Final Outcome Images

 

Evaluation

My final outcome is a futuristic bralette, suspender belt and collar set. I based my outcome on a more sci-fi sort of theme, and it has a simplistic, modern colour palette of sliver and white. I wanted to stick to this colour palette as I felt that this would give off a more futuristic feel than if I were to incorporate some brighter colours.  I took my inspiration for this from modern architecture, particularly shiny metal buildings with interesting shapes and architectural details. For my outcome, I used a number  of techniques, and stuck to these throughout, adding them into each part of my outcome. I used a technique where I would slash into foiled PVC and twist the cut strips over and stitch them down, to get a laddered, twisted effect. I used this on all three parts of my outcome, the bralette, suspender belt and the collar. I also used a simple straight stitch technique, trapping white organza between two pieces of PVC and stitching white stripes into it vertically, I also incorporated this into every part of my outcome. On the side panels of both my bralette and suspender belt, I pin pleated organza and foiled it for a glittering quality, to tie it into the foiled PVC parts of my outcome. I used free machine embroidery and ruffled organza on the bralette cups, I stitched into PVC and silver lame in a triangular pattern inspired by an image I found of a modern building with triangular windows. I pleated and foiled PVC for some parts of my outcome, including my suspender belt straps and my collar.

For my outcome I used only PVC, silver lame, and white organza. I used these fabrics for their contrasting qualities and textures. For example, PVC is a very sturdy material, and added structure to my outcome, whereas organza is a very light, delicate fabric. This added a softer part to my outcome, which balanced out the stiffness of the PVC. I feel that my use of such different, contrasting fabrics made my outcome work well altogether, and gave it balance and impact. However, to improve my use of fabrics I could have used a wider range of materials. For example I could have used white net in my work, which could have added a futuristic, mesh-like quality to my work in areas.

I really like my final outcome, because I feel that I have achieved my intentions. I wanted my outcome to feel like something from the future, and I think due to the techniques, colour palette and materials I have used, that I have achieved this. I also like how some of the more simplistic parts of my outcome, like the free machine embroidery and the straight stitch areas, still have a lot of impact due to the contrast in fabrics. For example, I feel that the straight stitch areas have their impact because of my use of sheer white organza, which contrasts greatly with the more solid colour of the foiled PVC slash/twist areas.

I feel that the most successful part of my project was my ability to think outside the box with my research and designing process. When I first started this project, I had no idea that I would ever be creating a sci-fi themed outcome, and I feel that thanks to my research into certain designers such as Viktor and Rolf, Iris Van Herpen and Maya Hansen, I was better able to come up with a totally unique, out-there outcome. By looking at more extravagant, theatrical designers, I was able to open my mind and eventually latch onto an interesting concept, and I feel that this helped my project become successful.

I think that the least successful part of my project was probably the fact that I was drawn to the futuristic concept quite early on. While this helped my project to run smoothly, and helped me keep on top of my work, especially in the later points in the project, it would have been nice to explore some other concepts. If I were to do this project again, I probably would spend more time exploring different concepts and techniques. For example, the Dolce and Gabbana Byzantine inspired bralette I made was an extremely fun part of the project and I would have liked to explore the religious imagery based collection more, and maybe have made a full mini outcome from it. I feel it would have benefited me to explore some other ideas in more depth.

Throughout the course of my project, I looked at many designers. The main designers I looked at were; Issey Miyake, Gareth Pugh, Alexandra Verschueren, Chanel, Viktor and Rolf, Yu Ping Lin, Claire Fitzjohn, Stephanie McDonald Walker, Nathan Pass, Iris Van Herpen, Alexander McQueen, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Givenchy, Dolce and Gabbana, Maya Hansen and Jean Paul Gaultier. The most influential of these designers, who's work made the most impact on my final outcome, were Viktor and Rolf, Maya Hansen and Iris Van Herpen. Viktor and Rolf's work, especially the first collection I looked at early on in the project, is often very futuristic and uses reflective, silver materials. This is one of the main inspirations for the theme of my outcome, and my eventual colour palette. I think Viktor and Rolf's work planted the seeds at the very start of the project, that grew into my final outcome with the help of additional research into other designers. Iris Van Herpen was also a huge influence throughout my project, especially during the creation of my final piece, with her slashing, twisting and folding of fabric. I found her work very inspiring. Maya Hansen was a designer I looked at later on in the project, and I feel that her work was what finally allowed me to settle on a futuristic theme for my work, with her extreme, theatrical, modern garments that I found to be extremely eye catching, and immediately inspired me.

Word Count: 992 

The Making Of My Final Outcome

Whilst making my final outcome, there were a number of things I needed to change from initial plan. These changes were both a result of personal preference (changes to my final design) and for technical reasons (changes to the pattern). For my final outcome, I decided to make a bralette that had a very futuristic theme, and I would make a suspender belt and a collar to match. An example of a change that had to be made during the development of my final outcome, was the suspender belt pattern. Whilst designing my outcome, I had settled on a suspender belt design that meant I would need to have three panels on both the front and back parts of the suspender belt. The pattern I used only had two panels for the back and one panel for the front, this meant that I needed to reshape and adjust the pattern in order to let me carry on making my outcome as planned. Below are images of the pattern that I ended up using to create my suspender belt, after my adjustments had been made.

Another change I decided to make whilst creating my outcome was purely aesthetic. In my initial designs, I had planned to create a collar that was completely made out of foiled PVC pleats, layered up and stitched together closely to give my collar volume. However, once I had actually reached the point of making the collar, I felt that this would be quite a plain garment in comparison to the rest of my outcome, and I believed I could create something better that would match both my bralette and suspender belt much more. Here is the collar that I created instead, it takes aspects from all areas of my outcome, rather than just using one technique like I had originally planned.

Word Count: 305

Refining My Ideas

Futuristic designers have been something that I have enjoyed looking at during many points in this project, I feel that I have been drawn to the more sci-fi side of architecture-like fashion. For example, when looking at the work of Viktor & Rolf, I was immediately drawn to the more out there, futuristic collections such as the Autumn/Winter 2011/12 ready to wear collection (http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2011/ready-to-wear/viktor-and-rolf). This collection features a very simple colour palette, and I was particularly drawn to the silver pieces, as I felt that these had the most impact.

Whilst experimenting with the bralette pattern, I decided to look into the work of Maya Hansen (http://mayahansen.com/). Her futuristic designs inspired me to create one half of a bralette which incorporated PVC, silver lamé and white organza. I used machine embroidery in a triangle pattern on the cup which was made out of PVC and organza, to which I added an organza gather on the edge to give it an attractive finish. The bottom two pattern panels were decorated with simple straight stitch stripes on PVC and lamé. The final mini outcome has an interesting futuristic, almost sci-fi quality that doesn’t look out of place when put beside the work of Maya Hansen. I really like this sci-fi look, and I would like to explore this theme a little more as I feel it has a lot of potential to inspire my final outcome.

I feel that the prior mentioned Viktor & Rolf collection in particular has inspired me a lot, in conjunction with Maya Hansen, to go down a more theatrical, sci-fi route. For my final outcome, I think I would like to use a very simple colour palette, using only silver and white, and I will give impact to my work by picking the techniques I use very carefully. I definitely would like to create a full bralette as part of my outcome, as I feel my previous experimentation with the pattern has been hugely successful.

Word Count: 328

Initial Ideas: Mini Outcomes

I began to develop the ideas I derived from looking at other designers into mini outcomes. Looking at the work of Nathan Pass encouraged me to use simple shapes to create interesting samples, and I was particularly inspired by his use of triangles, and how he layers them together to create all sorts of unique collars and accessories. I focused on stitching squares that had been folded into triangles in rows to create long strips. This then gave me the idea to combine these strips together to add both structure and texture to the sample, a concept which led to the spine accessory mini outcome I made. I used a combination of PVC and denim in my ‘spine’, and left hanging threads in pink, yellow and blue to give a bright and eye-catching appearance.

As the project progressed, I began to move towards a more contour fashion based theme. I first of all started looking at 1920’s brassier pattern, to get me used to the very constructed nature of contour garments such as bras. After looking at Emilio Pucci’s (http://home.emiliopucci.com/) black, lace-like, floral garments, I was inspired to create a brassier with a similar design. I trapped a piece of black net between two pieces of PVC and free machine embroidered a black, floral pattern before constructing the full garment.

In keeping with the contour theme I had recently explored, I began to look at the work of Dolce & Gabbana (http://www.dolcegabbana.com/) to inspire the design for a more complex piece. Their Byzantine collection influenced me to create a bralette that incorporates religious imagery. I printed out an image of a religious mosaic, similar to those found in Dolce and Gabbana’s collection, onto iron transfer paper. I ironed the image onto a piece of calico and used it to create the bottom half of my bralette. The cup of my bralette was made out of net, which I stitched and beaded into, then stitched two pleats onto the top edge, one in net and one with the leftover image transfer. I am very pleased with how this first attempt at making a bralette turned out, and I am very keen to use this pattern again.

Word Count: 365

Initial Research

In order to help me generate ideas, I began to look at the work of some highly influential designers. I looked at a lot of designers who used various techniques to add texture and structure to their work, and I was particularly inspired by Petra Storrs’ (http://petrastorrs.com/) predominant use of a monochrome colour pallet, and also her use of shiny materials such as metal and PVC. Her work led me to create my own samples using PVC and foil, to add a reflective quality to my work which reminds me of modern, metal architecture.

I was also greatly influenced by Iris Van Herpen’s (http://www.irisvanherpen.com/) extremely decorative work, which incorporates techniques such as cutting and folding fabric in different ways to create some interesting textures and patterns. It was this observation of the work that led me to explore the technique of slashing into foiled vinyl, and twisting the resulting strips over and stitching them down to create a unique, ribbed appearance. I think these samples are extremely interesting and have an almost futuristic feel, especially when silver foil has been used.

Viktor & Rolf (http://www.viktor-rolf.com/) have a collection that I found to be extremely eye-catching. Thin, sheer fabric is layered up to create thick, bulky areas and is cut into in different shapes and angles. When applied to a garment such as a dress, the technique gives it an almost ‘impossible’ appearance, and it looks to be defying gravity itself by keeping its shape and not collapsing. I responded to the work by using organza in a number of ways to replicate the texture-filled nature of the collection. I pleated and pin-tucked layers of the sheer fabric, but I particularly enjoyed the effect that gathering it gave. I really love the fact that even a material as light and delicate as organza, when used in certain ways, can create samples that look extremely bold and vibrant.

Word Count: 316

The Brief: Architecture

When I was given my project title of Architecture, I was extremely eager to get started. I thought of all of the different types of architecture that are out there, and found ways to link them with textiles techniques. My first thoughts involved modern architecture, high sky scrapers and almost gravity defying buildings with unique and 'out there' shapes with awe inspiring designs. I thought about the use of metal and glass in architecture, and how this could translate into the use of shiny materials such as lamé, which could be combined with transparent PVC. I was also struck by the idea of using origami in my work, after looking at some particularly eye-catching buildings. I could make some unique shoulder pieces devised from bundles of origami cootie-catchers and pinwheels.

I then began to think more about older architecture, perhaps with more intricate details. I considered the beautiful engravings that can be found in older buildings such as churches and stately homes, and how these can be used to inspire some beautiful textiles outcomes. I could use vanishing muslin to create floral designs similar to those found in such engravings, and I could also use a cut away technique to cut intricate patterns out of stiff fabrics like interfacing. I could then work into the surface with stitch and beading. When looking at images of the beautiful architecture mentioned above, I was immediately thinking of the intricate patters and details I could incorporate into lingerie designs, for example in corsets and bra-lets. This idea intrigues me the most, as I often find that the most effective techniques are the small scale delicate ones that can be used in response to the impressive architecture of the past.

 Word Count: 286