Walk as One 2013

       

Spirit of the Black Dress 2013 Submission

“Everything has value, no matter how old or broken up, everything has a soul, an identity, behind everything there is a story, a story with a continuation”

-Sustainable Designer Naomi Maaravi

I feel it is important to up-cycle in a way that celebrates the origins of the garment, promoting the story of sustainability. My dress is made up of two components; a slim fitting dress and an open front skirt which together create a classic silhouette with contemporary detail. The outfit shows the design journey by continuing the language of the original garment, utilising the original finishings and showing the construction.   

The dress was created using components from two men’s trousers. By draping the pre-shaped panels, my design was created by how these shapes fitted in to each other as well as how they could be used around the body. This process is made evident in the skirt where the seams are turned out as a feature. The panels which had pockets on the original trousers have been reoriented to be just as usable on the new design. Lastly, the waistband and fly front zip have been utilised as a practical element, further adding to the ‘story’ of up-cycling.

My garment has a number of sustainable elements as outlined below:

Sutainable practice: By using pre-shaped panels and draping them onto the body, I have considerably reduced the use of resources including paper for patterning and fabric for toiling. Furthermore I was able to reduce energy consumed in sewing, by pinning seams to the outside and sewing them in one sitting.

Lifecycle: The dress is made up of two components; a fitted dress and an open front skirt which are able to be worn individually. Furthermore, the skirt can be rotated on the body to create attractive silhouettes as well as being reversible as the seams are designed to turn to the outside as a feature.

Sustainable Materials: My garment is made out of almost all of two pre-worn men’s trousers, using the separate panel pieces as they were and re orientating them to fit in to each other and around the body. I have utilised the panels with pockets so they are just as usable and one of the waistbands and zip as a practical fastening on the open front skirt.   

Pretty but Powerful; Concept in fashion

This project required us to re-create, re-think and re-design; that is, we got to go on an op-shopping spree, taking what we found and making them awesome! Feel free to skip straight to the pics, but for the concept behind the collection, read on;

Pretty but Powerful; What’s it all about?

Pretty but Powerful explores the juxtaposition of beauty and supremacy and broaches the question that asks “why is there a line drawn between the two?”;


The “I am beautiful/powerful” concept board outlines the concept in a representational manner. Firstly, it shows a man- masculine and powerful- baring the words “I am Beautiful”. As he fits the stereotype of powerful more so, the viewer automatically begins to consider why he is beautiful. We can come to the conclusion that it must be because of his power. The women has the same basis, but from the other angle. She fits the beauty stereotype but bares the words ‘I am Powerful’. She therefore must have power in her beauty. This concept was the basis for my collection.

The garment style and fabric are the basis in representing the concept. The lace represents the ‘pretty’ due to its delicate and fragile form while the leather represents the ‘powerful’ through its strength and durability. Together with the way the fabric sits, and positioning on the body, the fabrics show the two aspects. What particularly shows the concept, however, is the result reached when adding the two fabrics together. Leather and lace together creates a quite aesthetically pleasing result; the leather does not dominate, they do not clash in texture and the colours of each work well. The clothes presents a certain harmony between the two aspects, showing that maybe there is no segregation at all;

Beauty is power and power is beauty.



This garment was made out of an old leather shirt-style jacket and a lace dress



This Dress was made from an old corset, some lace, and one of those sheer masquito nets you have over your bed. Quite easy and it looks great, if I may say so myself...

The last outfit is the professional pic up top. We were all very lucky to recieve a free professional pic by photographer Penny Lane. The skirt was made out of a curtain, I just re-styled the top and jacket.

Anna Sui inspired dress...

Since I'm back at Uni now, projects are about the only interesting fashion thing I'll be doing. This was a 'dress' I created for one prodject where I studied fashion designer, Anna Sui. I was interested in Anna Sui’s tendency to celebrate the cheap, unlike many fashion designers. I was also interested in the way she mixes colour, pattern and texture together. By taking these two aspects into account, I created this piece.

I found that Anna Sui often uses many patterns, colours and styles together within the same garment. I also found this quote which acted as a major inspiration to my peice;
“There is an artistry in Ms. Sui’s mix or art and fashion:
she celebrates the cheap and asks you to question the
expensive” (Alex Kunczunski, New York Times 2009)

I hoped that by making a dress similar to the style of Anna Sui, and incorporating two major influences, patterns and celebrating the cheap, I successfully conveyed Anna Sui as a designer as well as showing my individual style.

As a big fan of recycling, restyling and opshoping, my aim was also to show that people do not need to spend ridiculous amounts on clothes, and can quite simply create their own, quite inexpensively. Although like many designers, I was showing an exaggerated version of this idea...





Yes, it is made out of rubbish; plastic bags, old clothes, cardboard, paper...
At least no one could say "it looks like rubbish"... it was meant to:)

xx Cordelia