Fashion and textiles rotation: Day 4

Before the final day we were asked to produce a variety of sketches that documented our ideas and development of the final wearable paper garment.

Focusing on my idea of the folded paper in an origami-like style from day 3, I created a series of sketches that included this particular idea for the top half of the garment. I also experimented with the idea of pleating on both the top and the bottom half of the garment.

For the final design I chose to create the sketch in the top right hand corner of the picture above, however this did not go completely to plan when making the final outcome. 

For the process of making it, I first completed the pleating for the skirt by joining many pieces of paper together using clear tape. I then cut the top of the pleating in a curved shape which correctly matched the waistline of my model. Whilst doing the pleating I used diagonal folds so that the skirt didn't turn out in a protruding zigzag type form as this would have made it difficult to gather the pleats at the waistline and therefore it wouldn't have looked as neatly finished. 

After fitting the skirt to the mannequin, I planned on cutting the skirt so that the length gradually got larger from one side to the next as illustrated in the initial sketch. However after creating the real thing I decided that I liked the aesthetic of the pleated skirt as one long even form and thought that by cutting it I might destroy the visual affect of the pleating. I also decided to do this during the process of making it as the short side of the skirt would have ended up being so short that the dress wouldn't have looked realistic.

After completing our creations, we then got our models to wear them and used background that we thought were interesting in and around Ravensbourne to take pictures of them.

One obvious background I thought of straight away was the circular windows as I felt that these curved shapes contrasted nicely with the abstract and angular image of the folds in my garment.

 

At the end of the day we did a fashion show with everyone wearing each others' paper garments. I found that this was a very fun and enjoyable way to end the fashion rotation and exhibit all our works.