Cosima Augustin-Malloy

FTPC Year One - Semester 2 - Project Collar: For this project, I thoroughly researched the collar and its many shapes that it has taken on over the centuries. Being fascinated by flowers and their seemingly great ease of balance as well as their life essentialness to us, I wanted to include them into my design from an early stage of the project. I experimented with many different textile manipulation techniques to include the floral theme. I came across the middle age gorgets, which were worn under the armor and helmets to protect the throat. I really like this period, as I grew up with admiring the loyalty, strength and steadfastness of the many knights I read about. With my design I try to combine the strong, powerful and protective gorget shape with the delicate and colourful flowers. I wanted to keep the balance between the man-made sharp metal zippers and the naturally grown, soft sheep's wool and I wanted to connect the medieval past of the gorget to the present and forward-looking future with the opening of the flower in the middle.

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Collar Project, Research & Design - Development Board

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FTPC Y1 Semester2 Project Collar Sketchbook

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Collar Project, Research & Design

My final swatches - Part 2

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Collar Project, Research & Design

My final swatches - Part 1

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Collar Project, Research & Design - My final collar

I had first thought of putting a floral cotton lining in my gorget, but after the embellishments were in place, it didn't fit. I had some white poly cotton but found it too white and was looking for an off-white fabric. Going through our sheets, I found freshly laundered pillowcases with a cream flannel cotton fabric on the back that is very soft. From this I made the lining for my gorget collar and sewed it on by hand. I added a separation zipper for the finish.

On my finished piece I decided to turn the petals around, the petals pointing upwards and giving the impression of an opening flower. It fits very well, not too tight or loose. It is soft and strong at the same time, and it combines my collar story with my theme beautifully. The armor gorget of the Middle Ages brings strength, steadfastness, form and shape. The flower with its petals still closed points into the future, living in the now, being tender and life essential like our throats. The gorget is there to protect it and give it strength.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

I took the good advice Ruth gave me to digitally see how some of my embellishments could be arranged and what they would look like on the gorget collar. I downloaded an app and added things to my gorget to visually see what it would look like. Through this process I saw some designs that I liked and especially the petals around the neck with the wider part on top. I measured the width and calculated how wide I could make each petal. I then cut the zippers into equally long pieces and stitched them onto the felt with red thread. I stitched at least two, sometimes three times between each hook to fill in the gaps. This step took a long time. Once the outlines of the petals were fixed, I could start felting the wool into them. Now I focused at the top part of the gorget and looked what design could go there. While researching gorgets, I found that most of them have studs to hold the metal plates together. At first I thought of making round circles out of zippers felting into them, yet the smallest ones I could make were still too big for the whole appearance. I had some floral shaped metal beads and I secured each with a white glass bead and that looked perfect.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

Here I created another swatch, experimenting with some floral themed embellishments that would go onto the gorget collar. I made some petal shapes where I felted the wool in ombre shades, going from purple to white to red. I made another petal shape where I sewed in between all of the metal hooks on the zipper with a red threat to make the zipper pop. I also embroidered a white zip with red and some small petal shapes together.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

I transferred my gorget pattern onto the red fleece I had and cut out the pieces. I had to cut the pattern on the shoulder and make another slit on the front of the gorget, as I was going to cut it on the fold and it wouldn't fit otherwise. I added a zipper in between these sections. I also added a clothesline piping to the top of the neck to give it that rounded rim, like the gorgets of the Middle Ages did. I hemmed the edge and sewed the zipper pieces at the front by hand. I will make a lining using a floral fabric made of 100% cotton that is nice and soft on the skin.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

I made another felted zip flower, but this time with a more literal motif. I liked the way it looked, but when placing it on the round neck, the part where the wool and zipper meet would break open and you could see the fleece underneath.

I then cut into the fleece in the shape of a petal and sewed it back together, with the zipper in between the fleece parts. It looked good, but the corner was no longer straight and curved inward. This made me realize that this technique made it difficult to keep the fabric flat.

Then I made another felt flower inspired by a photo I took of a flower growing in Lanzarote. This time, instead of holding it upright, I laid the zipper down and felted the wool in it. This worked way better because the zipper is easier to work with and the connection doesn't break open as much when bent. It also takes less wool to fill the petal.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

13.4.21 I started making the pattern for my gorget collar out of paper. I began by pinning it to the mannequin in the shape I wanted. I then taped the pieces together from both the outside and the inside to stabilize it. Because the paper is stiff, it stood upright on the floor and really looked like a metal gorget. I cut it open at the back and laid it around me, making adjustments and rounded the edges. Then I cut the front part in half and took the side that I liked better. From here I cut out pattern pieces so all of the pieces could lay flat. Adding seam allowances, I cut the pieces out of calico and sewed them together, also adding a zip to close the back. It fitted really well. I thought the neck was a bit high, but as I was going to turn it around that would be fine.

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                                     Climate Crisis Trend Board

                              Post Covid-19 World Trend Board

                                        Protest Trend Board

Professional Practice Block 2

Above are my final boards, identifying potential micro trends I researched upon, for the three macro trends we covered during our professional practice course with Pamela.

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Trends Forecasting - Professional Practice - Macro Trend: Protest

For this macro trend, I looked at the “Fridays for the Future” strikes and how young people in this global movement are very result-oriented, as opposed to soothing words and empty promises. This attitude will be reflected in other areas of life as well, including fashion. There is definitely more awareness of what to wear and how clothes are being produced. Also, durability is more important than pretty looks. For example, high fashion brands are not worn to these or any other protests. I also researched the "Cry for Help" messages written by garment workers on clothing labels that gave a brief note of their actual working conditions and wages. Awareness of ethical resources has increased for many people, in many areas.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

Here I use metal zippers as the outlines of my design, which are then sewn onto red felt fleece. Wool is then felted with felting needles within the design layout. Felting isn't my strongest suit, but I thought I'd give it a try and I really liked it.

I love the idea of using metal zippers as they go perfectly with my armour gorget theme. I will explore this technique further for the final collar.

Felting with wool is one of the oldest known textile techniques. There is wet felting, needle felting and carroting.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

Using glass beads and invisible thread, I figured out how to make these lovely little flower necklaces. I tried six different combinations of the three colours that were possible. I sewed them together and tried them on the mannequin. This process took some time, but the result looks very nice.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

Using the stem of two different lettuce heads, I dipped them into paint and printed with them onto paper and cotton cloth. It is fascinating how I could achieve a rose like print by using vegetable trunks.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

On the first one, I tested different fabrics to see which was the easiest to peel the hot glue off after drying. I then took the chosen cotton fabric and 'painted' flowers on it with hot glue. I then used the spray paint from the first semester to change the background colour and revealing the floral shadow pattern by peeling off the cooled glue.

I also did this method but instead of hot glue, using real flowers and some of their leaves. They turned out pretty good giving the appearance of depth.

The one on the right was an attempt at printing with flowers were they are wrapped really tightly into fabric to release their colours. But these flowers from my garden at this time didn't give much colour at all. I will have to try again some other day.

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Collar Project, Research & Design

Here I used apple juice boxes that were silver-coated on the inside. I cut them in the shape of petals and used a hole puncher to cut out holes. I then crocheted them together with double stitches. I placed them so that the next row of petals is slightly above the previous one. I really like the way it looks as it references the armour side of the gorget beautifully.