Accessories are booming, they are becoming more of an necessity to go with a garment. I decided to look into natural materials and why we waste them, I looking into rubber, cartoons and plastics.  Materials that are seen as rubbish, seeing how we can reuse and recycle these materials to prevent waste. I experimented with body scrubs, rubber bands, plastic bags and milk cartoons. My message is why throw it away if you can reinvent and rewear it? I did some stand work with unraveled scrubs and plastic bags, to present how they can become accessories and demonstrate how they can be worn. I developed this with unravelling scrubs and putting them on the body. My final accessories was a combo of different coloured scrubs and having it as a multi purpose accessories.

Experimenting with plastics, rubber and general what we call ‘waste’ made me question why these materials are wasted. Why not reinvent a use out of these materials? I then styled these materials on different muses. The material I took a liking to and that was most effective for me was body scrubs, coloured netting can be an accessory. I like the texture of the material, I experimented it on my peer as well as mannequins and muses to explore it on a variety of backgrounds and to see it in 2d and 3d. This accessory is an exaggerated message to not waste!!!!! what we consider waste can be used in some way. Ones rubbish is another’s treasure.

My final accessory was an exaggerated colourful expressive piece that can be wore in many different ways, as a neckpiece, a hair accessory, a waist band and a head band. I think the outcome of this project was successful as I like the brightness and volume of my end products, with all the colours and light bouncy feel to the accessory. I will take forward development skills, and if I were to re visit this project I would try different techniques with this material, for example see what happens when its heated or moulded together some way. Moving forward I will think about looking further into my concept and how I can add my style to general techniques and will consider accessories more closely.

This reading week, I have planned my time to complete 2 projects, focusing on black history month first I have been researching and seeing what events are happening today, I got inspiration for this project from visiting an exhibition at the African centre to appreciate Pierre -Christophe Gams work, it was influential, I took painting technique inspiration from his work, I also visited the Sommerset house, Athi-Patra Ruga: Of Gods Rainbows and Omissions exhibition, which was outstanding. To celebrate Black history month, its a celebration for those that changed history for the better, it is to notify history and share the events that have happened that affect us today, to spread equal rights and show respect to those who went through traumatic times. I have researched into significant people in history, studying American history previously gave me the ability to understand and highlight certain events and people in black history. Rosa Parks for me is a independent, capable, brave woman who fought for her beliefs and her rights. She initinated the removal of segregation laws on buses.

Research, finding out about Rosa’s point of view and understanding her point in an interview. I have briefly looked at many different significant people in black history, Rosa parks stood out for me, here I began researching and learning about her life. She inspired me as a strong, independent and brave woman, as she stood up for her rights and spoke up. I decided I wanted my outcome to portray Rosa’s bravery,  to create digital illustrations to express her courage and show, share what she achieved, I have drawn a shorted timeline of Rosa Parks, to demonstrate her through her lifetime.

ROSA PARKS

• young – old

During this stage of my course I will plan the best way to my time efficiently and put my point of view across and express my ideas in a considerate, detailed and experimental way, I will independently find answers and practice independent research to improve the speed I work at and the depth of my research.

During the diagnostic stage my knowledge and experimental practice was quickly developing, I think my main areas of strength was developing the ability to do tasks in set time, doing the draping, paper manipulating and the designing workshop gave me the ability to work under pressure, and complete tasks in a set time, this meant I was able to demonstrate spontaneous actions especially in the draping workshop. I know this was a strength I had and noticed I was at ease when completing the big draw tasks. I will continue to use this skill and it will improve my time management and mean tasks will be done efficiently. I think this is a crucial skill to have due to the fast pace fashion industry.

Photoshop was a strength aswell as development as I enjoy using photoshop to edit my photoshoots and I love intricate editing. Therefore I was eager to embrace the session, I went in with basic skills, but the two sessions taught me how to create and identify repeat patterns. I was able to experiment with different layers, I used cloning tools, repeats, sizing tools, blur tools, warp tools. This gave me strength with photoshop as I became familiar with countless tools.

I am planning to use my photoshop skills in my developmental stage, while still developing them, I could look at classes outside of uni to speed up my progress as I would like to be at an advance level. As designing patterns and textile prints is something I enjoy. I will definitely be using the photography skills I learnt from the styling workshop I completed. The diagnostic stage was very beneficial, exciting stage as I learnt so many skills in such a short time, I’ve tried many different techniques, and explored into the word descent showing a journey from the word to a garment. It helped feel confident about choosing my fashion and textile pathway.

 

 

Analysing other peers work gave me the ability to notice effective parts to a sketchbook and bits to improve on, it taught me to analyse my own sketchbook and identify things I need to improve, on my journey already I have learnt how to effective layout my work, so many different ways to collect research and how to develop it in a clear, effective way, this course has already taught me how to present my work professionally.

My feedback –  I need to spread out my research, and respond to research in a variety of ways, so I have more to expand and develop, this could be through stand work, extracting shapes, working on top of work and getting a clear influence from my research. I need to ensure everything I put in my book has a meaning, why is it there? and how to  why did it inspire me? I need to expand my contextual research, have more shape and development to my project.

 

This bodice was beneficial to make, to gain practice and knowledge about patterns and getting familiar with how to read and work with patterns, sewing darts and seams. I decided to do the bodice with calico and jersey, to practice with two different types of material, to practice with different tensions and getting used to different materials, and learn what sewing machine settings are best for different fabrics. Moving forward I will use the sewing skills and continue to make mock up calico pieces to ensure the final outcome is correct in all ways and to analyse the garment before to ensure all areas of the garment are how I expected, or if I have to make changes, this will save materials and prevent mistakes, pattern cutting is a skill I will definitely be using in the future to construct garments and is a useful skill.

Promotional fashion workshop, this workshop taught me creative direction, how to style a photo to follow a theme and concept, branding, how to create a narrative within a piece and customer awareness, thinking about how I can accurately aim my photoshoot towards ‘Kim Kong’ customers. This magazine has no rules, I enjoyed the task because I could create anything I wanted, there was no boundaries. I researched the magazine and also worked out the stereotype of the customers that view the magazine, to ensure I’m aiming and targeting the right audience. My idea was linked with descent into addiction,  for the practice I used Aleisha as a model and used bottles, half empty cups and creating a intoxicated atmosphere with there phrase ‘trapped in addiction’. This is a mock photoshoot to plan and test how the photoshoot is going to pan out, what props I need and where I want the photoshoot to be.

ADDICTION, INTOXICTION.

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These were the word behind my message through the photos, linking to my project in the sense of this is the outcome of descending into drugs and becoming an addicted. I did my models makeup very rough, with fishnet tights and a dark grey top, the photoshoot included props to link to my descent interpretation. I took these photos with guidance from a professional photographer, and in Ravensbourne studio with a plain black background. I wanted to get a range of angles, and close ups to feel the full effect of the addiction my model had, the facial expressions portray this.

I further developed these photos by editing them in photoshop, I wanted to use these photos to experiment with all the tools on photoshop, I adjusted the ‘CAMERARAW’ snd also tried many different techniques, I used the burnt tool, dodge tool, warp tool, eraser, cloning tool, layering, opacity, lighting tools, paint brush, filling and adding text. I am pleased with the outcome. I wanted to portray a character/model that was deep in the drug life, someone with a problem, someone that needs help. I increased the intensity and contrast on these photos to make them intense and detailed. I learnt how to comfortably edit an image, and will use this practice for my future photoshop edits.

Feedback from relative – got the feeling of anxiety and depression, liked the colour overlay on images and contrast.

My end photoshoot was in a few, empty, worn and bare locations, to express the depth and meaning behind my concept I used my pattern cutting skills from the workshop I completed and made a plain jersey top, which I added netting on the arms and neck to add detail, I then created these PVC lungs which you can place over the top, its a comparison of a damaged and healthy lungs, which was hand embroidery and machine stitching, to present the effects of smoking and descending into nicotine addiction and how it affects your body. I think the garment and photoshoot was successful, and I’m pleased with how my message was portrayed. I will carry on photoshoot and photoshop skills on as well as the expansion of research and how important you have a base and background of research behind your project to support it, and show you have full understanding of the area your exploring.

Thinking about how to further indulge in my concept, I started off thinking and reflecting on why I chose addiction, what made me chose it? Well the subject interests me because I struggle to understand how an addiction can completely brainwash someone, it takes over and has so much authority over one person. Willpower is key, I like to educate myself on the effects of drugs and how an addiction is a downwards spiral that someone descends into. I decided to do a response to this thought, I used photos of garments that I saw and liked when trend searching, in dover street. I used these photos and removed parts of the garments and replaced it with cigarette butts, damaged lungs through smoking and smoke. my message for these experiments was a question to smokers… would you wear these disturbing images on your clothes. After asking friends and family members, and myself, the answer was ovibiously NO! so if you wouldn’t let it happen or show it the outside, why let it happen to your inside? what about the sight of your lungs? the damage it does to your health? it is a message to stop your addiction to ‘save you health’.

 

Print Workshop-

For me, this was my favourite workshop yet, i learnt how to create a repeat pattern on photoshop, how to analyse a pattern and find the original block thats repeated, how to use the cloning and warping tools on photoshop and manipulating, layering images and hiding traplines within a pattern. To link it with my concept of addiction I used a section of my drape, which portrayed being in a knot a mess, creating tension with the fabric. I cloned parts of the picture, warped parts, copy and pasted parts, changed the brightness, contrast and exposure of certain parts of the image. I wanted to create a pattern that was connected in all areas. I also created a busy, colourful pattern using research and responses in my sketchbook regarding health and how to save your health. This pattern has a message of looking after your health and implies drugs ruin your body, by taking drugs you are destroying your health.

Towards the end of this workshop I printed my prints on satin, using a heat roller to print the design on the fabric, I was pleased with the results and then explored with the prints on a mannequin, seeing if the prints when together. if I did this workshop again I would of used the same colour scheme and texture intensity into each print to create more of a family. Although they weren’t a family, I thought the prints when well together due to the contrast, and I think as opposites they bounce of one another.