Creative Design Practices
But once inside the building I was immediately overwhelmed by everything. Inspiration could be found everywhere from walls to ceilings. With magnificent prints displayed in an array of beautiful colours and textures I examined several of the shapes in which I felt I could possibly work with later on.
I like the idea of working with contrasting hard and soft shapes in order to produce an individual structure.
Objects in which envoke these ideas are-
. The columns built at the entrance of the building
. A stool in which was constructed from marble, using purple and orange tones (found in the chinese room)
. The ruff - worn by many during the Elizabethan period
. The clothing worn during the Elizabethan period
I was also particulary inspired by the draping of the curtains found at both windows and on four-poster beds. The way that the fabric fell could be reconstructed through drapery or interprited into a more rigid form.
From sketches I made and the photographs in which I took I must now begin to refine my ideas. Making sure that they relate to one another and hold enough information for me to work with later on, when producing a working line up. I don't feel doing this will be that difficult as I found so much material for inspiration in regards to structure and drape and even potential colour schemes.
Putting idea sheets together I have focused on the draping of the curtains and the structure of the column.
We have been asked to put together a trend board. This consists of fashion images combined with non fashion related images in order to provide a designer with inspiration. From the four spring/summer 2010 trends in which I researched I feel that 'Ode to Nature' collaborates most successfully with certain aspects in which I have invisioned. Constructing a variety of different draping methods to produce a new form.
Taking into consideration potential colour schemes I have begun depicting several colours from the column. Doing this I noticed that there are subtle tones of purple, blue, yellow and green..all colours found on the colour palete of the 'Ode to Nature' trend.
I had decided to design for the designer Burberry Prosum - A high end designer. I made this decision as I feel that it will allow me to be a little bit more creative during the design process. I don't feel that I could design for the lower end - budget market. When following through my shop report I felt uninspired. The garments all seemed relatively the same and lacked imagination. I surpose that is what you get when you are limited to the fabrics and processes in are available to you.
As well as helping future designers this trend board has deffinately helped me gain several ideas in terms of design. However if I had included a bigger selection of non related photographs on the page I feel I could have generated several more as at the moment you could say that they are designs generated from concepts in which are already out there.
Today was a hard day at uni!! we were asked to compile 30 designs, a combination of garments in which put together 3 complete outfits..I wish I was a fast worker! hopfully this will come with practice. I actually got the work done however I had to stay up the entire night in order for it to happen.
We had to take out initial designs into uni and show them to piers in groups of 4. I was a bit sceptical of this and how useful the information would actually be as everyone is so nice and doesn't want to give any negative feedback.
I hate it when people do that! I would rather them tell me exactely what they think instead of thinking it to themselves, so I know where I have gone wrong.
This proved to be the case until, Angie came round to the table and said what she felt about each design..she enabled people to be a little more critical so when obtaining the feedback we knew where we had gone wrong and which areas needed improving.
The feedback was more helpful that I thought it was going to be. When I had designed the skirts, tops and jackets my main inspiration had been from the draping, this proved to be to much so now I must introduce more structure along with several more simpler items into the line up.
I worked on the stand the entire day today! I didn't realize how many potential designs I had actually come up with until I printed them all off. There are a few in which I was not happy with but the majority I shall deffinately be taking further. I feel twisting segments in to the design and encorperating large knots of fabric in carfully decided areas works really well!! I took this idea from a photograph of a four poster bed. The ceiling consistered of a large quantity of heavily pleated fabric, brought to a point in the middle.
DESIGN DESIGN DESIGN! That was pretty much my entire weekend. Though I am pretty pleased with myself i've actually manage to conjure up quite a few ideas!! I did a little bit more stand work to and thought of placing ruffles underneith the twists of fabric. This feature would relate to several of the finishes found on a number of curtain drapes.
I found ruffles produced in the soft silk chiffon fabric worked really well. Because it is only a fine fabric the ruffles remain soft and relatively hidden. This was the look in which I wished to obtain as i did not want the customer to focus entirly on this aspect. I wanted it to be a feature in which is noticed once upclose.
I feel like I have chopped down about 50 trees!! as I have just photocopied all my designs so I can mix and match combinations quickly and easily. This was probably one of the best ideas I have had. I came up with some successful combinations pretty quickly. It also enabled me to see which aspects of design do not work well together without having to spend the time drawing them out.
I went to Bradford today to buy my fabrics. Wheleys fabrics seemed to be some well kept secret as both taxi drivers found it a struggle to get there. But the place was amazing and I managed to get exactely what I wanted even though I was getting pushed to hurry up and make my decision from the receptionist that worked there...sorry love you can't interupt and hurry creativity.
An error on my part! I wish I had bought my fabrics earlyer on in the day! Looking at them, observing how they drape on the stand and how they work with one another I fell I could have come up with so much more if i had been working with the fabrics in front of me from the start! I have deffinately learnt from the error of my ways and from now on will make sure that fabrics are bought from the word go.
The deadline is tomorrow and I have to put fabrics next to each of my designs...produce a working line up and several things need finishing off in my shop and trend report...It is going to be a long and stressful night!! god damn your slow ways charlotte
I don't have time for this! Stupid pantoon pens..I love you but you are bringing me down. They are actually amazing in the way they work on paper but I don't know what i've done with them. Half way through my working line up and the smudge effect one (the best one) has decided to run out..so I have the first half of the working line up that I am happy with and the second half looks rushed...Again if i learnt to spead up and not take so long over everything I wouldn't have this problem!
Handed In the projected at 1 and didn't actually go to bed last night. I knew it was going to be a long one but I didn't anticipate it being that long a night!! I felt and looked like an actual Zomibe walking around uni!
Overall I am pleased with my final working line up. I feel the garments placed together interact with one another successfully. I also believe that all 6 outfits work well together in producing a collection. Each aspect of design encorperates a tie feature, drape and structure.
However if I was to follow this module through again I would make sure to allocate myself a little more time to finish the working line up a little more professionally. I would also be a little more experimental with the design process. The rest of my project was presented in an exciting way however when it came to the rows and rows of designs that is exactely what they were, just rows and rows or minature figures. This looked repetative and a little boring!!
