, be they very modern or very vintage.

Since the wide leg isn’t for everyone there is also the option of the Capri pant. There are several different cuts to the capri pant for 2011: Pants that are cropped only ever so slightly, to sit just above the ankle. The more traditional capri pants cut three-quarter, though in 2011 we’re seeing more cut just below the calf than the ones that are mid calf. CROP TOPS The styles on the spring 2011 runways have seen a vast ensemble of the version of the crop top, from the shortest to the smallest hints of skin there have been quite a few going around. For instance we have the elegant and sophisticated slit along the waistline of a dress turning into a two piece outfit showing only the slightest hints of skin. YSL and Chloe being the masters of this take. Showing off the toned midriff we had the sporty examples from Rag and Bone and Ohne Titel. These tops were usually paired with high waisted pants leaving us with quite a revealing result.

SHEER CLOTHING Sheer fabric seems to be one of the most popular trend starting in 2010 and carrying heartily on to 2011. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t however all about tight see through tops and dresses that border trashy. Designers are using sheer fabrics in many ways : Tight sheer pieces(Arkis), Layers and the more popular feminine draping(YSL and Jason Wu). The use of sheer through these SS 2011 collections is nothing short of sophisticated and chic. DRESSES This years runways carry their fresh Boehme chic further as we see a wide range of loose ankle length gowns. Designers and brands like Elie Saab, Versace and YSL use these long, lean silhouettes to ad to the fresh look that is SS 2011.

THE COLOUR PALETTE Once the different themes for the spring/summer collections were identified and the moodboards made I decided to choose ‘The Nude Study” as my foundation. I chose this because the colours and the lines had certain sophistication about them. The use of sheer fabrics combined with the clean lines of the garments made it ideal for resort wear. Using one of the moodboards made whilst working on the theme along with the one created for the “Nude Study” I worked out a colour palette. Once this was done I had all my foundation in place to begin the iterations for the final products. After a trip to commercial street i picked up different textures of silk and dyed it to some of the colours from the colour palatte. I stuck to the warmer shades to give it a feminine touch.

FASHION SURVEY 70

Since this collection was not Haute cotoure and had to be accessible to most women I formed a survey to get a btter sense of what women feel most comfortable wearing in the summer months. The second thing I needed to know was how much skin women feel comfortable showing and what parts of their body they want to conceal. Since this was a summer collection and would have to show skin I wanted to know what parts of a womans body I could flaunt at the same time make my client feel confident of her self. This would also help me figure out how to conceal parts of the body that women feel uncomfortable showing . Confidence and comfort were two key points when it came to designing my clothes. 200 women from the age group 25-35 took this survey. Once I put the answers in graph form I understood that from the survey taken most women like loose and flowy clothing. They are most comfortable exposiing their legs and back and they prefer basic tops when going out in summer. Most women liked the idea of wearing something over their tops so as to add character. On looking at the information and the styleboards etc. I decided to make a list of what kind of clothes would be a part of my collection. 1. Tops (Keeping in mind the fact that women like to flaunt their backs I would focus on making that interesting. 2. Loose jackets/ overshirts/ waistcoats etc 3. Harem pants/pyjama pants 4. A skirt/wrap 5.Stoles The tops and the jackets would work together to make a look. The collection needed to be a mix and match scenario where all of the overshirts/jackets would have some connection to each other.

What length of clothing do you prefer?

71 Above the knee(6â&#x20AC;? or so) Right under the butt Ankle length knee length

Are you into wearing lots of layers? one+waistcoat/jacket/shirt Yes, I think lots of layers add character No, I feel uncomfortable carrying around too many articles of clothing one+stole

72 on a beach what kind of tops would you prefer? When A tuinc A sleeveless top A halter A spaghetti A basic T-shirt

When you buy a swimsuit would you: Pick up one with a frill Buy a one piece Go for a bikini

What kind of bottoms would you choose during the summer months? Skirts Shorts Harem pants Pyjamas/loose parallels

When out for a party or on the beach what parts of your body do you want to conceal or are not happy flaunting? Bust/cleavage Stomach Hips Thighs

How fitting would you like your clothes to be? 74 Mix and macth(A tight tank paired with a pair of wide legged pants) Body Hugging Loose and flowy

How fussy do you like your clothes to be? I like working with Layers I like lots of colours I like to keep it simple, clean lines and interesting fabric I like lots odf detail sequins, embroidery etc.

What kind of accecories would you prefer to take to a beach or wear in the summer months?

75 Big bags Sunglasses Flip Flops A Hat Earrings/necklace A stole

What parts of your body are you comfortable flaunting? waist Back Legs Bust/cleavage

SILHOUETTE ITERATIONS

Using the Styleboards as my inspiration I began working on the silhouettes of my garments. I knew that I wanted my collection to have layers so I began working on layers within a single garment and creating layers with multiple garments. Keeping the use of transparencies in mind I drew out a number of clothes some with transparent elements and some using the sheer quality in jackets and wraps. Since I wanted accents of colour I began drawing out innerwear that was quite fitting. The sheer quality of the outerwear would tone down the colours leaving only small area in the front highlighted. The bright colour of the innerwear would also give the nude outwear shades a tint. At a project review my faculty mentioned that when working with layers I could use my print techniques to create them as well. I needed to push the envelope of using layers in the clichĂŠd sense and think of more ways to incorporate it in my clothing. After this I began cutting the patterns out from cloth and making samples. When on the mannequin I began adding, subtracting and tweaking the designs to make it look more interesting. Working on a mannequin helped a lot because I began to realise how to manipulate fabric. Pattern cutting was a new field for me so with the help of Sonia from Maria Rosa I began to understand the basics. I also began experimenting with basic geometric shapes, stitching them together into prospective garments.

WORK ON THE DRESS FORM

THE DRESS

MUSLIN ITERATIONS 84

The Dress took the longest to figure out primarily because I wanted it to be the main item in the collection. After a lot of trial and error I came up with using a simple rectangle as panels for the bottom of the dress keeping the top a well contructed bikini bustierre. This constructed top would give the dress a sophisticated feel while the bottom would make it feel more in tune with the season and the setting. I used the same concept for a jacket as well as a wrap around skirt. Using the technique on the wrap around skirt was a good idea because eventually one could wrap it around like a dress and it would still fall beautifully. When it came to making the more constructed inners i saught the help of Sonia(Currently heading Maria Rosa) Who helped me understand the basics of pattern making. She also made me realise that cutting and stitching a good pattern is far from easy. The muslin I used draped easily and looked great but when it came to working with the actualy fabrics I began facing certain difficulties. The silk draped differently thereby making my garment look like something else. I then started looking around for a more suitable fabric and found a very thin white silk. I dyed the fabric based on my colours and used that instead of regular silk. The good thing about this material also was that it seemed to breathe more thus making it the ideal fabric to wear out on summer nights. On my trips to commercial street I also found lace. The floral patterns on the fabric and the sheer quality of it made me think about using it for a jacket. The light easy breathing fabric showed more of the accent colours thus giving the clothes a more vibrant feel.

FINAL GARMENTS

THE END OF THE ROAD

Several meters of printed fabric, muslin samples, broken needles, bad reviews, good reviews and many rather large and loud tantrums later l had all my garments ready and cleaned for a final photoshoot. I first did one against a white background after which my faculty mentioned to me that I should probably do another in a setting where the clothes will probably be worn. They also pointed out that the models I use be of the age group I had decided to make these garments for. Thanks to Mallik, Shilo and a whole load of other very enthusiastic models we managed to put together a setting and shoot the clothes in it.

THE FINISHED GARMENTS

IN CONCLUSION

In designing this collection of garments I have attempted to achieve the expression of an idea through the use of textile techniques that required me to push myself to higher achievements. It has bee a long journey, but with it comes the realisation that having ideas isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough ; they must be accompanied by skills and techniques that allow us to express them to their fullest extent. I have treated my garments here as instruments to express an idea or a theme, but keeping in mind that garments are intended to be worn, to be comfortable, and to be affordable. Beauty is never a privileged domain; when we bring together cultures that influenced generations before us and continue to influence us today, we must not only do these cultures justice but also bring to them an understanding that is tempered by our perspective from this era. My generations experience of the 60s will always be retrospective, and consequently, we look back at an era that was itself looking forward, to a brighter future. In choosing subdued hues, in choosing nude silhouttes, I am looking into the 60s but also looking through them, into who we are now and how far weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come from then.

100

101

102

103

104

105

BIBLIOGRAPHY

106

Deviantart.com

The Mersey sound

vogue.com/trends

Patternmaking for Fashion Design (3rd Edition) by Helen Joseph Armstrong

www.swide.com vogue.co.uk/Fashion/trends style.com

Fashion Design by Sue Jenkins Jones Fabric Refference by Mary Humphrey

fashionising.com Tanya Braukamper felifashion.blogspot.com

The year the sixties began Joshua Zeitz The literature of Exhaustion John Barth

fashiontrendsetter.com the article â&#x20AC;&#x153;Life, Love, Death and Poetry in the work of Brian Pattenâ&#x20AC;? by Radhika Lakshmi

The necrophiliacs-A Study of the Revolution in English Life In The Fifties and Sixties, Gambit Incorporated, London, 1970 Christopher Booker

cappychino.deviantart.com Wikepedia.org generationdynamics.com poemhunter.com

107