Hello Second Year

Hello!
I can't believe how long it's been since I last blogged! these past few months have been crazy to say the least, but I'm back, and here's what I've been getting up to as a second year fashion student!

Second year has been quite a shock to the system, lets just say I didn't know how easy I had it last year...

The year kicked off with a collaborative project where we were asked to team up and collaborate with industry professionals  to create an avant-garde fashion accessory. This was not as easy as it seemed. My project partner and myself decided to create a headwear accessory, and we took our inspiration initially from insects, as insects seemed to be key catwalk trend when we first started researching. The project then developed and our concept was the was way in which insects are predisposed to protect themselves from harm, we focused primarily on the hard shell and wings of a beetle.



Copyright Gordie Cavill Source Photography

We used adobe illustrator to create the pattern on the headpiece, which is taken from a wing pattern, we then used a lazer cutter to etch the pattern onto the leatherette fabric.

Then came the audience and context project, where we were to consider the needs and lifestyle of a specific customer/ client base when designing our ideas, we started the project by developing our illustration skills before diving straight into the pattern cutting, toiling and making or the garments, the whole thing was extremely fast paced, but that's the way it is in the real world!

The project was largely focussed on sustainability, therefore the dress is made from British sourced wool crepe. I also investigated methods of zero waste pattern cutting to produce a minimal waste lay plan. My key design element however is the fact that the dress has a detachable collar, and therefore can be worn in more than one way making it more versatile and likely to be kept for longer, the detachable collar also allows the wearer to only wash the collar by hand washing, cutting down on water and energy usage from washing machines, win win!

So that pretty much brings us up to the end of December, first semester has certainly been interesting, lets see what the new year will bring!

Happy New Year!