OBSERVATIONS OF ARCHITECTURE AND FLORA - INSPIRING CHOICE OF LUXURY HAND-CRAFTED FABRIC
With a plethora of pattern inspiration, I took to the streets of Cornwall to document local architectural forms, material choices and textural samples.
This, paired with my upcycling knowledge, decided the patterns and material choice for my outfit designs.
I have always enjoyed photography and have a long history experimenting in photoshop. Being in Falmouth, Cornwall I recieved never ending inspiration from my surroundings- historical architecture and tropical flora surrounded me and I wanted to document it and inspire my clothes.
I had found a way to montage my macro photography into ornamental collages, which would inspire print designs.
I had also spent the last summer delving deep into the library, exploring historical and cultural forms of wrap and drape to inspire my zero waste designs. Inspiration came from Indian Sarees, Roman Togas and Eccleciastical dress from western history that optimised fabric use through simple geometry.
REDRUTH - A MAGICAL PLACE
I sourced all my deadstock fabrics from Ringrose’s, a little fabric shop in the heart of Redruth’s town centre. The historical town was bursting with fading weathered buildings that were magnificent in size. I was particulariy fascinated with the train bridge arches that bellowed over the public, dripping rain on the heads of the average passerby with superiority.
Whilst observing its erosion and layered texture, inspiration struck - the idea of creating a simplified trouser pattern using one simple circle, similar to the Roman’s use of semi-circles in their wrap garments to produce beautiful drape.
toiling & development
We started the module experimenting with editing a pattern on the mannequin. After months of reserch looking at vatican fashion from designers such as Christian Dior and cultural examples of zero waste design, I wanted to create a sleeve with a bellowing presence. I added pieces onto the pattern until the sleeve began to twist into itself, creating a tunnel through the sleeve.
I continued to edit the pattern to play with the idea of having an open sleeve that can be constrained into a new design feature.
Opening the pattern revealed the mechanism was due to the triangular shape that was missing from the centre, something that could be applied to any other pattern piece…
I’d also taken some time to experiment in the dye labs- working with different variations of tie dye to get a more natural weathered texture, rather than a mandala-esque psychedellic pattern.
19th Century Shirt Toile - Isometric view
19th Century Shirt Toile - Front View
19th Century Shirt Toile - Back View
Zero Waste Bridge Jeans Toile - Iso View
Zero Waste Bridge Jeans Toile - Front View
The shirt pattern is taken from Max Tilke’s ‘Cut my Cote’, detailing the zero waste pattern for a 19th century linen shirt.
Taking the dimensions into Clo3D, I fitted the pattern around my model to create what looked like a functional shirt.
To be resourceful, I ravaged the scrap fabric bins to create a new sheet of calico, before cutting my pattern from the pieces and crafting my toile acurate to my digital model. I found the Clo model was very slim and the garment didnt take well to movement in practice. I also did not resonate with the jean pattern yet…
I had chosen my fabric for the two pieces and adjusted the pattern dimensions. The jeans were to be made from a Portuguese Linen rug, giving insane structure and texture. The shirting fabric was hand loomed linen from India, that I had textured deeper by overdyeing it in the lab.
I adjusted the jean pattern by rotating my perspective, and using the sleeve mechanism from earlier to gather it around the ankles. The piece removed became the yoke or ‘riser’ to allow for a backside to fit in such a rigid material.
I adjusted the shirt pattern to make it as wide as possible which gave the wearer a significant increase to their shoulder room.
realised garment
Inspired by fashion photography from magazines that use their surroundings and distortion for effect, I went to the local fields of my hometown to create a natural and traditional feel that complements the historic style of the ecclectic outfit.
