New and final artist!

Zac Posen creates immense ball gowns full of femininity and structure and so he'll be my final artist inspo for my final piece! I just love the structure in his skirts, which combined with the inpiration from the dior dress, would create an immense final piece.

IDEA DEVELOPMENT experimenting with plastic pleats

At first I experimented with plastic fusion and tried to trap them into plastic (sorry no pictures!), however the result came out very messy and slightly discoloured and therefore the technique is not quite suitable because it didn't trap the fabric in securely. However, I tried to sew them into straight pleats instead and I really love the result:

Then I sewed them vertically to create these dynamic structural pleats:

As a result, I really love how the sewn pleats have come out. They perfectly portray the structural lines of the metropolis and portrays great metamorphosis by adding the different coloured fabrics and changing the shape to make the structure more fluid, serene and magical. I'm trying to enhance the enchantment of the metropolis through the colours and lines.

pretty rad swatches

In lesson today, I was show how to create swatches on Photoshop to put beside my work to portray my primary influences. I really think this technique is genius because of how experimental and creative you can be with your pictures to portray your ideas. I merged my sunset metropolis image with my pattern drawings to create these ombre patterns in the sky; displaying the transformation from day to night and this portraying the metamorphosis of the metropolis. The metamorphosis i also signifies how the colours in the sky and the structural metropolis patterns merge together to create a serene magical setting. These elements have enhanced the beauty of the technological metropolis. 

plastic fusion skirt?

An idea that has occurred for my final, is making my skirt partially out of plastic as a means to represent that architectural texture element in the skirt as well as the top. Furthermore, the holographic shine from the plastic also represents the bright lights of the metropolis, but the metamorphosis is that I am changing the light by interpreting and integrating it into this garment. Here are inspirational pictures I found on Pinterest and Google Images:

http://wywiur.deviantart.com/art/cold-steel-3-96513262

http://solestruckshoes.tumblr.com/post/62458948322 

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2014/ready-to-wear/gareth-pugh/full-length-photos/gallery/1137946

http://www.flip-zone.com/fashion/couture-1/fashion-houses/gattinoni-2513

http://www.tapesculpture.org/gallery.html

http://stylefrizz.com/201404/wear-seasons-hot-trends-rihanna-white-lace-outfit/

change is great

Appreciation post for how much my final idea has developed - AND IS STILL IN THE MIDST OF DEVELOPING. 

idea one:

idea two:

 idea three (final?):

My final (current) design idea is inspired by the following pictures:

"Dior 2012": 

https://fashionbride.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/christian-dior-2012-spring-haute-couture-collection/

"Proenza Shoulder pleated skirt"

: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303442704579363141333528468

http://www.prettyinwhite.com.my/drapes-pleats/

and primary images of city line structure:

omg yes

 THIS DIOR 2012 BALL GOWN IS MIND BLOWING, THE PLEATS ARE JUST MAGNIFICENT. 

I have decided that I want to make a skirt that is both beautiful and structured just like this. It portrays the dominant line structured element of the metropolis and portrays metamorphosis because the exaggeration, sparkly fabric, fluid movement of the skirt completely changes the hard strucure of the city and creates something almost magical. In that sense I am changing the city [Birmingham] and creating something magical (like a wonderland?). I can portray the transformation from day to night by ajusting the colour scheme, adding hues of cobalt and sky blue.

"Dior 2012": 

https://fashionbride.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/christian-dior-2012-spring-haute-couture-collection/

new developed sources of inspo:

So the obvious route to follow for the metropolis theme is structured pleats and origami, and I definitely want to incorporate this technique because I can be extremely experimental and create something clearly and purely inspired by the city.

These are pleat patterns I found on http://louisewells.com/other-pleats/ that I think reflect metropolis structure which I can develop and incorporate into a garment.

mock up evaluation

I have finally taken professional shots of my mock up so far, and I think these pictures somehow mesmerizing reflect the metropolis theme, specifically the city during the night. The silver fabric reflects glowing holographic light, as does the acrylic detail; signifying the city lights. The cut through is not finished, however it adds structure and emphasises the influence from the large grid building. 

I'm really glad i made this mock up because it made me realise what elements did not work out in this design idea. For example, the tassels do not flow the way i intended it to, amd therefore I hall have to eliminate the use of the spray paint and fins an alternative method. Furthermore, the fabric creases excessively due to the delicate texture, and therefore I need to find a different but similar fabric that will be easier to work with. Also, my cut through needs a lot of fixing because it's so untidy and cut poorly. 

I have insane amounts of improvements to make to this garment, however I think the use of acrylic for the collar and necklace is amazing because it adds architectural texture/influence, furthermore i love the use of sleeves to the top.

As a result, I'll be redesigning my final garment, and plan to avoid all the weaknesses and keep the strengths. I plan to research further into my influences and find more relevant artists to see how i can change and improve my final garment.