Collages Collages Collages

I have to say, this project is definitely hands on and fun in comparison to the previous projects. The next part of the project was to create collages 1) Using photocopies of the materials we used and 2) Using magazine cutouts. I liked that photocopying the material really enabled me to highlight certain areas that I thought would look really good zoomed in. It really captured the detailing of denim and zips and I also tried scrunching material up to create good images. I did far too many photocopies of the material and ended up with lots of pages however, I did try to use the images that were really strong. I did not particularly enjoy creating the collages using magazine cutouts as opposed to the photocopies of materials. This was because I did not like the shapes etc of the magazine cutouts and it made it difficult to create a good silhouette. However, it was interesting to experiment with the placement of the shapes and to not stick to simple silhouettes.

Below are a few images of the collages I did, the rest are in sketchbook:

Working On The Stand

I was really looking forward to this part of the project where we take several items of clothing, unpick/cut it up into pieces to create design ideas. Overall it was a really fun task however at times it did get quite frustrating, I think this was due to the fact that I cut up the clothes into too small pieces.

Initially I knew I wanted to work with denim as there was something about the material that I liked. I liked the idea of pockets, zips and fastenings. And I knew I would find it in the clothes I used in the above picture. I wanted to use a variety of clothes also. So as you can see I used things from jogging bottoms to asian kameez to a formal shirt. This was because I wanted different textures and fabrics in my design ideas.

So, because I cut the material into small pieces, I had quite a few pockets, zips etc and not enough material to use for the garment. If I did do this again, I think I would only select some things to cut and keep the rest as big pieces to use for the garment. On the other hand, the designs I did did come out very unusual and although it took a while it was fun to work on the stand.

Below are some pictures I took, the rest is in my sketchbook:

I liked the way I was able to scrunch up material to create a different texture or to fold, pleat and overlap to create layers etc. As you can see from my illustrations they do not have colour. This is because I prefer illustrating that way and especially because I really wanted to pay attention to the detail instead and felt it would come out good with a fine line pen.

Deconstruction/Reconstruction

So now that Christmas Break is over, it is now time to start a new project called Deconstruction/Reconstruction. I am super excited to start this project as I know it involves recycling clothes to create something new and better. This concept is appealing to me as I have done something similar in college. As briefed, we've all brought in old clothes to use for styling. This task was really fun as we got in groups and styled our friend using the clothes in unusual ways. For e.g. we put a top on her upside down or we we tied her legs together with a scarf. It was interesting to put on the clothes in ways it wasn't made to be put on therefore made it really fun and interesting. Although we didn't do as many styles, we had enough to draw from and it showed us you can create so many different looks if styled in a different way. If I were to do it again, I would have got in some more clothes just so we had a variety of clothes to choose from.

Below are a couple pictures that I took, the rest are in my sketchbook:

How it looks like in a room

I loved how they came out, I loved the contrast in colours in the first two rooms. I feel if Iris Van were to put it into a room, it would stand out like that. I also wanted to try something different as you can see in the last picture. Although it looks very busy, I feel maybe if the chair was a different colour it would blend really well. I enjoyed using Photoshop a lot for this activity and it was thrilling looking for a particular room as I have always liked looking into interiors.

As you can see in these two pictures, I used Photoshop to change the shape of the chair. I also like it elongated too, It gives it a sense of royalty to it.

Final Design

I chose this chair design because I feel it is something that would be created if Iris Van Herpen were to collaborate with Conran. It's not too extravagant, simple but edgy. Its perfect for Conrans market aswell as Iris Van Herpens. I was gutted I could not choose other shapes also because I feel I had other great shapes too. However, this one suited most. Below, I drew the chair out in exact measurements, this helped in terms of making it as a 2d prototype.

Below, is when I traced it onto card and constructed it into a a 2d prototype. I am eager to see how it would look like in a room and will use Photoshop to do this.

Final Design Ideas

Now that I have decided a chair is what I want to design, its just a matter of designing the chair and choosing what shapes would work well with it. At this point I am undecided in which shape I want to choose so will use a vary and choose in the end which one I like best.

Extracting shapes

In today's lesson, we were extracting shapes from our gathered research on our chosen artist. I didn't think I would enjoy this task as much as I did. It was interesting to look at detailing on a garment instead of the actual garment as a whole. Once I done a couple sketches and drawings, I thought of how I would incorporate it onto furniture. Because the shapes were extracted from Iris Van Herpen's work it made it more realistic as if it were something that would be designed by her. I came up with a number of shapes and patterns that I could potentially work with. At this point I am thinking of lights as a final product or a chair. Although I would not be able to actually make it, I can still make a small prototype that would demonstrate how it would actually look like. Below are a couple pages including the shapes:

 In these two pictures, I liked how the shapes looked like broken glass. I could possibly use this shape and develop it further by incorporating it into a homeware product. At this stage, I am sure I want to design a chair.

If I were to do this activity again, I would maybe zoom in a lot more and look at the minute detailing of her work and then blow it up.