Positioning You Own Practice - Task 7

One of the past projects I have chosen to write about this year is my architecture brief. I designed a shirt silhouette using contemporary and historical architecture in Leeds. I focussed mostly on the building’s structural details – the framework.
For my primary resources, I used the Rose Bowl and Corn Exchange in Leeds city centre. I concentrated on shapes and patterns within the buildings exteriors and interiors. These then became ideas for patterns which were laid onto garment sketches and then transferred onto the final shirt designs in different ways. My primary research was about really observing the detail of what’s around me: using drawings, sketches and photography to record them.

                  
















I looked at the designer Hussein Chalayan, whose clothes look like they have been inspired by architecture. Looking at his designs helped me to find inspiration in the various shapes within the buildings. “chalayan is an internationally regarded fashion designer who is renowned for his innovative use of materials, meticulous pattern cutting and progressive attitude to new technology”. chalayan is inspired by architectural theories, science and technology. He famously produced a collection which included chairs and tables that became garments.

Yohji yamamoto, born in tokyo 1943, is an internationally known Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and paris. Yamamoto graduated from Keio University with a degree in law in 1966. Yamamoto became an influential fashion designer after making his Paris debut in 1981. His commercially successful main lines, Yohji Yamamoto (women/men) and Y's, are especially popular in Tokyo. These two lines are also available at his flagship stores in New York, Paris, and Antwerp, and at high-end department stores worldwide. Yohji Yamamoto Inc. reported in 2007 that the sales of Yamamoto's two main lines average above $100 million annually.

Yamamoto is known for an avant-garde spirit in his clothing, frequently creating designs far removed from current trends. His signature oversized silhouettes in black often feature drapery in varying textures.

I looked at Yohji Yamamoto's work which used retangular tartan patterns which looked architectural – from windows and other geometric shapes. I had made patterns from looking at other architectural detail: the shapes I included were triangles rectangles and semi circles, which I made into repeat patterns.

My colour palette of monochrome that ment i could use black, grey an white like the buildings I looked at.

When my final 6 designs were presented they were presented as top halves of the shirts. I should have shown full figure drawings which showed where the shirt would be sitting on the body.I did a mixture of designs that were totally different. Some were pattern based and some changed the structure of the shirt slightly, some became 3D by using piping, quilting and applique. I was happy with the range of ideas and how I applied them from my research. I had a range of links between the architecture primary research and my final designs. My work was successful but I think I should have done more research into architects and fashion designers and then that would give me more ideas for final designs and design development. However I like my designs for this brief which is why I chose to write about this one.

Through this project, I realised the links between fashion and architecture: such as the fact that buildings come in different shapes and sizes: like clothing. Different buildings have different surfaces like some fabrics. Different buildings have different decoration and patterns, like clothing. But most importantly they both protect us from the weather.

Bibliography

http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html

http://www.offthecuff.net/?tag=hussein-chalayan

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/hussein-chalayan/page/2/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yohji_Yamamoto

Examining An Ethical Issue In Fashion Design

I have chosen to look at the ethical issue of Disability: how this is seen in a wider society and how fashion design deals with designing for, and representing, Disabilities.

You don’t see many disabled models in fashion magazines. However in response to this, I have chosen to look at an advertising campaign that Debenhams did in 2010 that showed Disabled models in their campaign. However, this was a one-off campaign and fashion changes regularly so it would be good if fashion magazines regularly showed disabled models.

It took until 1998 before disabled people were shown in fashion magazines. This was in Dazed and Confused and the models wore outfits designed by Alexander McQueen and other designers. In 2001, there was a fashion show called “In Our Fashion” which was inclusive and top designers designed clothing for disabled models:

‘There has never been a major inclusive fashion show since and nor has a major style or fashion paper or magazine looked at disabled people as worthy of coverage’ (Disability Now, March 2011).

Debenhams has been the first ones to publicise disabled people in their fashion campaigns. Nikki Fox and Natasha Wood wanted to include disabled people in fashion advertising. Debenhams was the first high street retailer to do this. This was described as ‘a big move towards positive representation of disability in high street fashion.’ ( Hilary Alexander in the Telegraph February 2010). These people are being presented as equal to other models. I think Debenhams did this to make disabled people feel equal, included and a part of something instead of being portrayed as second class citizens in the fashion world.

When I look in magazines or see other people in the latest clothes I get inspired and encouraged to try out new looks which gives me a buzz. However, disabled teenagers and young people don’t have these opportunities due to the lack of awareness in the fashion industry.

Although disabled people have been used occasionally in campaigns and fashion shows, it has been the odd one or two and not a regular occurrence. Fashion changes a lot but not so that disabled people could enjoy it.

I don’t think they should have their own magazine because this still excludes them but they should be represented in the usual magazines.

Magazines are very picky about their models. They tend not to look like ordinary people. Models tend to be tall and skinny and airbrushed or made over to look unreal. This might be because they look ‘good’ and so the clothes look good. Beautiful models connect with the audience and make the audience want to be like them. Disabled models might not have this same effect on the wider audience. It might make the audience not want to read the magazine.

Debenhams First with disabled High Street model Fashion with passion

Bibliography

http://disabilityvisibility.com/

http://elliottkeene.wordpress.com/

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/hilary-alexander/TMG7323888/Debenhams-first-with-disabled-High-Street-model.html

http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/living/style/shaping-up-to-look-good/

Manish Arora – Ready To Wear, Autum Winter Collection 2011.

The designer that I am looking at is Manish Arora. I am looking specifically at his Ready to Wear Autumn/Winter2011 show at Paris Fashion Week. It was clear that there were several influences in the show, including: Magic, Asia, insects, flora, animals, geometric shapes and printed patterns. Out of these I think the most prominent was the Asian and Islamic references due to the strong patterns on the garments, vivid colours and the sitar playing in some of the music. Arora’s signature style is bright and vibrant colour with accents of unconventional materials, such as plastics and metals.

Half way through the show the designer subverted from his signature style by sending a small collection of very dull coloured clothing down the catwalk. He signified this change by using the illusionist to deliver another trick, this then set the pace for the next part of the show.

First half of the show

After the illusionist had performed his second trick

The collection shows intense patterns and colours and the crafting of the garments is very good quality. There are significant areas of detail on the garments and it is clear that a lot of effort has been put into making these. ‘Each embellishment was a small feat in textile manipulation’ (Vogue website) Most of the garments were tight fitted and hugged the model’s silhouette.

The venue was an indoor car park. This area was unkempt and slightly dirty. I believe that the designer had chosen this venue to create a contrast and to make his clothing stand out (even though they do that on their own). This was backed up by a review that I read on the telegraph website, “The exuberant Indian designer, Manish Arora, turned a concrete garage into a fantasy jungle, inhabited by exotic hybrids and imaginary birds, animals and insects.” (Telegraph website). The runway was placed over car parking spaces and the audience were sat on fold out chairs. The models were slim, tall and immaculately presented. They were clean and fresh which contrasted with the surroundings of the car park. Their hair reminds me of a scene from Blade Runner featuring Sean Young, and this could possibly have been in Arora’s mind when thinking about the styling.

 
Sean Young – Blade Runner                   Model in Arora’s Show

His vibrant and intricate prints were created in collaboration with a Berlin based artist named Amrie Hoffstater. The artist’s magic dolls were the inspiration point for Arora and it is believed that this also lead to the hiring of the illusionist, “The hyper-colored prints were created in collaboration with the Berlin-based artist, Amrie Hoffstater, whose magic dolls inspired the collection, and presumably, the decision to hire a illusionist to dazzle the audience with his tricks.” (Vogue website)

I really enjoyed watching the show, I especially like the illusionist because he created an atmosphere and he was integral in changing the pace of the show. The audience were clearly intrigued by the illusionist and some were getting up out of their seats to take a closer look.

I feel that the show provided entertainment with the illusionist and the sporadic changes in music helped to liven up the atmosphere in some places. The show was very different and I really enjoyed looking at his collection. I was very interested in how the collection changed half way through the show and how it then reverted back. This was backed up by the choice of music that was used.

Links to reviews:
http://www.vogue.it/en/shows/show/fw-11-12-ready-to-wear/manish-arora/review

http://www.stylebistro.com/Fashion+Forum/articles/wtXrar9RGtC/Paris+Fashion+Week+Manish+Arora+Fall+Winter

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/hilary-alexander/TMG4967067/Paris-Fashion-Week-Manish-Arora.html

References

http://nickdrake.tumblr.com/post/418111673/sean-young-blade-runner -

http://www.vogue.it/en/shows/show/fw-11-12-ready-to-wear/manish-arora/review

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/hilary-alexander/TMG4967067/Paris-Fashion-Week-Manish-Arora.html

Corduroy Trousers- An Analysis Of The Social Impact Of A Particular Garment

Corduroy trousers were mainly worn as work wear, It was invented as a hard wearing fabric but then over a period of time its uses have changed. It was trendy in the 60s and 70s but now can be a bit naff. Now nerds are in fashion and Jarvis Cocker makes it cool to wear corduroy.

Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibres that, when woven, lie parallel to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern. Corduroy is in essence, a ridged form of velvet. Corduroy is a wardrobe staple. Corduroy guarantees comfort, warmth, style and fun. The fabric is durable and fashionable and is available in all colors and prints. The fabric can be made into trousers of all styles and cuts, like pleated pants, jeans, etc. It is considered a durable hardwearing cloth.

While the word "corduroy" looks as though it should have a French origin, as if derived from "corde du roi" ("cloth/cord of the king"), but in fact there is no such phrase in French, and the word, like the cloth, is of English origin, probably from cord plus the obsolete duroy, a coarse woollen fabric.

There is a club called: The Corduroy Appreciation Club, which looks to be poking fun at corduroy. It has a fish emblem which might be because the fish skin is like the texture of corduroy but is actually about the number of cords in an inch of cloth.

Corduroy is associated with old people and geeks. You see a lot of older people wearing them in town with shirts tucked in. These are not the sort of people who wear tracksuit bottoms and skinny jeans. Corduroy communicates old age because of the large numbers of older people who wear it.

I think it was designed for everybody and while a large number of older people wear it, there are some younger people who wear corduroy trendily. It depends on how you wear it. If someone wore it with a nice top it could look smart and trendy and rock out as a style. I think old people chose to wear corduroy because it is smart, comfortable and it is more sophisticated than denim.

In the 70s actors like Robert De Niro, who was famous for Mean Streets, Godfather part 2 and Taxi Driver made it cool to wear corduroy. He was a style icon and men admired him because he was talented, famous, and had a tough guy image. Corduroy must have been trendy then. The second more recent image below of De Niro wearing corduroy in his older years in 2011 shows how corduroy is now not as trendy and worn by old people. Even though De Niro is still famous, he is no longer a modern fashion style icon. These images show the fashion cycle of corduroy, which like any fashion item is trendy and then not and then trendy again. So maybe corduroy will become fashionable again soon?


This image shows Robert De Niro wearing corduroy in the 70s.

This image shows Robert De Niro wearing corduroy now. January 2011

Reference

http://corduroyclub.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corduroy

Design Museum To See The Exhibition Of The Fashion Drawing Illustration

I visited the Design Museum to see the exhibition of the fashion drawing illustration.

“Drawing Fashion celebrates a unique collection of some of the most remarkable fashion illustrations from the twentieth and twenty first centuries. These original works define the fine art of illustrating fashion, from the collections of Chanel, Dior, Comme des Garçons and Poiret as well as Viktor & Rolf, Lacroix and McQueen.”

During my time in London I visited the Design Museum to see the exhibition of the fashion drawing illustration from over the last 100yrs.

The aim of the show is to show different fashion illustrations and how designers design and take their ideas into drawing to show you something that you have never seen. The main point of this exhibition was to show you how other designers work – how they work differently. I went to see how people draw and design.

The curator was Colin McDowell and he wanted to create a private collection. The exhibition consists of large rectangle cubes with light shining through them to make the illustrations stand out. The cubes and the white walls reflected the light. The lighting was very bright but felt ok. The lighting enhanced the drawings and made it easier for me to see them.

The cases and the illustrations were lined up at the same height, in the centre of the frames. They were laid out in a snake through the exhibition. The walls were white which made the illustrations stand out. The space was open and free so there was room to move around and get a good view of the detail.

You had to walk around the exhibition in a certain way. With the frames at the same level, you can see the detail clearly: the structure, fashion detail, colour, shape and silhouette. I liked the drawings of Antonio Lopez because he appealed to me the most with his use of style and the way he works. He has illustrated work by Oscar de la Renta and others.

Some examples were eye catching but some were simple. There was a variety of illustrations: some were simple but detailed too. He has different styles for different designers. The illustrations are well connected and they flowed effectively . It showed the process of idea development. It was a simple layout. There was a good mixture of styles of illustration so they were well chosen.

There was writing up for each illustration with each group of images. I didn’t read the text much because I was more interested in the illustrations. I might have read more if the information was digitally presented and interactive.

I liked this exhibition because it showed a range of illustration styles which were totally different from each other. Some were simple, some were really well composed, some were really technical. 

People said that"It's a fantastic exhibition, beautiful curated in a great setting." and that "Getting to see the originals, being able to properly study them and look at their techniques (after seeing them in old Vogues and fashion history books) is massively inspiring." I agree with this.

References

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2010/2010-drawing-fashion

http://designmuseumshop.com/exhibitions/previous/drawing-fashion/drawing-fashion-a-century-of-fashion-illustration

Reviews

http://www.wornthrough.com/2010/12/16/exhibition-review-drawing-fashion-at-the-design-museum/

http://www.dezeen.com/2010/11/18/drawing-fashion-at-the-design-museum-by-carmody-groarke/

http://thefashionscoutsept09.blogspot.com/2010/11/drawing-fashion-at-design-museum.html

Boutique In Chelsea New York.

Comme des Garçons French for "like boys", is a Japanese fashion label headed by Rei Kawakubo, who is also its sole owner. Comme des Garçons has a dozen boutiques and approximately 200 vendors around the world, with flagship stores in aoyama tokyo's high fashion district, as well as place vendome in parish. The store's location is as important as its innovative design and merchandise. ''We wanted to move because it is uncharted territory,'' says Joffe. ''It is an expression of our Gypsy spirit.'' The store I have decided to look at is their boutique in Chelsea, New York.

The outside of the boutique is really different to normal clothes shops because it doesn’t have any windows; its entrance is like a tunnel through a wall. If I were to walk past it I wouldn’t know it was a boutique because there is no sign outside to let me know. The entrance is unique because when you go through in towards the boutique there is a tight space but when you enter its unexpected, it magical.

The clothes are displayed in a traditional way. Colour coordinated, very neat and well organised. The space reminds me of a gallery exhibition space. The space is open and it is very white and brightly lit up. The space is empty and minimal. They work together with its posh expensive exclusive spaced out and there isn’t a lot of clothing. The more the expensive the garment the more space it needs in the shop. These garments feel exclusive and limited. This gives you the opportunity to have a good look. The space is very free and you have the freedom to move around. The changing rooms are big spaces. When you look at the pictures it looks like a new hospital, the space offers a clinical but warm feeling.

References

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/F2009RTW-ISMIYAKE/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comme_des_Gar%C3%A7ons

http://www.answers.com/topic/issey-miyake#ixzz1Bxhy098R

Issey Miyake Case Study

Issey Miyake is a Japanese fashion designer known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances based in Tokyo. He was born on the 22nd April 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan. It is said that his fashion shows are of a high performance. “The high-octane physicality of their performances was dazzling—the fact it didn't overpower the rest of Fujiwara's clothes underscored the strength of this collection. In a season full of references (twenties, forties, and, of course, eighties), it was refreshing to see something that looked so contemporary.” This quote shows Miyake and Fujiwara collaborated on their fashion shows that they were praised for. Miyake oversees the overall direction of all lines created by his company, even though the individual collections have been designed by his staff since his 'retirement' from the fashion world in 1997.

When Issey Miyake entered university and obtained Western magazines, he was inspired by the fashion photographs of Richard Avedon. One of Issey Miyake’s signature styles is pleating. “Pleating, a Miyake signature, was used here in concertina like fashion on sleeves and pant legs, articulating movement in odd places like forearms and calves”. This means that he uses pleats in his garments which create movement in places that you wouldn’t normally find. He is also known for blending the flowing fabric and textile designs of the east with modern technology and production methods of the west. He has experimented with natural and synthetic fibers and advanced textile science. Miyake’s main inspiration is technology. We can see this through his many clothing designs. It was the American occupation in Japan that gave Miyake an introduction to western culture, because he worked with European and American designers. They had taught Miyake a way of viewing fashion that stood in contrast to that of his Japanese culture, which held no distinction between fabric and body shape.

Issey Miyake's designs are an expression of the art of the designer and the wearer. Japanese designer Issey Miyake had 69 designs published by Vogue Patterns Spring 2000. Miyake is a winner of nearly every fashion award. He is known to dislike the title "fashion designer" and prefers to be considered an artist whose medium is fabric.

I looked at you tube at the Issey Miyake Fashion Show: Women's Ready to Wear Autumn/Winter 2010/11 and I liked most of his collection as it had elements of pleating. His designs were simple and elegant. All his collection are different but all have a little section of pleating which links the whole them together and makes him distinctive. The runway had a set which was made up of different patterns which fitted in well with the theme.

References 

http://groehm.tripod.com/miyake/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issey_Miyake

http://www.fashionwindows.com/runway_shows/issey_miyake/default.asp

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/F2009RTW-ISMIYAKE/

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/issey-miyake#ixzz1HzXiGlPp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMneAQsAZUA&feature=fvst - Issey Miyake Fashion Show: Women's Ready to Wear Autumn/Winter 2010/11