Meaningful Design
Project Launch!
The phenomenon of 'refreshing' a wardrobe by disposing of large quantities of clothes to replace them with new apparel is known as the pandemic clothing purge. Many people choose to donate their clothes to charity stores, in an attempt to be sustainable, but what they don't realise is there is a limit to how much a store can hold and a lot of the things they receive holds no value on their own so they'll end up in landfill. As such, my designs use reimagined waste and recycled clothes, referencing the idea of overconsumption, with the goal of 'purging' clothes in a sustainable manner.
I also like to combine opposites, seemingly incompatible subjects that are both attractive and eerie to celebrate femininity and the gentle nature of human values. In this project, I want to combine clothes of different sizes, both female and male, and try to frankenstein them together using gathering, weaving, or other different volume displacement techniques, to distort the garment around the bodice.
I would also like to explore the female-centric traditional and vintage sewing techniques such as hand embroidery, mending stitches, and lace/trim insertion practices to highlight the strength and resilience in females through the extended longevity of the upcycled clothes. The project will be centred around reviving pre-loved garments using a variety of hand stitching and frankenstein techniques to produce a sustainable collection through the ideas of 'purge', 'polarity', and 'trashion'.
Figure 1: Shredded Gloves by Lisa Nguyen, 2021, photograph
The elegant, feminine high gloves signify high status, clean hands, and gloves as cleanliness and purity. Contrasted against these symbols is the rebellious slashed and torn technique which seeks to re-contextualise the notion of femininity and purity as an empowering trait.
Similar Design Practitioners
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Figure 3: Haute Couture Spring Summer by Viktor&Rolf , 2020, photograph
Viktor and Ralph makes the bold design decision of layering floral patterns on floral patterns using leftover fabrics. I don't have many florals but I do have many stripes and polka dots that I could layer. The gathering at the neckline is interesting as it is made from a combination of different fabrics.
Figure 2: Architectural Gathering by Lisa Nguyen, 2019, photograph
The gathering of the garment intends to mimic buildings with expansive sculptura forms such as the wavy Heydar Alijev Cultural Centre, Baku, Azerbaijan, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. During this project, I accidently distorted the garment by unevenly distributing the gathering. Although I fixed it for this project, it made me wonder how I could displace the volume to different areas around the body.
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Figure 4: "Vice Versa" Capeline-jacket with sharp edges by Anne Valérie Hash , 2003, photograph
Anne Valérie Hash is known for experimenting with fitting men's clothing on the body of little girls. She uses pinning, folding, unpicking, and twisting techniques on formal men attire to play with the concept of oversize-meets-undersize. Her designs are avant-garde with obvious elements of deconstruction that pervade the collection.
Figure 5: Corduroy-collar, PVC jackets filled with milk caps by BODE, 2019, photograph
BODE studies historical techniques and personal narratives to create and express sentimentality for the past. The brand incorporates modern workwear silhouettes with female-centric traditions of quilting, mending, and applique.
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Figure 7: Fall Menswear Fashion Show by Vivienne Westwood, 2017, photograph
Vivienne Westwood uses fashion as a means to raise awareness of the environmental impact of overconsumption by urging people to buy less and better quality clothes. Vivienne Westwood's designs focus on heritage, empowerment, materials, and upcycling.
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The garment is sewn together with visible seams and unfinished edges to emphasise the frankentein nature of the design. In addition, the garment is made from small panels cut from three different coats, creating a patchwork effect.
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Figure 6: Shredded black dress by Adam Saak, 2016, photograph
Adams Saaks uses a cut and weave technique, unlike conventional garment construction, to form the design lines of the dress directly on the bodice. This is a great method to use on stretch fabric and existing knitted garments as it doesn't fray and produces interesting geometry.
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Figure 8: Ready To Wear Fall Winter by Jonathan Simkhai, 2018, photograph
Jonathan Simkhai designs for Longevity. He incorporates his love of laces with a mix of luxurious recycled fabric to create empowering designs for women.
With the idea of multifunction, craft preservation, and longevity in mind, he uses delicate satins in the shade of almond-hue nudes to empower women "who wants to embrace and express her sensual side" (a Gibson Girl circa, 2018)
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Figure 9: Dressform Art by Lucy Ferrer, 2006, photograph
Lucy Ferrer is known for her dressform art collage. She collects old pattern pieces and combines them with bits of clothing, drawings, and paintings. This method would be helpful for frankensteining my thrifted garments together to create the collaging effect.
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Ann Demeulemeester is known for her gothic bohemian style. This type of cutting and assembly is similar to what I want to create.
Figure 10: Spring/Summer Menswear by Ann Demeulemeester's, 2017, photograph