INDIA VISIT

 During christmas break, I felt so lucky to have time to explore the beautiful India. It was always been my dream to go to India so i was really excited when the time had finally come . I  was amazed to see how diverse the country was. Everything was so colourful and mesmerizing. I went during the festive season so the streets were lit up with bright colourful lights. The flea markets and i visited had so many wonderful hand-made art artcrafts to heavily embellished saris and other Indian garments. I had never seen so many colours and textiles in one place before.  I really admire the people of india how they stick to traditional methods like hand-emboidery embhelishments. Lot of saris had heavy beadwork and pigment foils to add shine to the material. I felt like being in a carnival festival.

  This trip has made me aware of the surroundings like the things that you may  inspire you for example ,you may get inspired by the way people dresses or colours you see . Techniques wise i am looking forward to produce samples using traditional indian techniques like fabric dying and lot of hand embroidery work i haven't experimented with. 

FASHION CONSTRUCTION

                                             shirt creation

Today we got introduced to fashion construction. Making garments is something i always had passion for so when we were set a task to make a shirt I couldn't be more excited . Truthfully speaking I had less knowledge about how garment are produced so i it was interesting to learn something from the beginning . I started from simple basic shirt design and designed it around a basic block pattern before then changing the style of the shirt i had in my mind. The shirt has a peter-pan shape collar, gathered short sleeves, two pockets at the middle front on the shirt and has a yolk on both the front and the back, buttoning up the centre with plain button and with a fabric of 94cm.  

  I documented each of my shirt making journey by photographing them however i must say i regret for not making effort by taking notes of my iPad . I am not to used to working on faster phase which made me lack motivation at one stage hence i struggled a lot.                     

POP ART

MEADHEM KIRCHOFF AND LOUISE GRAY

                                                MEADHEM KIRCHOFF

Meadham kirchoff 's autumn /winter 2010 was just beautiful and breathtaking to begin with. The collection had lot of bright magenta pink and intense red palette down the runway. The duo who are genius when it comes to fabric manipulation and are known to use bright coloured materials like chiffon and silk for instance. I loved how they used old french heritage as an influence. They also used lot of lace materials to create fringe which added feminine and romantic mood to their collection. 

          For this sample i used unconventional materials like yellow lace and multi coloured pop-pons over the pink chiffon fabric hugely inspired by their a/w 2010 collection. At first i was quite apprehensive about using pom-poms and laces as i didn't know if it will work together but to my surprise it actually look quite good and i liked the idea of not knowing what to expect as the result might turn out something unique. 

                                                      

                                                      

                                                           

                                                                                    LOUISE GRAY

                                                            

If there's one person you're going to test when it comes to putting multiple prints, pattern, appliqué, foiling , colour and collage together to make something oddly wearable its Louise Gray. Some people thinks her designs are crazy and unconventional but i love her brave  new approach to fashion and it fits the bill with her own signature look with heavy glittery eye make -up and wacky hair style.

Below i made my own version of collage sample . I stitched cut out piece from my screen printed sample and decorative beaded lace over the net fabric inspired bygone of louise Gray's designs . Her work influenced me hugely regarding experimenting with deeper techniques like pigment foils and fabric layering.

                                           

FABRIC EMBELLISHMENT

     Today we got introduced with my favourite technique which is of course Fabric Embellishment. To kick-start off with , I had a go with few simple stitches like satin , crouching and smocking. I enjoy doing hand embroidery stitches as I find really therapeutic and it shows my hand skill techniques. I have always been fascinated with textiles and even back then in school I was more drawn to creative subjects like Arts and Textiles which appealed to me more than other academic subjects .    

I wanted to create more samples hence i began exploring further for new concepts. I tried stitches i wasn't familiar with like herringbone and insertion stitch for example were you join two pieces of materials to create an decorative open work seam or hem. I also learnt Insertion stitch is also known as faggoting stitch which sounds bit strange. I found this stitch technique quite difficult to start with at the beginning because i couldn't  get the knots on edges on a perfect line and due to that i got frustrated but i didn't let my frustration get in a way . I suppose practise makes perfect in a way .

                                                 STITCH  SAMPLES

Here are some of the samples i  have experimented with recently .  I used unconventional materials together for experiment . Charlie also made it clear that our theme should be based on contemporary heritage so i used lot of laces, unwanted jewellery and beads to begin with . I was actually inspired by the lace costumes from the 18th century court fashion from the V & A museum i mentioned previously. I also used materials like ribbons,buttons,yarns,net or anything i could find really.I used my screen- printed samples i produced in earlier sessions for embellishments . I had a go with techniques like flocking and foiling  too . I also had a go with french knot stitch on one of my screen -printed samples shown below.  

   So far i must say i am really pleased with my development and i can see the enhancement  on my samples. The colours i used seems to worked together and they are beginning to look really colourful and exciting however i still feel though i have lot to learn and understand more about colour exploration which i am still new to. 

                                                 PLEATING SAMPLES

                                  HERINGBONE & INSERTION STITCH SAMPLES

                                 



                              SCREEN-PRINTED EMBLISHED SAMPLES 

Fabric Manipulation

INSPIRATIONS

Since the visit from F. Ciment Pleaters i already guessed what our next session will be. Fabric manipulation is an exciting technique were we can explore with fabric layering using different methods  to create 3d structures, big volumes and texturues . Today we worked with variety of materials from the studio to experiment with fabric manipulation. I produced range of samples using different techniques like pleating and fabric distortion for idea development. I used materials like laces, ribbons and buttons to make it look decorative. I used images i found from Pinterest as an inspiration. I also saw the work of Victor & Rolf and loved how they created larger than life garments with big volume collars which weren't like ordinary collars but more like an art piece. Their work inspired me to develop my skills further. I also had a go with one interesting technique were i used buttons and unwanted rags underneath the stretchy jersey fabric and basically tied them in loops to create bubble like textures which so much fun to make.

VICTOR & ROLF

 SAMPLES

F.Ciment Pleating company

 Today a company called F.ciment Pleaters who are a long running family business since 1929 came to our university to talk to us about the business. Truthfully speaking I am not really a huge fan of pleats but I do admire their dedication and hard work they put to create these amazing 3d inspired patterns. It was quite fascinating to watch  how a piece of fabric can be moulded & transformed using heat process to create unique patterns, textures and volumes.
    Most of the materials they used were polyesters as they are considered to be durable due to its stretchy fabric and they can also be washed at a low temperature and still manages to hold a pleat. Other fabrics like organza,leather and silk are used too. They also used non-conventional materials like laminated plastic and card-boards. Some of the pleats were done by hand which was hard to believe but according to the man, it took between 50 to 60 hours to make. It was interesting to know that they specialise their work on London fashion week , theatre, films &  for celebrities like lady gaga to Kylie Minogue and hit tv programmes like dancing on ice . 

DEVELOPING SAMPLES

These samples were produced during will's fashion and textile session on friday. I enjoyed experimenting with various techniques and pigment foils happens to be one of my favourite techniques which it adds shines and mirror like reflect patterns. I also enjoyed exploring with new techniques like clear and colour discharge shown above. I am considering having a go with one of these techniques  to experiment with colour and pattern. I also had a go with pigment flock which created unusual velvet texture. This session has helped me develop with my creative fields I thought I did not had. It also made me aware of how to specialise techniques differently. 

Colour Mixing

Today was first day at the work-shop were we experimented with colour mixing and screen-printing technique which I was already familiar with before . I consider this technique as one of my favourite which allows me to enhance my print patterns using different methods. I hate colour mixing part though as i can never get the exact colour accurately. All my morning session ended with mixing colours.  In the afternoon we got cracking with screen printing using stencils. I created repetitive circle patterns and i than cut the stencils carefully using stencil knives. I used screen-board and placed my stencils on top of the material and began creating lots of print samples. I used materials like sugar papers to plain poly- cotton for different texture experiment. I also discovered a new method were i used different paints all at once and slowly sliding the squeeze to create beautiful print patterns. Today the  screen printing experience was fun and exciting . I worked with colours i thought would never work together but i liked the idea of not knowing what to expect from it as the result may come out differently than you imagined.

Primary Research for Pattern Ideas

 During the recent trip to V & A in London , I also looked at other galleries inside like the introduction to iron work which fascinated me a lot . I was really intrigued with the designs of the gates and other metal steel gate parts hanging inside hence i took quite a few photos from the gallery for inspirations. I have never seen such  gigantic display of keys in my life before and this gallery was my favourite from the V & A which had nothing to do with fashion but in a way it did i guess because the people who designed these wonderful iron gates used their visions and skills. They put lot of dedication and thoughts towards these designs like fashion designers do with their collections.

Previously I used one of the iron gate as a chosen shape to work regarding pattern ideas but I wasn't so keen with the shape so i decided to use one of George Gilbert  metal piece below as my final choice to work on. I know its just a simple round shape but i can really see it working . At this stage , i am not sure were this will lead me to and in terms of shapes i will be experimenting with different scales and interesting patterns with gradually evolve using colours from my chosen palettes.  In meantime i am excited to see how far i can develop from this.

            

 

Patterns

During the reading week , I created colourful collage patterns. I enjoyed experimenting with  this technique which allowed me to work with different shapes and colours for development.  I never thought yellow black and pink would combine together but it has in a way. I used colours from my chosen colour palette . For this task becky suggested me to use gouache paint to paint on paper. I found gouache paint really ideal for this type of work as i was able to get the right shade easily and the paint ran smoothly over the papers . It's so much better than the acrylic and water-colour paints despite the hefty cost. I did cheat a little by using black sugar paper only because black is in my colour palette.  To create exciting patterns i experimented with different shapes. I used tools like stencil knives to create thin circles and overlapped them with different coloured papers on top for experiment. I also cut them in different sizes and rotated them in different angles . I am really pleased with the work i produced  today and going to make stencil designs out from these shapes for screen-printing in later sessions.

COLOUR PALETTE AND INSPIRATION

 Colour can make the pattern look alive and exciting. It's not just that but using different colours can enhance the patterns. There are different meanings to colours depending upon your moods. It is said that colour has a profound effect on a human behaviour. Like designer Valentino is known for using lot of red palette for his collection which is his signature colour i suppose but he once left a famous quote 

''Red has guts.. Deep strong, dramatic.A Goya red..to be used like gold for furnishing a house.. for clothes , it is strong like black and white'' he said.

“Women usually prefer to wear black at events because it makes them feel safe, however, if there’s one woman wearing red, she will inevitably be the eye-catcher of the evening. It’s as though the room is suddenly illuminated-simply perfect for a grand-entrance”.

Its about exploring with new palettes you have never experienced with before. Hence for my colour palette, I used inspiration from the costumes of club to catwalk show and from the 18th century court fashion . At first I was quite hesitant with my final choices but I decided to go for it for experiment.  I deliberately chose brighter palettes like magenta and red as its completely out of my comfort zone and to be honest I'm not used to working with bright colours but in a sense it reflects my bubbly personality so  i am looking forward to see what i can produce from it.

                                                     Primary research 

                                                  INSPIRATION 

I also found some interesting inspirations from my secondary research like the Art-work of Kandinsky were he worked with round & geomatric shapes all in one to create unique patterns. He actually inspired me to push myself further with new concepts . I also love the way he connects with colours and uses his visions to transform something ordinary into something wonderful and exciting. I am hoping to do the same with my samples i will produce.

                                                   KANDINSKY

Spring/Summer 2014

Today in Gill's lesson we discussed about Fashion week. Every year a Fashion show is held in 4 fashion Capitals New-York, Paris, London & Milan. We talked about how each cities has different visions coming from designers for e.g- New-york is all about commercial because of all the hustle & bustle (busy lifestyle) so the collection are quite wearable with clean cut silhouette where as in Paris it is all about houte-couture where everything is exclusive & private. London is vastly different and is all about street-style and designers like henry holland's collection are funky & fresh inspired by London fashion scene & lastly Milan represents  wealth with Flamboyant style. They like to flash their money on extravagant clothes hence gill set out a task for us to work in a  group of 4 and collect much information of current trends from cities given to us (Milan fashion week ).  Kerry also helped us how to format the information on Pebblepad which was helpful and the work looked presentable too.   From the spring/summer 2014  Milan fashion week , I did research of 2 well known designers Sports-Max & Dolce & Gabbana.  Both designers had different concept to their collections. 

 Sport-Max also known as Max-mara S/S 2014 was utterly breathtaking with variety of loose fluid silk dresses.  The use of soft neutral colour palette bought easy, romantic and feminine feel to the collection which oozed the modern day of woman today. Graphic cut silhouettes that everybody wanted which also bought fun to the collection . They understood the desire of what woman craves for in 21'st century . The collection had lot of wearable pieces yet very on trend and they certainly have succeeded on mastering it.

Dolce-Gabbana was different contradiction though . Everything about the collection represented wealth which comes in the territory of the designers duo as they are known for their glamour and versatility. Dolce & Gabbana women is strong: She likes herself and knows she is liked. They justified just that for their S/S 2014 collection.  It oozed money and luxury with flower blossomed prints. 

                                             
                                                        Milan Fashion week 

   

Sports-Maxx

Dolce & Gabbana