Fashion Final Evaluation

The brief required us to create a Fashion accessory from everyday objects. The accessory had to be on trend and you must be able to wear it. To me, already the most challenging part of that was being able to get the accessory on trend because I didn't have the ability to realise what was on trend and what wasn't. The aspect I was most looking forward to however was the I could use and also what constitutes to an every day object.

Whilst considering my brief I also had to consider other aspects of the potential design, such as the scale, silhouette, the pattern, how repetitive my material is and also how I was planning on joining it together. From the beginning I almost instantly ruled out sewing as a way to join it together because I was trying to think outside the box when it came to the material I was going to use. If i was going to use some sort of object made from plastic or metal then sewing would be completely redundant, It would make more sense to use a glue gun or a similar, strong adhesive.

I utilised the extensive library to accumulate images and inspiration for my initial mood boards. I also visited Dover Street Market in order to gain a perspective into high-end fashion design, they had many top designers such as Balmain, Comme des Garcon, Gucci, Dior etc. It was definitely very rewarding because I discovered some very strange clothing items and that gave me a little confidence when it came to thinking about my design. The artist that gave me the most inspiration was Zaha Hadid. Although she isn't quite a fashion designer I still managed to find her work appropriate.

The steps involved in my making process included researching about what inspired me. Originally it was about nature but that changed to architecture through the use of artist research. Then my sample making which was fuelled by the need to find the right everyday object. I used the objects I brought in to create interesting shapes and patterns and then applied that to a mannequin to see what it would create. The sample making and experimenting didn't work well for me. I didn't find it very successful in that I didn't feel like I discovered much. The big turning point in my work came when I swapped out my samples for plain paper strips. With one of my samples I often found myself twisting and turning it to give it a ribbon-type, dynamic look. With the plain paper I could do that much more easily and also manipulate my silhouette more.

The everyday Object I chose to use were just ordinary plastic bags. In a heat-press workshop I found that if you melt them under a sheet they will all merge together to create a leather-like material. That material was easy enough to mould and it was strong. My piece relied a lot on structure and so a material that could support itself when necessary was great. The plastic bags worked really well for that. Overall there weren't many challenges that I faced, It was all just the making that was the challenging part. It was difficult because I hadn't made a full garment before and I wasn't familiar with what patterns I had to cut.