Fashion on 4...

  

 I have recently completed a Contextual Studies module as part of my Foundation Degree; the subject was based around Sustainable Fashion. There was a lot of sub-topics within the 'sustainabilty' of fashion; including Globalization, 'Fast Fashion', Etical Trading, and Ecological and Enviromental impacts and concerns, etc. I decided to focus on the aspects of globalization and fast fashion and how they have affected the British manufacturing industries.

As well as reading articles and researching to gain inspiration and knowledge to help me produce an essay on the subject; I found not only one but two useful documentaries broadcasted on Channel 4; the first being Gok Wan: Made in China.

The documentary saw Gok Wan travel across China to explore the unseen world of Chinese mass production and meet the people working in the factories that supply the west; incuding us the UK. He visited 'Jeans Town', a place where everything revolves around the manufacture of denim jeans. Here he saw how quickly and effeciently the Chinese factory workers produce mass amounts of garments. It was also evident that free speech was not a thing the workers could express; suggesting their employers may not want outsiders to know what life is really like working as a Chinese manufacturer.

In addition to visiting various manufacturing companies and factories; Gok Wan also visited the village in which his father grew up and learnt more about his ancestors and his heritage.

If you missed it; you can learn more or watch at:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/gok-wan-made-in-china

  

The second inspiring Fashion documentary on Channel 4 is Mary's Bottom Line. In this series Mary Portas attempts to 'kick start' the British manufacturing industry by creating a company that manufactures British made knickers. The programme follows Mary Portas on her journey as she hires experienced seamstresses to train up her new workforce of hand picked apprentices to work in an old, disused factory. She also struggles to source British fabrics to work with and searches for one of the last remaining Brithish lace manufacturers; to produce truly British pairs of knickers -Made in Britain.

The programme also had alot of interesting statistics and was quite informative; providing me with plenty of points of inspiration and interest to include within my essay. Although I have completed my essay and the Contextual Studies module; I will definately continue to watch this inspiring programme and hope that Mary Portas succeeds in her mission to kick start the British manufacturing industry. I also hope that people will be proud of a British manufactured product and hopefully more people will buy into the future of a revived British manufacturing industry.

  

 Catch up on the series at:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/marys-bottom-line

Foundation Studies: Final Project

This is my final project of my Foundation  Studies course; after this post everything will be my current work and thoughts. The theme was The World of Confectionery...

I researched so many artists, films, exhibitions, designers, etc. it was unreal! The amount of people inspired by confectionery and all its glory was immense. I found a lot of interesting and inspiring sources but I eventually had to narrow it down and create moodboards to inspire my collection. From my moodboards I produced a range of design developments and went on to select a line-up for my final collection; from this line-up I chose one of the garments to create. I made the dress with a pleated section front; the dress is lycra and the pleats are chiffon to create a contrast of tight, figure hugging and the soft, floaty pleated chiffon.  

One of the artists I found particularly inspiring during this project was Will Cotton. He was also the inspiration behind the music video for Katy Perry's California Gurls. His paintings are soft and feminine and in my opinion are simply beautiful. Take a look at some of his work at http://www.willcotton.com/ 

Katy Perry - California Gurls (Music Video)

 

 

Paintings by Will Cotton

As part of my primary research for this project; I created a series of still life arrangements and photographed them. This was good to see details of confectionery up close and from various angles. I enjoyed this aspect of the project quite alot as I enjoy taking photographs of things I find interesting.

Here are some of the photographs:

 

 

 

 

Primary Research Photographs

And my design process....

 Moodboards: Reflecting Theme and Colour

 

 

 

Design Development 

Collection Line Up

Illustration of Final Garment

And the Final Garment...

I hope you have enjoyed looking and reading about my work from my Foundation Studies in Fashion as much as I enjoyed doing it! 
xx

Foundation Studies Portfolio...

Favourite Things: Caspusle Collection

At the very begining of this project I completed a short questionaire about my favourite things; incuding questions such as my favourite colour, designer, place, movie, song, etc. From the results of this I chose to base my project around one of my favourite songs: Umbrella.

I sourced insppirational imagery that related to my chosen theme and created a moodboard for inspiration when I came to design my collection.

Moodboard: Theme Board.

I also chose from a selection of areas to design for including; Soft Tailoring, Sportswear or Concept Fashion. I chose to look at concept fashion and researched relevant designers. I created a moodboard to display my findings and to also help inspire my collection.

Moodboard: Concept Fashion.

I was also given a range of colours to work with and out of them all I had to selected 2 Base colours, 2 Main colours and 2 Highlight colours to work with. I collected colour swathes and materials in my chosen colours, as well as an inpiring image to create a Colour Board. The Colour Board helped me to think of what colours I would be using within the design process.

Colour Board.

This project was also a way of learning new skills and how to use them within my designs. For example I learnt how to knit; at first I found it quite difficult but then all of sudden it just clicked, and I was knitting away. I produced Knitting samples in my chosen colour scheme, using various knitting methods and used some of my better samples to create a sample board.

I also learnt different pleating techniques, using different types and sizes of pleats. I also learnt other paper manipulation techinques that could be used within fashion design. All of the sample I produced helped to inpsire my designs.

Sample Boards: Knitting and Pleats (or Paper Manipulation)  

After selecting a theme, concept, and colour scheme; it was time to start designing. I used my Theme board, Colour Board, Concept Board, and the techniques that I had learnt as inspiration for my designs. I then chose to illustrate my favourite design from the capsule collection.

Design Development

Final Illustration