Beauty Collection Adaptation:
Original Beauty Collection:
Flowers:
I tried to literally replicate the textures of the various flowers to create the same bouquet effect but in muslin. I used a combination of pleating, fraying, ruching and folding to replicate the flowers.
Wood Grain:
I was inspired by the subtlties of the wood grain and tried to emulate that by simply pleating the fabric on a curve.
Fishnet:
This traditional honeycomb smocking created a perfect representation of the fishnet. Both are very geometrical but still provide stretch.
Hot glue:
In order to replicate the hot glue in fabric, I used a combination of muslin and silk organza to give it a reflective property. I then bunched, pleated and sewed the layers randomly to give it the effect of hot glue.
Bark:
I wanted to give the swatch the same jagged layered look that the bark had so I made separate pieces that I then sewed onto the base piece. The discolorations in the muslin made the swatch more interesting and layered.
Copper Leaf:
I wanted to try and replicate the distressed look of the copper leaf by fraying and cutting the muslin and layering it under a distressed piece of organza. This layered look was able to give a subtle, yet interesting swatch that captured the aesthetic and beauty of the copper leaf well.
Reflection:
This exploration of beauty gave me a new insight into the beauty of simplicity. For me, the original beauty collection was about the textures themselves and the beauty in found objects both natural and man-made. When trying to replicate that beauty in fabric, the swatches became over-worked and looked tortured to me. My favorite swatches are the simplest ones because they highlight the beauty of the textile itself and its natural properties and it is less focused on how people can manipulate and control the textile. Brunno Jahara said that “Beauty is a simple thing. Beauty doesn’t have to be complicated.” I find this very true when it came to my fabric manipulations.
