Well here we are with the third and final part of my Paper Considerations post. Lots of pictures here but I think it completes the story and shows how I am beginning to develop some of the work.
On the last post I showed you some catwalk images. It was an extremely rewarding day and one which made all of the hard work worthwhile. Speaking personally, creating a garment for the catwalk is special and most likely an opportunity which will not come along again, so to be able to record and share the experience in this way has been quite valuable to me.
The following collection of photos were for the 'photo shoot' which was part of the criteria for the module. All taken by me on a very hot day and modelled by a very patient person. This all had to be completed in one afternoon and as we were celebrating the Art School I stayed on site.
Everything is here, the corsage, the necktie, the fans, the head dress and the paper bodice. The skirt with all of the paper fans rustled in the breeze.
These were the little books I made using all of my photos from the Social History aspect. Each page was threaded together and then I added large bunches of thread and some hand painted antique buttons. I hung them from the skirt to allow the story to become complete.
A trail of fans hung down the back inspired by a dress at the Queen Maud exhibition.
Detail of one of the circles made from pleated prints taken from the photos of the faces on the skirt which you will see later. Yards of knitting pulled together formed the flower.
The end of the shoot, walking through the giant canvases worn out and weary.
A great experience and one with a purpose which gave me the incentive to keep going. To have the opportunity to make this dress and indulge all of my passions for historical reference was completely inspiring. Quite often my work is a collage of ideas which I was often criticized for, it was often seen as not having the ability to make a final decision about a design. Obviously to me everything made sense and was there for a good reason. I often wonder what my style actually is and admire designers who are able to develop and stick to a recognizable outcome, but now I am beginning to wonder whether collage style is me and always will be and is there actually anything wrong with that. At the moment I am working very hard to refine some of my designs and who knows, perhaps one day I will have the answer.
Above is actually a strip of wallpaper which the college printed for my final display. I am very proud of this strip of paper because to me creating wallpaper is the ultimate challenge.
A photo of one of the pleated shapes. I like to look for a different angle.
And look what you can do with it in photoshop.
What next?
Well here are some of the photos I took of the skirt and pleats. Of course I had to put them in photoshop.
I was just learning how to use photoshop here and amazed at what could be achieved.
You can see how the texture of the fabric has created pattern. This large eye creates a lovely repeat pattern.
As soon as I took the photo of this pleat on the skirt I had a feeling it would repeat well.
And it did. Above is what I consider to be my most exciting repeat patterns to date and really unexpected, I like to think it is quite cool. It's always a challenge to create something for teenagers, especially boys but I can imagine this on a t-shirt. I don't think it really matters if it doesn't make sense. There is a heart there and an eye, what more could you want. This image is under 'weird' in my file, I need to think of something better.
This was part of my stall at the Woodbridge Vintage and Contemporary Market. Here you can see some of my new designs for cards and badges taken from the Paper Dress photos. The large eye card and badge was very popular, one customer liked it because it was unusual which is always a good sign and it's great to hear peoples thoughts about new work.
After sharing this 'Paper Considerations' experience with you I can imagine that the collection of items on the stall above all seems very tame doesn't it, but this is just the beginning. My aim this year is to develop these images into contemporary products, I need to remain focused and think beyond the obvious. I know these patterns have potential, but what to do with them is always the big question.
My daughter made a very profound statement after the arrival of my new badges, she said ' I think they are great Mum and I think other people will like them too'.
That's the key isn't it, and the question to always ask about a new idea. I like it but more importantly will others. Back to that very tedious but essential question from any Business Manager, 'Who is your target market'. I love designing but I would much rather leave the difficult questions to someone else because I never know the answer I always feel I am guessing.
So here's to the future everyone, who knows what might turn up.
Ha-Pea Handmade to you all.
Adele
