My minor and major project have quite a clear progression from one to the other. For my minor project was the experimentation with charms and materials, working small, finding my feet, testing the elements. Working with macrame, painting stones, resin, tassels, paper rolling, making my own beads. This led on to a breakthrough moment with the use of wrapping and the figure of 8 wrap around chain, propelling me into my major project. I experimented with the idea of line through chain wraps keeping a strong element of fun with the proposed outcome of pushing the work for my live brief, the L'aiguille en Fete in Paris. My major project became a feed for my live brief and therefore on the deadline of the live brief, it slightly felt like my major project had concluded to give way for the next part. I had been growing increasingly interested in constructing headwear, the idea of chained cages upon which to embellish and adorn. For unit X I intend to carry through the part of the project I have already embarked upon, inquiring into head wear and masks. Head cages and veils. Experimenting more with the application and the embellishment. Revealing and Concealing the face.

I think I have worked well through this project and although it took me a while to find my feet, this can really be seen through the progression of my work. I am beginning to get quite a clear idea of where I want to take my work in the future and am looking forward to Unit X, where I will continue the progression of the phase of the project I have already started.

With a growing relationship with materials I have more and more references to refer back to in the coming project. Many of the techniques I have used in this project I hope to utilize in the next and by keeping technical notebooks both to help me think and to construct plans and record processes, this should aide me.

Contextual references and inspiration are important for me in my working progress. At the beginning of this project I don't feel I cast my net wide enough, not studying a varied or extreme enough artists/designers. As the project continued I feel I began to see this and alter it accordingly.

For Unit X I need to improve on my photography skills and start photographing my pieces upon the body, something that I haven't utilized enough in this project. I think by doing this I can start to look at the styling and visualization part of my work, experimenting with how I want it to be portrayed. I also want to play with a more handcrafted idea of visualization, experimenting with collage, to propose an idea of head wear without it being too literal.

Meadham Kirchhoff

Veils at Meadham Kirchhoff

Fall RTW 2014

FALL 2010RTW

Meadham Kirchhoff as well as having extreme high fashion collections have also done collections for Topshop. Where what I like about Meadham Kirchhoff in particular is that even though the clothes have to be paired down for a high street customer budget, they still seem to stay reasonably wild and true to their design ethic. Creating crazy interesting designs for both sides of the budget market, therefore providing for a wider audience. This is something I would like to explore in my future practice, and the idea of collaborating with established retail stores.

All Images Harpers Bazaar

experimenting with veil and head cage constructions

caged constructions

bigger veil

smaller veil

Even after cutting the veil down to size, I think I still need to work on the sizing a bit, as it is still a bit too buoyant. As I used quite a wide width of veil it has made the top of it stick up maybe a bit too much. I also need to continue the embellishment of the veil as the build up of decoration is not at a high enough degree yet. I want it to be half mask, half veil, revealing and concealing parts of the face.

Silicone and beading.
Building a surface.

Luetton Postle

Leutton Postle

craft contained.

Leutton Postle are a knitwear brand whom launched their first collection at London Fashion Week in September 2011. Although they are a knitwear brand they have a strong focus on craft and claim to be "unlimited" by trend.

It is this craft led element that really intrigues me. Their work is fun and colourful and full of textures and surfaces. I think their audience is where I see my own practice, high fashion for primarily womanswear, for a customer not afraid to be bold with colour and striking with their appearance.

I would also like to collaborate with brands like this, with a similar ethos, working on the jewellery/accessories side of it.

 

http://leuttonpostle.com/leutton-postle-aw12-backstage/

 http://leuttonpostle.com/wp-content/uploads/photo_39-1200x1600.jpg

When Sam Postle from Leutton Postle came in to give a talk on their brand one of the things that really stuck in my mind was this idea of the pyramid, how they do their pricing and making accordingly. That as a design company you need to have a range of prices and accessibility. So at the bottom of the pyramid you have lots of the less expensive range, allowing for people who aren't so well off to still be able to invest in your brand. Then at the very top of the pyramid, have a show stopper of a piece but only have one or two of the them, that are priced at a much grander amount, for the workmanship accordingly.

I thought it was a very good way of describing it and a good model to work by, especially as new designers. Creating a couple of showstoppers to get yourself noticed but also having more accessible wearable items. A good economical model and a good customer model.

This is something I want to investigate in my own practice and something I think that will really push me to both consider the customer and the experimental nature of the show stopper.

Outward facing aproach

The whole experience of working towards the Paris exhibition definitely moved my work forward. Firstly the push of the work having to be good enough, when the pressure is not solely being applied by yourself, I think it made me more meticulous and there is a sense of pride there that you don't want to represent yourself badly.

Photograph from Paris courtesy of Elnaz Yazdani

The work is now also going to be exhibited at Stockport Art Gallery in a couple of weeks. This will allow for an opportunity that due to the timing of Paris was unfortunately not possible before, that I will be able to put up and curate the work myself. I feel like this will be a good learning experience and will give me a chance to play around with the arrangements.

I have enjoyed the experience of working towards an exhibition, considering the work in a different manor. It is something I would like to do in the future as well as creating for the body also.

KARLA BLACK

Karla Black on materiality, I like her relationship with materials and the outcome they announce. She uses a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Using a degree of the DIY aesthetic I am wishing to pursue. 

Using materials such as bath bombs, cellophane, nail varnish, lip gloss and shampoo but along with more substantial materials such as water colour to create these really sort of ethereal sculptures. From looking at the sculptures you cannot always presume the materials, and this is something I am keen to capture in my own work. Using such household diy and cosmetic products but in a way of delicate of touch, not always to be presumed as to their origin.

  Nail varnish, acrylic ink, glitter and silicone sealer on veil netting.

I want to add to this use of surprise DIY materials.

Zana Bayne
http://shop.zanabayne.com/product/woven-face-mask

headwear
how to apply
harnesses 

Beginning the growing into head wear cages, using chains to create forms.

PARIS

Paris. Live Biref.

Final cut.

Bulbous interventions.

An investigation into the 'line', with a strong element of fun.

Bulbous adventures.

A step to step process

A hopscotch affair.

Landscape abstractions.

Using a range of juxtaposed accessible materials I wanted to play with line looking forwards to a body adornment conclusion. Using chain as a skeleton to build upon, I was able to build up areas of bulbous appeal.Spanning from an elemental exploration, using a colour symbology.

This week.
As the work for Paris is now complete and been sent off, most of the work I have been working on was included in that brief. Therefore it is now the time to begin a new channel of this project, which I will continue into unit X. I want to look at head wear and primarily the idea of veils.
I have started to build up a collection of samples investigating veil netting and creating a surface upon that.
There is the worry that I am running down a different tangent and I need to make sure I get back in touch with my personal narrative for this project to stop myself from getting whisked away with the pretty things.

 

beginning to look into the application of these pieces.

how a veil works as a construction?

Struggling with the idea of application. I want to make veils but am uncertain of how to continue them into a wearable piece. I find Armarni Prive Couture Fall 2012 to have made beautiful veils and their application intriguing.

 

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/detail/slideshow/F2012CTR-APRIVE/#98

to continue the veil into a cage like structure, using chain, line or beads to form it around the head.

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/detail/slideshow/F2012CTR-APRIVE/#107

or to pleat the fabric, creating an elongated mask, a bowed mask? But the veil would have to be weary of weight so as to not off balance it and with this design I feel it could sit perhaps to close to the face. But both of these techniques are of good thought to explore.

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/detail/slideshow/F2013CTR-MMARGIEL/#23

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/detail/slideshow/F2013CTR-MMARGIEL/#37

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/detail/slideshow/F2013CTR-MMARGIEL/#62

 http://www.style.com/fashionshows/detail/slideshow/F2013CTR-MMARGIEL/#59

masks
maison martin margiela  couture  fall 2013

i like the tie of the ribbon
and the fit to the face
can they see?

i think the tie of the ribbon looks elegant
i wish to try this in my own practice