This year I really tried to play to my strengths. While my skills lack in the practical tasks of a fashion design degree, I make up for it with my dynamic and conceptually sound design ideas. I refuse to apologise for my garment making skills when in reality that’s not a direction I wasn’t to focus on and if NZ had other fashion degree directions such as fashion theory, history or communications, design and making would obviously not be the direction would have gone in. Although the last 4 years have given me the skills and knowledge to understand those important processes, and I have endless amounts of respect for handcraft, sewing and pattern making. This degree has given me a broad understanding of so many aspects of the industry, areas, and skills where those that do the very specific courses probably lack in.
Instead of working as a fashion designer and maker throughout this project, I embraced and outscored other techniques and skills the industry has to offer, such as curation and collaboration. Almost every aspect of my collection wasn’t just made by my hand, but with multiple different people with their own ideas and backgrounds. Although it all meets under the umbrella of my research and conceptual elements, I was able to direct and effectively communicate a brief to my designers and they made something that was both suited to their brand but also sit within the confines of my aesthetic and collection.
I worked with the knitwear technician Gordan at AUT, and a woman named Margaret in Tauranga (linker) to successfully produce my knit vest and shorts.
Jesse bowling, an artist living in Melbourne to render my images and prints. For me to then place onto my exported pattern pieces.
Meghan James Brown, handbag designer and student here at Massey to produce this belted bag.
Brent Paye, Jewellery designer of 27 Molly’s who has stock in good as gold in town to make the accessories.
Luka Lockamer videographer.
Models: Tom Britt, Helen Inanui, Emma Cornall and Sarah Birch.
To manage a team of people is a reality if you were to start your own brand, label etc. To have had practiced these skills, was worthwhile. And still managed to make garments that might not be perfect but that I am definitely proud of.
The important part of this assignment was the processes for creating the prints.
I kept my patterns reasonable simple and flat because I knew there was going to be an all over print on them and I didn’t want to distract from this, and also so I had more time to digitize all the patterns in and place the imagery to then send it off to get printed (which is a variable I couldn’t control). This was all a really interesting and fun process, and I wish I was able to spend more time doing this, but it’s a technique I want to take into the future.
Firstly I digitise the patterns I had made by hand into accumark, then exported them to illustrator, and the placed the 3d rendered images on to the pattern pieces, which is pretty much like putting a 3d images onto a flat surface which is difficult but a really interesting process of placement because I had to think about where the images were actually going to be seen on the body when made into a 3d garment again. Exporting all of the information and sending it to the printers was a nightmare, and of course I had missed a few minor pieces or some measurements were off refer to work book* although in hindsight I probably didn’t give myself enough time for this part of the project, overall this process was a success! And I learned so much.
If I were to do this project again, I would focus more on the processes and spend more time on those, then hire somebody in to sew my finals together. Just because my lack of patience and sewing skills, I feel, sometimes let down my work, which is unfortunate, because I think it has the potential to be very strong. I like sewing and I’m happy to do pattern making, samples and toiles. But just purely for clean execution, I should get somebody to help me in terms of producing my final product.
I think I have really succeeded in terms of appealing to my target audience, and sitting alongside similar brands. I feel like I’m producing design ideas that are current, and trends that are now starting to circulate. I think if given the opportunity to work for a brand within the industry, or even in trend forecasting, I could be an asset in terms of staying on the pulse of ideas and designs that are circulating now and then predicting what it might mean for the future.
For example, ALYXstudio, which is a brand I took inspiration from throughout my design development just released their collaborations with vans, featuring different coloured silicone surrounding the shoe. This is something I had been developing since the beginning of the year. I initially wanted to submerge some of my clothing in silicone, but after doing some tests, didn’t work out (would have needed $100s of dollars of silicone and it changed the weight and drape of the cloth.) So instead, I took some shoes for styling and applied the flesh coloured silicone to the shoes.
Another example is that other university students, worldwide, are coming out and questioning what the role of the designer or author, or original design is. For example:
Studio kit from RMIT 4th year honors student. What students like us are commenting on is so relevant and one could even suggest it’s the zeitgeist of the moment and to be a part of that is really exciting.
I chose to produce a series of A5 (postcard like) cards instead of a traditional lookbook. For me lookbooks are outdated forms of showing a collection, although I understand their relevance within a commercial setting and selling to potential buyers etc, I don’t think it’s the best option for showing a collection/or idea in the exposure exhibition.
I wanted to make something visually impacting, that can be taken away, and displayed within someone’s home, say on their bedroom wall of the fridge. A lookbook, on the other hand, isn’t made to be displayed on somebody’s wall (although they could) but in their desk or bookcase, and they won’t be picked up again.
The QR code on the back takes you to the you tube clip of my video I had made for social media.
And I think it succeeds in showing my collection as well as my ideas and concept, which is what you should get from your traditional lookbook. But it has an added element where you can choose your favorite image and take it away with you and display it in your home. And because it’s just one card, it’s cheaper to print different copies and have multiple copies available for the public, more than what you can do with a professionally printed lookbook.
My goals progressed and changed throughout this project. Although I might not have identified the following goals early on, I realised that these were what I was really working towards.
To create a wearable and commercial collection that contextualizes an ideation that manifests through my design process and product.
I wanted to make a collection that reflected my ideas in a succinct way. I want the work to talk for itself. If I have to explain myself too much, the collection isn’t a success in this way.
To build a foundation of theory and practice to develop further at a masters level.
Since the beginning of my university career, I’ve always wanted to take my education as far as I possibly can and to have a role to play in fashion education. Fashion education has a massive part to play in terms of pushing the industry in positive directions and analysing and exploring different anthropological ideas that are expressed through dress. The way I understand the world and human phycology is through the way we dress, and I think the fashion industry is a representation of how we display ourselves and interact with the world.
What can I say, I love the warm embrace of the institution…
Although I think there definitely needs to be more critical engagement within the course, in terms of analysing historical AND contemporary fashion collections, designs, and designers. The number of students coming through the Massey fashion design course that has a very limited understanding of who is out there internationally is frankly appalling. This might not be their area of expertise, but it can be relevant to any sort of garment making. We need to know AND DISCUSS what is trending, who is up and coming and to analyse why.
This course has set me up with the skills I needed to find an area of the industry I am passionate about and where I can be unapologetically critical. I can’t wait to see how far I can push this project both conceptually and visually. In the future I want to build my software skills and learn how to 3d render my own garments (I might look into this for my masters) and code for website development. I want to push how to represent clothing in virtual and real worlds and how to integrate the two.
