Surface Decoration Idea Development

After feed back from my peers regarding the skirt and dress I've created using my textural materials it was suggested that bringing in a pattern as surface decoration would strengthen my designs.

After discussing the idea with my tutors I suggested creating the pattern from the textural materials and screen printing the it on to the chiffon voile and the faux suede to create a suggestion of texture on the flatter fabrics. 

After scanning in and editing the images on photoshop the patterns where put onto screen to be printed from. 

Before printing the patterns onto my fabric I mixed up two colours in different shades to see what would compliment the my less textural fabrics. Personally the pale grey was my favourite as it didn't stand out too much against the fabric linking with the idea of suggestion of texture.

The prints of the textures ties in with the development of my concept for the winter collection without solely using textural fabrics. This means I can use less of the textual fabrics in my designs and that should make the areas of textures more predominate in my designs. 

Development Garments

Using my chosen fabrics I have designed several garments for development pieces before my final designed collection. 

When designing the development pieces I have taken inspiration from my early sketch book work to get the structure within the garments, while also using a relaxed shape that reflects my research of Hiroko Koshino and asymmetric shape from Comme Des Garçons designs.

Using a panel pattern skirt I created a toile from cotton calico before shaping the skirt as in the design to use the toile pieces as a pattern. 

To break up the textures within skirt each fur panel connected to a suede panel. This makes the textural fabrics more defined within the garment. 

Using the textural fabrics against the lighter weight suede was a problem because the suede struggled to lie flat in the seam however after loosening the tension on the industrial sewing machines meant that the suede wasn't bunched in the seams.

In the centre back of the skirt skirt I have put a invisible zip but for the zip to open and close with out trapping the pile of the fabric I had to cut the fur at the seam without cutting too much so the seam became noticeable.

After taking the pattern from a existing relaxed shaped garment and altering to incorporate the design elements such as the zip, deep v neckline and lower back seam. 

When cutting the pattern from my chosen materials it became clear that the I didn't have enough amount of suede needed for the back point, however the garment is long enough to alter to incorporate the design feature in a lesser angle then was desired. 

Both garments need to be finished, a lining inserted, seams neatened and a final press before completed. 

Fabric Choices

Looking back at my research of the folklore tale of Yuki-onna (snow woman) to gain inspiration for my colour scheme. I want to use very pale colours to represent the elements associated with the winter setting such as the coldness and the snow. In the different versions of the tale Yuki-onna is depicted naked or in a white kimono so I could represent this in a sheer fabrics such as voile or chiffons.

After discussing the developing concept with my tutor, it was agreed that the combination of heavy fabrics along with the lighter weight fabrics to give the warmth that is desired in winter clothing would help develop my idea to a concept. 

The suggestion of the use of really traditional winter fabrics like furs and suedes (only faux) and textural fabrics to establish the concept was mutually agreed upon and would have a clear link to the winter environment of the tale.

Experimentation Garment Construction using Displacement Pattern Cutting

In Julien Robert's Subtraction Cutting guide he demostrates different techniques to produce garments. Using the pattern cutting technique called displacement I have created the experimental garment shown below.

 

After drafting a basic bodice, front and back, the pattern is drawn onto the fabric connecting the bottom seams together, cut and sewn to make an asymmetric dress. The construction method is rather simple and drape achieved through this technique creates interesting shapes without being very time consuming. 

The irregular shape created by the displacement technique reminds me of Comme des Garçons' designs.

Very little of the actual material used is wasted compared to a more traditional pattern cutting technique how ever after completing the sample garment it is clear that much more fabric would be needed to produce a final garment.

This approach to garment construction is a contrast to my pervious work by the relaxed style and shape. 

To try and contain a little more structural shape to the dress I decided to add diamond darts to the front.

However I dislike the the final outcome because I feel that the garment doesn't flow as nicely and has lost appeal by the addition of the darts with the loss of the natural unstructured drape. 

For future designs I could potentially bring in elements of subtraction cutting to give my designs a unique edge but with the amount of fabric needed to create a full finished dress is not feasible and personally I would prefer a little more of a tailored shaped.

Tutor feedback - Sally Taylor

Today I had a chat with Sally Taylor a fine art, drawing and contextual studies tutor about my work how my ideas had developed to my concept and how the links to my research.

After seeing my deconstructed suit I explained how I wanted to combine the traditional techniques of tailoring with the rather new pattern cutting method of subtraction cutting. Sally suggest that mixing the two contrasting pattern cutting ideas might not make a balanced garment. She advised that I could alternately create an outfit that combines the methods in a more balanced manner but to still experiment with combining the two methods so see what happens.

We also talked about how I was going to link my future outcomes with my theme of of the Japanese culture. After looking at my research of the folk law tale of the Snow Woman and the different versions I explained that my colour pallet and fabric choices where decided from the one of the version of the tale where the spirt of the snow woman entices travellers to their deaths but spares the some of the young and beautiful. In the the versions of the tale the spirt appears either naked or in a white kimono and from this I want to use white or a pale colour, light weight fabric that is slightly transparent. I want to use a lightweight fabric to represent the flowyness of the snow and a white or pale slightly transparent fabric because of what she is described as wearing/not wearing. 

Sally asked me if I had every read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or seen the film and how I could take elements from the story like the the sale of the main character's (Chiyo Sakamoto) "mizuage" - the coming-of-age ceremony for an apprentice Geisha where wealthy buyers to bid on her virginity so the apprentice could become a full Geisha. 

In the book Chiyo Sakamoto presents prospective bidders ekubo (a sweetened rice cake) to prospective buyer to signify it is her time for mizuage. 

“Mameha went to a confectioner’s shop that same week and ordered on my behalf a kind of sweet-rice cake we call ekubo, which is the Japanese word for dimple. We call them ekubo because they have a dimple in the top with a tiny red circle in the center; some people think they look very suggestive.”


“Please accept these ekubo, Doctor,” I said, and after bowing, placed the package on a side table near his hand.”

Excerpt From: Arthur Golden. “Memoirs of a Geisha.” 

I like the idea of models carrying ekubo on the catwalk or in a photography shoot, wearing my garments because it is a strong link to the Japanese culture.

The details of the mizuage ceremony are not in the film so unless people had read the book or knew about the culture the presence of the rice cake would not be understood but I like the idea of the mystery behind this element.

Tailored Suit Deconstruction

After a one to one with Jo concerning what universities I want to apply to and what I would like to do we decided that my work should try and incorporate tailoring into what I am doing now because of me applying for Bespoke Tailoring at London College of Fashion.


So at lunch I went around some charity shops in town looking for a cheap tailored jacked to use in my work.

I deconstructed the jacket so I can see all the different aspects and pattern pieces that go in to final jacket. 

Looking at the suit after experimenting with subtraction cutting technique, the two ways to produce garments are very different; one is very structured and planned where as the other if not vigorously documented may never be able to be created again, making it each garment unique. 

I want to try and combine both pattern cutting approaches, either mixing the two ways in a single garment or creating separate garments, each using a different pattern cutting technique for an overall outfit. 

Experimentation - Subtraction cutting - The 'Tunnel' Technique

Toady I experimented with two techniques of subtraction cutting demonstrated in Julian Roberts' 'Free Cutting'. 

He calls the two techniques the 'Tunnel' and the 'Plug' techniques.     

The 'Tunnel' Technique

Using any round object to hand (in this case an empty coffee cup) to create the holes to be sewn together internally to create a obscure tunnel for an object, like the body, to travel through. 

The first sample I created I only cut two holes in the fabric keeping the fabric flat and with to twisting it to get my head around how it worked.

In the second sample I 

subtracted more of the fabric and twisted the fabric to see what textures, shapes, the way it drapes

To best demonstrate how the tunnel technique manipulates fabric is with it on a object or body part. This shows how 'subtracting' fabric and sewing the holes together causes a mass of fabric that falls and drapes naturally. By subtracting the fabric in this way you create lots of interlinked layers from one piece of fabric. 

I think small aspects of a garment using this technique, like a sleeve or a collar would give a garment a new edge whereas using this technique in all of a garment might be too over powering for the style of collection I have in mind making the clothing less elegant and I might struggle to reflect my concept  that is still developing through my research.