Twisted Tradition Project

This is the final stage of a project I have been working on for the last few months. It is based around the ideas behind the Slow Fashion movement promoting the use of environmentally friendly fabrics, ethical manufacturing and lower levels of consumption.

Below are the flat drawing boards and a few illustrations of the collection I have designed which is aimed at men between 30 and 50 incorporating punchy colours, tradition fabrics, reflective tape 9 for the avid cyclist) and detachable elements to make  garments multi-functional and trans-seasonal.

I would really appreciate any feedback you can give me on my work.






Flat Drawing Board

 

 

Illustrations

 



Flat Drawing Board





Yohji Yamamoto

Here is a quick look at one of the projects I did earlier on this year. It is targeted at the eponymous brand of Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, it is quite a conceptual brand but based around an ethos of high quality clothing following classic tailoring techniques.




Yohji Yamamoto Moodboard

Yamamoto's  usual colour pallet is dark with accents of red, to reflect this I chose to base my collection around the concept of shadows, playing with layers of sheer and opaque fabrics and creating contrast between loose flowing shapes and more structure pieces. Below are the illustrations I created for this project.



Yohji Yamamoto Illustrations

Havana Forgets

Earlier in the semester I did a project based on the concept of memory, the brief was to create two outfits that reflected the nature of memory as well as a personal or collective memory.

I chose to focus on a trip I took to Cuba a few years ago, the country fascinated me as it was a place of so many contrasts and overlapping influences. The difference between the crumbling houses and the pristine state owned hotels and the legacy of past leaders in the colonial facades,vintage American cars and  revolutionary murals really inspired me so I started to combine my memories of the Cuba with the history of the country.






Havana Forgets Moodboard



 

 

 

The mood of my collection was based around the ideas that the influences of the past are fading in Cuba not just physically, in the crumbling buildings built by the Spanish, but also in the memory of the population. I also wanted to focus on the contrasts existing in the country, the iconography of the revolution that is still so prominent while economic restrictions are being relaxed, overturning the established communist ideals.

 

 

 

The collection I created used layers of laser cut fabrics in a pattern mimicking the peeling paint of old Havana, distorted images of Che Guevara representing the relaxing of the communist systems, and contrasting textures to portray the ideas of the old and new. The colour pallet was mostly muted reflecting how memories fade over time but also drawing on the colours of the derelict buildings in Havana.

 

 

Havana Forgets Final Outfits

Patterns inspired by islamic tilings

For our module on the theory of design, we were set the challenge of creating patterns, in the style of Islamic tiling, without gap or overlap for a practical application. To do this we had to take a square and a triangle, divide them up into sections and then rearrange them to create 6 patterns from the triangle and 6 patterns from the square.

My colours and shapes were inspired by alpine scenes, using shades of cream, blue and pink, with sharp angular shapes, below is the mood board for my patterns showing how I divided the triangle and square.

Here are some of my designs so far from the to four are the triangle rearranged and the final two are from the square.

 

 

 

 
 

Slow Fashion Project Designs

This week I've been working on my initial designs for my current design project which centres around the idea of sustainability and creating fashion that looks good but is also good for the environment and the people that make it.

I am going to design a menswear capsule collection with the focus on creating garments that can be worn in a number of ways either with detachable or reversible elements.

 

 

This first design is for a green herringbone tweed jacket with a detachable wool lining, this makes the garment suitable for both autumn and winter meaning it is very versatile.

 

 

 

The next design is a pair of drop crotch jeans made from 100% hemp denim, the trousers have knee patches, the knees of trousers often get worn so protecting these areas will allow the garment to last longer.

 

 

This design is a reversible cashmere coat, the fabric it is made from is double sided so the garment is multifunctional allowing the consumer to get more use from it.

 

 

 

The final image is two shirt designs, both designs have detachable sleeves meaning they can be worn in different ways making them suitable for multiple seasons.

Tribal Instinct III Update

Last month I blogged about Tribal Instincts III, the East African Society fashion show I designed and made some outfits for. I've just received the professional photographs from the event so I thought I'd share them with you.
There's also a photo of me and fellow designer Zoe Lipscomb taking our bow at the end.

Let me know what you think!






Shirt and shorts on the catwalk

Tunic and trousers on the catwalk

 

'Twisted Tradition'- Slow Fashion Design

The design project I am currently working on is inspired by the concept of Slow Fashion and the issues surrounding sustainability in the fashion industry. Slow Fashion is a movement which counters the fast fashion model promoted by most of the fashion industry, it encourages consumers to buy less and to really appreciate the clothes they own, thinking carefully about the origin and quality of products before purchasing them.

Researching this project I was shocked by how much the fashion industry takes natural resources for granted. We all think we know what the worst culprits; natural fibres are often held up as environmentally friendly alternatives to man-made fibres such as polyester. Therefore, finding out that cotton, usually seen as the better option is just as bad for the environment as fabrics essentially made from crude oil is pretty shocking.

However, there are quite a few examples of retailers which are making efforts to lessen their environmental impact. H&M, often held up as examples of how unsustainable fast fashion is, launched their 'Conscious Collection' a couple of seasons ago and have started introducing recycling points into their shops.   Marks and Spencer have also been leading the way with their 'shwopping' initiative and 'Plan A' which aims to dramatically reduce the companies impact by 2015.

Slow fashion Customer Board

From my research I decided to create a capsule collection of sustainable menswear using high quality, low impact fabrics such as wool and Lyocell to make designs which would out live the fast fashion cycle of one season. I decided to design for my own brand 'Real' which centres around the concept of  educating consumers about how to care for and repair their purchases enabling them to extend the life of their products.

The mood of the collection centres around the idea of creating innovative designs by using traditional techniques, fabrics and styles in new ways. I will look at traditional tailoring techniques and historical features, such as detachable collars, but reinterpret them to create a range of essential pieces with a modern twist.

I'd really appreciate any feedback you have on my ideas so far so please leave a comment below.