I started with a design I was fully satisfied with. However, the fashion illustration was really bold and somehow unpractical. Therefore, the biggest challenge for me was to transform those outrageous, growing, organic shapes in 2D into 3D garment. Pattern making placed a major role in this particular project. Following up with the pattern making, almost inevitably draping skill is required. As a student that has never learnt draping before the whole process was pretty much Youtube tutorials and self-directory. There was also a lot of overlapping, extending shapes on my garment, which requires extreme carefulness beforehand to plan out what’s the sewing order of different pieces.
Initial Illustration
Process Photos
Concept Photography
Connections Between Studio & Seminar
Research about Feminism related topics has affected significantly in my picturing of final garment making. Because there was a shift happening in my seminar research, from Feminism embedded in street wear to exploring its significance in future wearable technology industry. This actually gives me more inspiration in making my garment. From the street wear research, I learnt a lot of high fashion brands like Dior had adopted street features and slogan t-shirts into their 2017 fashion runway. The simple slogan by Dior on their 2017 spring ready wear t-shirt “The Future is Feminism” has led a clear direction for 21st century fashion market. The strongly emphasized message of feminism and the combination of street wear features into high fashion brand identify the new role of female and street culture in fashion world. Street wear features are adopted to deliver women power in such a straight-forward way. Therefore, I adopt this major embodiment into my garment also. Accompanying to this trend, I made the across-waist belt using the pattern I designed that had combined the 12 dominant powerful woman figures all around the world. The add-on of this graffiti like belt in the middle of the dress enhance a bold and fearless effect, while the whole dress still kept its elegancy of female body.
After I switched my topic to high technology fashion, I found even more confidence from my seminar research for my further design on the dress. I looked into almost 20 pieces of most recent and pioneer wearable tech in nowadays fashion world, and surprisingly, I found most of the wearable titled with technology are not only dominated by the new-invented innovative fabrics, but also accompany a lot of materials like leather, and PVC to strengthen the dramatic and striking visual effect. I studied majorly Lady Gaga’s and The Black Eyed Pea’s collaborations with Studio XO. However, instead of being astounded by the stunning tech, I was also surprised by the materiality and texture of certain fabrics that can also assemble this indifferent and overwhelming effect wearable tech can offer. I find PVC to be the most popular material among others this year, no matter in the fast-fashion, high-fashion, or high tech wearables. Therefore, just like how I imagined in my design, PVC was for sure needed to be included.
Besides all the factors I have talked about in the previous paragraphs. I also added on my personal opinions into the final design. I think of woman power as an natural energy originated and grew from nature. The masculinity combined into the westside female cowboy boots drowns me. I think that’s the most unspeakable feminism power that cane ever be shown in female fashion. The horse skin like color leather stress the freedom and fearless of women kind.
The Future
As a designer, I think of street wear as my main crush. Not only because I’m indulged into the general hip hop culture, but also I treasure the fearless, powerful spirit it carries. As a woman, I figure Feminism to be the right word for my agenda in design. It’s to embrace powerful images of all woman and suppress the vulnerability and dependence traditional women’s wears carry in the way of introducing wearable tech and street wear.
