Generating Fashion: Tutorial/ Sketchbook Update

From working on my toile earlier on in the week I was trying to work out how to make my individual components work as part of a functional garment.  

This has lead me to look into 1940s utility as part of my ongoing research. I have decided to make a jacket which incorporates the feature 'vertebrae' back detail that I have been experimenting with on the stand. This design combines my previous research into abstract form as I intend to manipulate and drape the fabric in a way that it falls in a distinctive protruding shape away from the body. I have chosen to make a jacket in reference to utility wear as it is a functional garment that aims to protect the wearer from the elements. The vertebrae shape references a sense of austerity and constriction but the use of excessive fabric required to create drape goes against some restrictions of fabric and garment construction of the time- i.e. limitations on about of fabric/buttons used.This is very much the opposite of the restrictions on fabric usage of the time but I feel that it is the juxtaposition of the two ideas that creates a deeper narrative for the piece.

From my Tutorial this week Sarah had suggested that I continue to research this but I need to fully exhaust this research by looking at more specific components such as pocket and to incorporate them into my design process.

Generating Fashion: Sketchbook/Tutorial Update

This week my task was to produce 20 designs in order to make a start on toiling for the final garment for this project. The designs I have produced so far have been inspired by my 'Macabre' research as well as drawings of beetles that I did last week from Manchester Museum. The idea behind this is that I am interested in the way beetles have a cocoon like outer shell that acts as a protective element for a soft inner core. From this I want to create a balance between constriction and protection. This is apparent in my designs as I have tried to play with the element of the stacked collar.

However, from my tutorial Sarah thought that I had not pushed my designs far enough and that they were too conservative. She suggested that I continue to explore shape and form so that my collection is more innovative and visually exciting. Guess its back to the drawing board!

Generating Fashion: Toile- First Stage

For this week's  pattern making workshop with Robin and Eleanor we had been asked to come up with 20 designs based on our research. This is because we are drawing closer to the end of our research phase and need to begin designing and making a toile for our final outcome.

Fortunately, Robin was happy with my designs so far and picked on that he felt could provide a good starting point. From this, I headed straight to a mannequin to try and bring this design to life. What was prominent about the chosen design as the stacked collar and draped detail on the front.  I have decided to push this further by introducing almost 'vertebrae-like'  repetitive folds to make a feature of the back of the garment. A design consideration with this is how to incorporate this into a functional garment and whether it is possible to push this further without overdoing it.

However, this early stage of  toiling has been pretty easy and enjoyable as so far I have been able to just play around with fabric to see how far I can push my idea without having to think too much about particulars of construction. 

Generating Fashion: Tutorial/ Sketchbook Update

I think that this week I have finally hit my stride in terms of research and I am starting to develop a theme. I have sought to elaborate on my research from Yorkshire sculpture park into abstract and irregular forms and begun to expand on this with research from other sculptors such as Giacometti. I am interested in these sculptors because of the way they use texture in their bronze works. I think I could explore this unevenness of texture further through fabric sourcing and sampling as it would provide a point of interest in my final garment.

Generating Fashion: First Cut Exhibition

This week, the Manchester School of Art held a formal evening reception for first year art students at the Manchester City Gallery. This was a chance for the Dean of the School of Art to formally introduce himself as well as an opportunity for us students to potentially mingle with the city’s ‘creative and cultural sector’.  As well as this, currently the gallery is hosting the First Cut, which was a relief as my networking skills are not quite up to scratch!

The exhibition invites 31 international artists who work specifically with paper to push their practice even further in order to create what were truly awe-inspiring works of art. On one end of the spectrum were controversially charged works such as the intricately detailed cutwork scenes by Kara Walker which depict a provocative narrative of African-American history. In contrast the sculptural piece entitled ‘Roil’ by Mia Pearlman appears to conjure the humble material out of its basic form into a majestic explosion that appears as though it has been frozen in time.

My favourite piece of the exhibition was definitely the miniature piece entitled ‘Fotocken’ by Sarah Bridgland. The artist works with found objects on a small scale as in this case she has used a found German photo corner-mounts box and embellished it with a microcosm of cut outs and pop-up imagery. I love her quirky style and her ability to breathe new life into the most mundane, discarded objects. In this way I think that the piece epitomises the spirit of the exhibition. 

Generating Fashion: Aitor Throup

I am a regular follower of the blog 'Who Killed Bambi' which is an online art community that promotes the work of emerging artists and designers. Generally, the work featured on the blog is geared towards an alternative genre which take conventional techniques within their field and push its boundaries. What they all have in common is their edgy, cool sense of aesthetic. This week I stumbled across an article about the contemporary menswear designer Aitor Throup.
 http://www.whokilledbambi.co.uk/2012/09/a-visit-to-aitor-throups-studio/

I am interested in this designers work because I feel that he challenges conventional shape and form to create silhouettes that carry a narrative of their own.

Generating Fashion: Violise Lunn- Paper Cut

Taking inspiration from classic garments exhibited in the costume museum, the artist's Pa-pier M ache dresses and shoes appear to be an eerie ghost-like impression of their rich and heavy counterparts. the objective of the first cut exhibition is to use paper to create an exciting piece of art and I feel that  Violise Lunn has achieved this as her hanging dresses have a delicate and haunting quality.

 The stark white shoes displayed at the staircase of Platt Hall have a vunerability to them as they appear so fragile that it is as though they would crumble at the merest of touch. Each piece has its own narrative, such as the ballet slippers that appear to be frozen in motion.

Similarly, the hanging dresses in the main part of the exhibition almost look ethereal in their starkness in contrast to the rich surroundings.

Here the use of transfer print to depict vertebrae is also striking as it subverts the notions of innocence and femininity we might associate with the dress. The result is a bit disturbing but intriguing as it allows us to indulge in the macabre.

Generating Fashion: The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair

This weekend, I ventured into the Spinningfields area of Manchester to pay a visit to the Great Northern Contemporary Crafts Fair. Boasting work from over 160 of the UKs leading designer makers it was a great opportunity to see firsthand some of the most cutting edge works in modern design.

As newbies to the craft fair circuit, we were welcomed with a vibrant and friendly atmosphere. As the fair was a chance for designers to showcase and sell their work, it meant that they were generally on hand to talk us through their work. Whilst I found that it was a bit difficult to catch their attention (as the fair was practically heaving with people by the time I got there), most of the designers I spoke to that day were willing to have a chat about their work.

For example, caught admiring her quirky ‘ceramic scribbles’ we were approached by Anne Laycock, an alumni of Manchester School of Art. Upon hearing that we were first year students, she was more than happy to talk us through her work and even gave us advice about what to do after we graduate.

Overall, I was surprised to find such a diverse range of crafts which varied from quirky recycled paper ornaments to helix-shaped wicker sculptures. As is my luck, I forgot to bring my digital camera on the day so I had to make do with my phone camera instead. Here are some of the pictures from the day, taken with the artist’s permission of course!