Action plan for year two

While putting together my presentation it’s allowed me to reflect of how far I’ve come this year. I didn’t realize quite how much I’d learnt compared to this time last year. I’ve made a few mistakes along the way but that’s only for me to learn from. I definitely need to learn to self edit, I tended to research far too much into a subject area, not letting me focus until later stages not allowing me enough time for development and construction- linking to me improving my time management and organization skills. I need to allow for mistakes to be made along with way, as this is the only way improvements can be made. I have had a successful and really enjoyable first year and hope to take this forward next year. I have gained a lot more influences as well as more awareness of the fashion industry professionally. I need to stop avoiding the hardest areas and tackle them first, the more I do it the easier it’s going to get in the future and more confident I’m going to be. I’m looking forward to next year and feel it’s going to be a natural progression into areas that suit my potential career direction. Pathway A will allow me to focus more and build on my personal interests and style, and I want to take advantage of the new skills within the modules. I hope to keep open minded to new approaches to fashion in developing personally becoming successful and employable. 

The 15 best pieces from the year

I have chosen these images as they include something from nearly all modules, with the largest content from the latest- showing a positive progression throughout the year. I feel they reflect my personal development and style of working including areas such as construction which I originally was unconfident with until recent research into Japanese pattern cutting. My modules have interconnected, taking what works and developing it further. I feel like they are all quite successful pieces as they cover a wide range of themes and styles, including research pages to final illustrations.

Picture 1: Elective

I really enjoyed my experimental drawing elective and this was one of the most successful pieces. It was based on research into book art and the idea of creating opposites. For example I have focused on bringing the inside of the book out as well as deforming the surface and shape of the structure.

Picture 2: Creative Design Practices

This is an example of design development from my most successful module so far. I learnt a lot in terms of suitability of fabric and construction types with the constrictions of market and season giving me a strong focus.

Picture 3: Fashion, Art and Culture

Fashion, Art and Culture was definitely one of my favourite modules of the year. This page demonstrates research and use of unusual materials in communicating my argument.

Picture 4: Interdisciplinary Processes 

This is an initial ideas sheet from the latest module. Through sampling I managed to generate shape ideas as well as making appropriate links to contemporary pattern cutting.

Picture 5: Interdisciplinary Processes

Here I was starting to develop an understanding for 3D sampling and applying this to the body. I explored padding as a good way to add volume and produced samples, which clearly communicated my theme.

Picture 6: Creative Design Practices final line up

I was quite pleased with my use of CAD here and communicating a brand identity. I really enjoyed the focused approach to this project and feel it pushed me in areas I hadn’t previously touched on fully.

Picture 7: Trendboard from Creative Design Practices

Researching into trends offered me a good chance to gain a better understanding of the cycle of fashion. I found this trendboard effective in terms of selection of images and appropriate use of spacing.

Picture 8: final illustration for Interdisciplinary Processes

My favourite illustration of the year. I started with a good idea of what I wanted to achieve and through a good use of media I feel I achieved it.

Picture 9: Ideas and development from Interdisciplinary Processes

At this stage I knew what shape I wanted to develop, to which I then explored into appropriateness of materials and really liked the idea of using chiffon padded pods. With contrasting internal materials it gave it something diverse and well linked to its theme.

Picture 10: Final image for Fashion, Art and Culture

With not much experience and photography I managed to clearly communicate my argument.

Picture 11: Interdisciplinary Processes

I am really interested in surface treatment and this module was a good opportunity to really explore it. Through flat pattern cutting I produced a bra base to add structure, to then apply muslin, modrock and latex to seal it and maintain movement to the garment. Through testing and referencing I managed to create something effective.

Picture 12: Side view from my final garment- Interdisciplinary Processes

I was quite pleased with this garment, with the side view showing my progression of integrating an arm hole and the central bra section. I tried to incorporate everything id learnt throughout the year.

Picture 13: Surface experiment from Interdisciplinary Processes

This was initial testing of the idea of creating uneven surfaces with reference to skin disease as pictured with the sample. I found modrock wouldn’t be suitable to apply to a garment on its own, latex would seal it and allow movement. I’m really interested in surface detail and liked the freedom within this project to try unusual materials.

Picture 14: Ideas sheet from Fashion, Art and Culture

I like this piece as it’s a good example of how to take a piece of research, apply it to my theme and developed it. Fashion, Art and Culture was a good opportunity to explore new approaches and communication skills.

Picture 15: Ideas sheet from Creative Design Practices

This was from the container culture element of the module. I feel I maintained quite a good focus through this module and this sheet demonstrates how I applied shapes to the body in reference to appropriate images and sampling. 

Reflections and PPD

Pathway choice;

The talk on the pathways was really helpful. I thought I was set on pathway A but through listening to what pathway B involved it sounded like it was worth a think about. Pathway A seemed like something I wouldn’t necessarily be as good at, which could maybe be a good thing. I would be able to challenge myself more and gain a better grounding in fashion as a whole. After a lot of thinking, I did eventually stick with pathway A. Even though bearing in mind what I said before I feel this pathway is eventually more the area I want to work in when I graduate. It seems a lot more creative with focus on what happens after the garment is produced. I feel this pathway offers more of a wide variation within the areas of the fashion industry. A high street market doesn’t appeal to me a huge amount and this is the main focus within pathway B. The innovative cut module in A will allow me to explore my creativity and push me with my pattern cutting which I am not that confident with at the moment. 

It’s time to start preparing my PPD presentation. The sunny weather hasn’t been helping the motivation and its not really an area im too confident in but its got to be done! I’ve been giving it a think and I want to make it as entertaining as possible but I’m a little wary of using humor- could terribly backfire! I need to think of a clear way to put across my points that by looking into the websites outlined in the brief commented on how filling the screen is effective. The slides need to be eye catching and visually pleasing while still not being too overcrowded so my points can be clearly communicated.  Another big element to my presentation is the time scale of five minutes. I need to structure the limit time on each slide and how quickly I need to put across my points.

The general structure is going to be in logical order of my work throughout the year. So clear contrasts can be made, to see how far I have come. I’m including good and bad points from throughout the year, so I can reflect and form an action plan for next year.

Overall I have really enjoyed my first year, its been challenging at times but that can be a good thing. I’ve pushed myself and have achieved some really good results. Its been a good step up from foundation, giving me more realization of the fashion world and what it takes to be successful in it. I have found my strengths in image making and generating ideas yet sometimes suffered editing my research down to focus on one area aswell as sometimes bringing my ideas to life in 3d form which I have improved on a lot throughout the modules. Its been useful to interconnect the modules, taking successful elements which help me develop my work in another. This was especially apparent in the interdisciplinary processes module.  I’ve definitely starting to find my own personal style of working which I want to improve and build on. I really enjoyed my elective, which was more of a fine art approach to working; I applied this to the following interdisciplinary module and found this really effective and expressive in generating new ideas.  My time management has improved throughout the year, through learning from previous mistakes. Although there is room for improvement! I’m going to try to prioritize things a bit more, writing lists and stop running away from the hardest parts. Tackling them first means there out the way, and if any problems there’s the freedom of time. Throughout the year completing the work throughout the year I feel I have a better understanding of what career direction I would like to head towards, even though I want to keep an open mind, as there are probably plenty of avenues I am just to look at. I want to focus on the imagery side of fashion, working in areas of promotion or styling. I’m really looking forward to helping out with the fashion show in a couple of weeks, I’m really interested in the production side of things and seeing how a theme can be translated into an overall package. 

Last time working with my third year

Thursday was such a manic day! Poor Becky was so ill from her all nighter trying to get all her work done, she had to keep running off every few minutes to be sick. I felt the only way to help her was to be there for anything she needed, I tried to take some kind of control and started finding some jobs for myself just so something was getting done.  She was really grateful for the help and I was so pleased it all came together in the end, her exhibition looked great. This was a good example of how being organized can really pay off, even though it all looked good she was in such a state and she even said she could have done better if she managed her time better.

I’ve learnt a lot from my time working with my third year, gaining a lot of insight about what it takes to produce a final major project. There’s so many elements and little details that need to be considered, I think I need to work on my organization skills before then! I really enjoyed being an assistant for someone, even though its sometimes hard. I felt I was working under more pressure, getting things done as quickly as possible. I find it harder letting someone else down then letting myself down. Throughout my last day I helped tracing patterns again, which throughout the weeks has helped me with my own project. Being inexperienced in pattern cutting, just handling them and seeing how they have come together in producing a final garment helped me gain a better understanding for construction.  I also helped with finishing touches to her sketchbook, collecting materials and helped prepare exhibition space. It was great to see everyone’s come together at the end, there was so much variation and I could see all the hard work that went into it. Was a good experience and well worth taking advantage of. 

One of Becky's labels for her collection:

Done and dusted

I was so relieved for the hand in today. Even though I had finished in reasonable time this time I was still stressing at the last minute trying to put everything together. Next year I may invest in an organizer! I have really enjoyed this project, it was great being given the freedom to do what I wanted allowing me to experiment with materials and approaches. Think I have learnt the most my far this project. It was a lot more intense than previous projects, but that was a good thing. It gave me a bit of a wake up and a good insight to the working style of next year. I’m a bit sad it’s the last project of first year, I’ve loved my first year even though its been hard in places I have really enjoyed it personally and professionally. Lets see what next year has in store!

Throughout this project I was really inspired by uneven surfaces from the research into deformity and disease. Though a range of cross disciplinary approaches I wanted to achieve something innovative and not essentially typically ‘pretty.’ I wanted to achieve the rawness and vulnerability of the subject matter. Again I could have edited down my research in order to gain a good focus for design development, as starting the development I felt a little stuck and overwhelmed by the volume of possible influences towards my final piece. I found the set tasks thoughout the last term really effective. These pushed me within a time scale to develop these ideas from 2 to 3d and back, creating something creative yet realistic in construction. I used my time effectively, finding that working under pressure works well. I suffered in translating my ideas into a pattern structure, which I hope to develop for next year.

Overall I liked the approach to this module, pushing my creativity in all areas developing my own responses.  Within construction, moulage worked better as my shape is varied from block patterns, it was easier to start from scratch comprehending the shape in 3D-although I did mix the two within problem solving. I found it productive to cross disciplines allowing for broader inspirations, giving me encouragement to do this in the future.

Although I do enjoy the garment development, I’m more interested in the stages after a garment has been produced; this is why I want to continue with pathway A.  Looking back over the year I feel I would be more productive in channeling my creativity in a wider range of visuals. I am particularly interested in communications and feel this pathway will offer me a better grounding of the fashion industry as a whole allowing me to translate my work as a package thus potentially becoming more employable.

FAD feedback

This was a nice surprise; I managed to get 72% for the Fashion, Art and Culture module. I was unsure on how well I would do, as it was quite a different approach to design work that I previously hadn’t touched very much on in the past. There was no target market or straightforward design development, purely investigating a contemporary subject area and linking it to events past and present coming to an informed argument. I did really enjoy this project, as it took on more of a fine art theoretical approach, which I hope in future will broaden my understanding of subject areas within fashion as a whole and opens my mind to possible influences for future work in the second year.

The written feedback included:

You have identified key areas in the brief, its evident that you clearly engaged and investigated a wealth of subject areas and imagery in order for you to fully develop your concept. The proposal and evaluation are coherent and articulate- the final outcome fully demonstrates the ideas behind your argument.

For further development of your work as a designer I would advise some form of editing of your research work

Research gathered from this project could be used in future projects for the development of your design work.

I definitely learnt a lot from this project and gained a better understanding of the link between fashion, art and culture, which I hope to develop next year. I do understand that I do need to self edit my research, as I found I have over researched some areas throughout the year. I need to focus on one area to fully explore it rather than trying to do everything at once. 

The last weekend begins

This weekend is going to be a busy one. Lots of finishing off to do, but I have roundabout finished by garment- only a couple of finishing touches to do. I'm impressed with my time management this time round, usually I'm running around everywhere at the last minute. Here's my final piece:

Side

The left side profile illustrates how i developed the con-caving feature from the back and repeated to an armhole- only on one side to achieve an uneven asymmetric silhouette. Only one shoulder is layered with padded pods, unevenly quilted together.

Front

The bra base allows for some smooth structure within the layers of uneven forms surrounded it on one side. Latex strips are used for definition between the pods. I didn't want to layer too much as this would soon get too heavy for the thin leatherette strap and base. 

Back

Playing with scale and repeat. Mixtures of denseness of materials gave a good contrast.

Final illustration: My inspiration for this was based on the idea of old freak show posters. How subjects with deformity of some irregularity were the focus of ridicule as well as fascination. They were branded and exploited as entertainment. This image illustrates this with the use of a central image, in a poster style format with appropriate typography. At the bottom are camera's and staring. I found this illustration effective with the appropriate use of materials communicating my final piece well, inspired by the work of Raoul Haussman.

Raoul Hausmann

Within my experimental drawing elective I touched on the work of Raoul Hausmann. I love his style of working; its quite abstract but still has a vintage quality to it. I’m thinking of using a similar style for my final illustration for this module. For my final illustration, I want to communicate an old freak show style poster in relation to how deformity was rejected in society. These examples below are a good interpretation of this.

A week left

I’ve definitely come along way in the last week or so. Things are finally coming together and im getting a clearer idea of what I want to achieve.  Due to the limit time left to develop and construct the garment, I want to translate my ideas into a top rather than a full dress. With all the ideas and techniques I want to use so far I feel this would also look too messy as a dress and feel a voluminous top and detailed top would work well with a simple slim leg.

Above are the padded pods i want to use for my final design. Padding is a easy and effective way to create volume. I want to use chiffon as the outer shell so the contents is visible- the chiffon acting as delicate skin linking to my theme of disease and deformity. I want to play with scale, placement and repeat with this motif, possibly applying to a neck or arm hole. The contents of the pods included dried lumps of modrock and balls of alternative colour chiffon. I feel the use of these materials gives a really good contrast. 
Above I have applied a combination of modrock, muslin to the side panels of the bra section of the garment. I have then sealed this with a latex coating to stop the modrock from flaking aswell as to return movement to the leatherette base. Latex allows for good stretch and movement as well looking like skin! the uneven texture of the modrock was to communicate uneven and damages skin found in some diseases. 

layering

Adding a center strap for support.

Only adding volume to one shoulder- asymmetric silhouette. Inserts of padding though underpockets of muslin. I have used a wrinkled pleating technique on the muslin for an uneven surface. 

Above I looked into varying the scale of one side of the bra base of my garment. I only intended on varying one side as I am aiming for an uneven asymmetric silhouette. This could possibly be effective if it was just simply the bra base i wanted to use, but i have to bare in mind the rest of the garment around this base. It could start to look a bit messy! My inspiration behind changes in scale was Maison Martin Margiela's 2000 collection which enlarged pieces by up to 200%. These unusual changes in scale reflect on the unusual growth of areas in deformity.

Maison Martin Margiela- Autumn Winter 2000-01

Above I experimented with the mixing of chiffon and latex. This latex I dried in a mold to give it its uneven appearance. I think this combination gives a great contrast- translating two variations of skin type. 

Above I have translated the structure into chiffon, and introduced the idea of using alternative interior materials. 

Looking at concaving structures. Here, with the help of researching into Japanese pattern cutting i created a con-caved and bulbous shape which I intend on applying to my final garment. I'm definitely becoming more comfortable with pattern cutting towards the end of the year. Previously I had a habit of running away from the idea of it, purely because I felt I was unable to do it well. The only way I'm going to improve it to keep doing it!

I love modrock! It gives a great uneven texture and good structure and shape. It's also a good match to the research picture next to it. Latex is coating the surface to seal it and give it much needed movement on the body. 

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Jean Paul Gaultier

Adding structure

So far, everything is looking a bit messy. I felt like structure needed to be added to my garment. I liked the idea of using a bra structure and was inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier's idea of underwear as outerwear. This can be linked to my theme of disease and deformity. Open wounds are sometimes a result of disease- being the inner becoming the outer. 

1990- Madonna's Blonde Ambition Tour

Hussein Chalayan

Echoform A/W 1999

I like the use of a padded structure around the neck

Cartesia A/W 1994

Looking at surface detail and uneven surfaces. Need to maintain movement on the body.

Detail

Christopher Kane

Spring Summer 2009

Contemporary collection, good examples of using flat circular shapes in variety of fabrics in repeat. All maintaining the same scale yet varying in volume of repetition. 

Developments

Moulaging- I attempted a full scale moulage using the techniques and shapes I had including in my research. It was successful but I feel there's a little too much going on, I should maybe only use one or two techniques and develop into a top or jacket rather than a dress. 

Keeping with asymmetric theme- need to think about suitable fabrics (can't be too heavy on one side)

Concaving and bulging shapes- uneven shape and surface

Third week with third year 

There's so much to think about at the moment, it was quite a nice break from my own work to come in and help today. Today I did some redrawing of her big patterns, sewing in labels and overlocking. It gives you an insight to how many small but significant details go into putting a collection together.

13th May

Today we were set another one day task- this time devising your own goals for the day. This was effective as I knew i had alot to do, and would focus me to a time to get it all done. The tasks had to be towards my final piece- from having a quick look around the room I could tell i was a little more behind than everyone else. It was time to get cracking. By 3:45pm today I set myself the goals of moulaging the shape of my final piece in calico, translating this into a paper pattern and combing it with flat pattern cutting for design details. Although I had a good design idea I still wasn't completely happy with it, I felt a bit frustrated and knew if I started moulaging what I'd already got I wouldn't be happy with it. I needed to backtrack a bit and do a bit of research to inspire me. This wasn't the best example of my time management skills, I needed to work fast if I wanted to get all this done in time. 

I did some research and came across my old favourite Comme des Garcons. The collections were great for inspiration in terms of shape and design details and fell nicely into what I was looking for. 

Comme des Garcons- Fall 2008

Making holes

volume at the sleeves

Lumps and bumps collection- Spring Summer 1997- love this!

love the use of sheer fabrics- delicate skin

Padded sections under sheer fabrics. Great way to create volume and uneven surface.

Fall 2004

Asymmetric shape and great surface detailing

Love the ruffles- great way of communicating uneven surfaces. Thinking about inserts of large amounts of fabric.