Assignment Description
During the second 5 weeks, students will develop a 3D object, which demonstrates its connection to the community you identify with, how it defines you, your belief, your personality, etc. The object can be a garment, a functional tool, a body accessory like body extension, etc.).
Phase One:
Conduct is written research & photos on the history of the development of communities ((add citation/ bibliography).
Research:
I was born in 2000 which is a new era of a technology world. So I do not get a lot of ideas about how and what traditional China really was. So I get some research online about what are some traditional boundaries between now and past. I was shocked that there was a foot-binding tradition before. Foot binding was the custom of applying tight binding to the feet of young girls to modify the shape and size of their feet. Foot-binding possibly originated among upper-class court dancers during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in 10th century China, then gradually became popular among the elite during the Song dynasty. Foot-binding eventually spread to most social classes by the Qing dynasty and the practice finally came to an end in the early 20th century. Bound feet were at one time considered a status symbol as well as a mark of beauty. Yet, foot binding was a painful practice and significantly limited the mobility of women, resulting in lifelong disabilities for most of its subjects. Feet altered by binding were called lotus feet.
In modern times, high heels also become a symbol of female beauty. Women in high-heeled shoes stride back and forth through the streets of the city, forming a beautiful scene. Women seem to be born with high heels. About High heels, one theory goes back to King Louis xiv of France. Louis xiv asked artisans to design shoes that would make it difficult for ladies of the court to move around. The shoemaker then raised the heels of the ladies’ shoes so that they would make a squeaking noise when stepping on the floor. High heels are a kind of punishment for women, nowadays, it symbolizes beauty. And women try to cover the shortage of their heights or tries to increase or maintain the beauty of themselves often choose to wear high heels.
Citation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2013/08/26-years-of-growth-shanghai-then-and-now/100569/
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/29922377
Mood Board:
Design Proposal:
In this project, we need to make a wearable piece based on our culture and society. So, as a really modern person, I go online to search for the history of China. I find out that my home town, Shanghai which is a big and modern city and the fastest growing city in the world right now was actually a really destitute, and small fishing village before; I find out that China was changed from a really closed country to an open city in world wild tour; I also find out that the dress from before is really different from today’s aesthetics.
And especially for women, although there is a lot of change in the fashion that how we dressed, there is still a lot of constraint around us. I want to design a wearable piece that could show the current situation of the Chinese girls. A situation that between open-minded and close-minded. A price that we need to pay if we want to make a revolt. A situation that every revolution needs to payout.
1. The first idea comes to my mind is shoes. For a thousand years, people’s aesthetics changed a lot. From foot-binding to a high heel, and from a high heel to the larger size shoes as Balenciaga’s Triple S series. But whatever for foot-binding or high heel, they are all painstaking.
2. I also want to make socks. It is an extension from idea 1. I am really a fan of socks. And based on my family, I always wear socks to go to bed. It is also referred to as foot-binding in the past.
3. I compare the traditional wedding dress and the modern wedding dress which is inspired by western civilization, I was surprised at how different modern fashion and traditional fashion can be. In addition to the contrast between modern fashion and traditional fashion, I want to make a decoration piece that combining tradition and modern fashion together.
Phase Two:
Design concept selection, sketches, and 3D modeling
I thought the best concept from the top is to making a shoe to shows the woman as a community that has been bonded by a lot of standard like. So the first idea when I think about to symbolize women in a flower. Then, I decided to use more flower patterns decoration on my project. And the decoration material first comes to my mind is to use the lace.
Draft pattern:
3D mockups:
Phase Three:
Design Finalizing
Technical drawings:
Process:
Reflection:
For this space project, we’re creating a project which demonstrates its connection to the community you identify with, and how it defines you. And I try to do some research according to my culture. I found out that there is a lot of different bounding standards, especially for women. People always gave an aesthetic to a woman that what beauty is. I think women do not need to put more payout to attaining the beauty standard. So I make a high heel shoe to show what is the women face to. A price they need to pay for the beauty. The price is to make their feet tortuosity when they either do the foot binding in history to make their foot stop growing, or they wear high heels nowadays to make them look skinnier and taller. I put some wire and lace inside the heel to show that the soft part and the tough part of women. They have all been bonded. And I make an open toes shoe with the wire inside and the lace cover it to shoe how women bear the pain inside and show the beautiful appearance. And the open toes shoes also mean that women needs to get out of the condition like that to make them more freedom like the open toes shoes.
