Embellishing with hardware fixtures

These images show a variety of the embellishment samples that i have created. I used items such as nuts, bolts, washers and hinges, all varying in size.

I considered how I could use placement and repetition to create patterns with these pieces of metal and it resulted in many of the samples being repeat patterns that could be applied to clothing in my collection.

However the samples are quite heavy even when small so perhaps it would be impractical to cover a whole garment in this detailing and I may decide to use this on the trims of garments or as mentioned in the previous post, as a coating on a hem to contrast agains any other fabrics that I might use.

I quite like the idea of using these quite harsh metal fittings alongside lighter fabrics and perhaps with sheer fabrics. I feel that this would perhaps work well with a softer colour palette of pastels and powdery colours.

S/S 14 trend- Coated Hems.

 According to top trend forcaster WGSN, an upcoming trend for the following season is for hems to be in a contrasting colour, fabric or have detailing on them, setting them apart from the rest of the garment.

The image, left, shows a red sheer dress with a contrasting metallic pinky purple leather trim.

I feel that this could be a trend that I might follow when considering my own collection. I have already began to develop embellishment samples using hardware products and feel that this may be an appropriate place to put them.

I also feel that I could follow the trend in applying the metallic colours from the hardware fixtures and fittings along the bottom if I decide against applying the embellishment.

I feel that adding a flash of accenting colour to a more reserved and plain garment may help to make it look more high end and would add a feeling of expense to the outfit on the whole.

Shop task research trend boards.

For the shopping task exercise, I decided to create two boards clearly showing the trends that I had identified whilst in the high street and high end stores.

I found that an upcoming trend appeared to be a luxurious approach to sportswear. This has clearly filtered down from the upmarket designer level from fashion houses such as Jonathan Saunders, Stella McCartney, Michael Kors and others and has then gone on to influence the high street, from topshop through to H&M.

You can also see from the board that Maison Martin Margiela's latest high street collaboration with H&M has allowed the designer's take on 'Sport-Luxe' to be obtainable to those with less disposable income.

Another emerging trend on the catwalks this season was Monochrome. Black and white were key in collections by Lanvin, Jil Sander, Victoria Beckham, Haider Ackermann and many of the other top end designers.

This trend could then be seen in high street stores such as Zara and Topshop, featuring in everything from footwear, right through to coats and outerwear. Similarly, upmarket high street brand The Kooples had many pieces of black clothing, hallmarked with black detailing in a contrasting fabric.

Thermochromic paint

 Fashion design collaboration Avzeveno and Florence recently revived a 90's trend of using thermochromic fabric dye.

They developed simple vests and scarves etc that change colour when exposed to heat. A slight touch can mean that the dye will change colour and leave a hand print or an arm mark on the vest.

 
Critics feel that it is a "fad fashion" trend and that it will only be a short lived craze, but I think it would link in nicely with the work that I want to create. So I would like to find some fabric dye or thermochromic paint to use within my sketchbook, larger pieces and to test on garments that I will either purchase or learn to pattern cut myself.

As well as the more high end designers using this special heat reactive dye, high street store American Apparel have made a more affordable range of teeshirts too (see below)

Fashion with handprints

Fine artist Yoko Ono has created a conceptual range of menswear clothing featuring a handprint on the crotch of the trousers. This links to an idea I've had of my own.

I want to take a series of photographs or make a short film of me or a model wearing a white shirt. I want to then have the hands of the subject covered in paint and then ask them (or myself) to remove the shirt. This would then show the way that you use your hands on the body when dressing and undressing yourself and would leave interesting marks on certain parts of the garment. This could then be worked into using new colours and the embellishment idea. I'm SUPER excited by the entire process and I can't wait to put all these new ideas into practice.

Comme Des Garcons A/W 07/08 collection consisted of garments that had gloves attached to them in unusual and unexpected places.

This could also be a good indication as to where people place their hands on their bodies when wearing particular garments. For example in this image (left) the hands may be placed on the hips of the skirt and the button stands across the shirts.

I think this is another interesting take on mapping where hands could have been whilst dressing and undressing etc.

I also like the white on white colour pallete.

thermal imaging

I have had an idea! If I can acquire a thermal imaging camera, I would show exactly where the hands of the person opening the door would be.

I'm beginning to think that they are far too expensive to buy so hiring one may be a better option of me.

However, with any luck, they'll be an iPhone app that does the same thing for a small cost and with any luck would be free.

I think that this would be amazing for what I want to look at. As well as it showing where the person has interacted with the door, it could also provide me with an interesting colour palette, ranging from blues and greens, right through to hot pinks, oranges and reds.

Choi Jeong Hwa

I wanted to look at more contextual links to my theme. The "doors" theme seems to be quite broad so I wanted to cover as many bases as possible.

This particular take on doors features an installation piece by the Chinese artist. The construction of this means that it appears that a full building has been created just from brightly coloured doors.

I think the installation take on doors is very interesting. I'm thinking of carrying out processes that could be used as a piece of conceptual art within a gallery setting so it is highly important to look at artists that are relevant and work in a similar way.

I also like this piece called "Wish". The large scale is something that I may be interested in working in and I think the challenge would be something that I do have the brain for. I enjoy planning, measuring and precision which I feel would put me in good stead for creating a larger scale piece.

I like the use of brightly coloured fabric that is juxtaposed against the rigidity and solidness of the buildings that they are draped against.

Rianna Phillips- Embellishment.

When shown the slideshow at the beginning of our time in TD4F, I was drawn to this heavily embellished piece by Rianna Phillips.

I had already had an idea to embellish some fabric using parts and attachments that could be found on doors such as hinges, screws, locks and keys etc.

I feel as though it would be good to sample some of this as the key theme throughout this unit is Sampling. I'm going to travel to a hardware shop, pick out some fixtures that I find interesting and try and incorporate them into some fabric in an interesting way. They may even be useful as fastenings on garments.

Fashion drawing

I decided to try my hand at fashion illustration whilst sticking to a theme and knowing the fabrics that were being used.

My boyfriend is in the final year of his Fashion degree and I decided to look at his sketchbook and selections of fabric and knowing the theme he was using allowed me to create my own designs.

The theme was body distortion through shadows. I decided to look at high waisted trousers to give the impression of longer legs, teamed with a cropped shirt. Similarly I decided a high waisted skirt alongside a turtle neck gives the impression of a longer body overall.

I also tried to make my garments have button stands on different angles instead of the typical vertical button stands that would be found on conventional garments. I felt that using promarkers would be a good way to indicate colour.

Documentary drawing

I also decided to do quite a traditional drawing, documenting a gift that was given to me by my boyfriend at Christmas. I wanted to look at the specific amount of links in the bracelet and draw them as accurately as I could.

I used a very sharp pencil to draw it, keeping it as sharp as possible to get the perfect amount of detail in. I wanted to ensure that the links, clasp and small charm were captured.


I like to spend quite a while on a drawing to try and capture the detail. Alternatively, I also like to draw quickly and and capture the mood of the subject rather than drawing the exact amount or exact size of the object/thing in question.

Drawing doors

I've decided to base the beginning of my project on doors. I find them so interesting and you can get so much Data from them. You can look at the colours of the doors, the condition of them, the types of handles, hinges, numbers and knockers etc.

I decided to look at these through my drawing, drawing the handles and locks and decaying paint of some back alley doors. I decided to stick to quite a loose style of drawing, using pencil, pen and white charcoal.

I particularly like the handle and the hinge of the drawings.

I also want to look at how people touch and knock on doors. I think it might be interesting to see how people interact with doors. I am trying to think of a way that the interaction of people with doors could be recorded, perhaps through paint being on the hands of the person knocking.

Limited time drawing

Over the christmas period, It was required that we were to do a drawing a day. I decided to draw from photographs that were taken on my mobile phone over christmas.

My phone screen locks it's self after about a minute so I decided that this was the amount of time I could spend on each part of the drawing.

This meant that I was then left with a series of half drawn faces that work quite well together as a whole piece. There are pictures of family members and loved ones, as well as my own face and my uncle's cat. It was to try and sum up my time over christmas through drawing and I think it is one of most successful drawings out of the 30 drawn over christmas.

Mary Katrantzou Competition entry

I decided to complete my competition entry using my new set of promarkers. I initially drew out a silhouette from a fashion advert in Elle Magazine. I then decided that I wanted to use the "powdry dress" by Mary Katrantzou, teamed with a jumper of hers. I decided to put this with the Antelope shoes by Alexander McQueen and then thought that the purple in the dress could be highlighted by teaming it with a solid Amethyst clutch bag by Chanel and accessoried with Mary Katrantzou's pencilcage scarf, tied in a high bun.

 

I think that it is quite a successful drawing. I kept my mark making quite loose and applied colour evenly with a selection of promarkers.

Design Council- What is Design?

To me, Design is an important process that requires you to take ideas from your mind and transform them into tangible, visible objects or drawings that will propose your new idea.

It is all around us and it is undeniably one of the most important and often uncosidered industries, which is quite humourous seems as the very chair that I am sat at and the keyboard that I am have been designed. Features such as the shape of the back of this chair have been painstakingly researched and studied anthropometrically to ensure optimum comfort and yet it wouldn't be widely considered as a designed product.

Even though design is all around us, designers take a unique approach to how they would like to convey their ideas. Some may begin with looking at the work of others, which can be highly important in discovering what the market already has to offer, what works, what is popular and why. It also allows you to decide what materials are widely used within your target market as well as looking for new and innovative materials/product ideas that have yet to hit the market, allowing you to fill a newly identified gap.

Some designers may begin with drawing. Drawing is such an important way of communicating your ideas to manufacturers and fellow designers. Fashion designers use the aid of illustrations and flats when designing in order to determine what they would like their new garment to look like. On the technical side, they use flats and technical drawings to allow a manufacturing techinician to see how the garment will be put together and created.

I find that designing is a time consuming process and inspiration can be drawn from absolutely anything that inspires you. Projects can begin with looking at something so far removed from the product that is designed, but I think that this is one of the most interesting aspects of design.

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/What-design-is-and-why-it-matters/