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Traditional textile techniques used in contemporary ways – Part 6: Pattern cutting and tailoring - The Open College of the Arts

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Traditional textile techniques used in contemporary ways – Part 6: Pattern cutting and tailoring thumb

Traditional textile techniques used in contemporary ways – Part 6: Pattern cutting and tailoring

For this blog post I am looking at the world of fashion, in particular designers who create garments that are pushing the boundaries of what clothes can be. My impression of this corner of the fashion industry is that as it crosses over into art there is freedom to take risks and make creative discoveries in engaging and meaningful ways. I believe as OCA students there is a lot to be learnt from these practitioners. They frequently use a wide range of fabric manipulation techniques to create sculptural shapes and forms. There is experimental use of materials with regular use of the unusual and the transformation of the everyday, with deep understanding of colour and texture. The designers and their teams are always dedicated to craftsmanship to create high quality and functional pieces.
There are some big names out there like John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Issey Miyake who you will already be aware of, in this post I hope to introduce you to a new generation of designers, briefly analysing some of their work and practices. What I want you to take from this post is that the observation and analysis of artful design will encourage you to be broadminded in your own creativity, feel comfortable with risk taking and adopt a considered approach to craftsmanship.
Anne Sofie Madsen explains in her interview for the Louisiana Channel that because fashion is always preparing for the future the garments become futuristic. This is certainly true of her work where the normal silhouette has been replaced by space age lines and materials. The designer makes clear links to her research material, for example a scene from a film shot in a car interior translates into multiple shiny surfaces and printed fabrics from the automotive industry that communicate her impression of the dark atmosphere of the movie.
maiko-takeda
The milliner and jewellery maker Maiko Takeda created a truly space age looking collection for her MA called Atmospheric Re-entry. She describes her work as ethereal adornments for the body, taking her inspiration from environmental factors like shadow, wind and gravity. The materials she works with appear weightless constructing the garments from acrylic quills, acetate bristles and transparent film. When the wearer moves and breathes the feathery forms create shimmering waves. The work has been seen on exhibition in the Joyce Gallery, Paris, fashion shows and in Bjork performances therefore demonstrating it’s versatility.
The work of Miriam de Waard incorporates sheer pleats and folds in metallic prints to create vibrant and dreamy garments. The use of colour and materials communicates fragility and the transitory quality of delicate substances. Her graduation collection uses a watery colour palette in dark hues forming garments that have elements of punk culture and Edwardian costume. She drew inspiration for the work from the emotions, fears and frustrations of female night guards using exaggerated pleating to go beyond the body’s natural silhouette to create unsteady shifting outlines.
valeska-jasso-collado
The style blog WHO WHAT WEAR describes the work of Valeska Jasso Collado as truly ground breaking. She takes materials like foam and latex to construct over exaggerated and bold clothing in a bright child like colour palette. The garments remind me of the costumes for the Bauhaus Triadic Ballet from 1922 in both colour and form. Her adventurous style includes allowing her unconventional materials their natural expression creating voluminous shapes and sheer surfaces. Collado takes her inspiration from interior design including the materials used. Minimal in use of materials and relaxed use of tailoring for me the outfits are girly and playful in both composition and colour.
Another fashion practitioner who distorts the conventional silhouette in a bright and girly way is Vingi Wong. Inspired by traditional Eastern European costume including traditional craft techniques Wong uses contemporary materials like netting, acrylic beads and faux fur in a range of neon colours. Shape and structure is created through the layering of fabric to form loose stripes with raw edges of material that create ambiguous bands of colour. The work encompasses digital print, silkscreen print and hand embroidery. The garments express frivolity, humour and daring, travelling to the absurd and theatrical so unsurprisingly one of the dresses was bought and worn by the artist Grayson Perry.
This tiny selection of practitioners is not even the tip of the iceberg of fashion creativity out there. My hope is that for those of you who don’t already look at Haute Couture and fashion shows you’ll now use this theatrical world as a source of inspiration and encouragement. One of the wonderful things about fashion is that the students and designers self publicise their work on personal websites, social media sites and blogs. I suggest as part of your research you source videos of catwalks and fashion shows to see the garments at their best.
Bibliography and further reading
2012 Miriam De Waard, Lichting http://www.lichting.nl/?page=participant&item=1577
Anne Sofie Madsen, Copenhagen, Not Just a Label https://www.notjustalabel.com/designer/anne-sofie-madsen
Anne Sofie Madsen, Copenhagen Fashion Week http://www.copenhagenfashionweek.com/designer/anne-sofie-madsen
Anne Sofie Madsen, AW 12/13, Copenhagen Fashion Week http://www.copenhagenfashionweek.com/sites/default/files/press/anne_sofie_madsen_lookbook_aw1213_sedna.pdf
Anne Sofie Madsen Interview: Fashion as a Cultural Clash, film by Louisiana Channel, YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wijCGNVINWE
Atmospheric Re-entry by Maiko Takeda by Dan Howarth, Dezeen http://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/01/atmospheric-reentry-by-maiko-takeda/
British Vogue http://www.vogue.co.uk
Catwalks, London Fashion Weekend http://londonfashionweekend.co.uk/catwalks/
Copenhagen Fashion Week – Fall Winter 2014/2015 Selected looks, Arc Street Journal http://www.arcstreet.com/article-copenhagen-fashion-week-fall-winter-2014-2015-selected-looks-122413125.html
Das Triadische Ballet, Oskar Schlemmer, YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87jErmplUpA
DHL Exported 2015 – Anne Sofie Madsen, film by DHL Exported, YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-OErjM4dA
Future Fashions exhibition by You are Here and Glamcult Studio by Dan Howarth, Dezeen http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/25/future-fashions-exhibition-at-dutch-design-week-2013/
Going out of this world with Maiko Takeda by Emma Hope Allwood, Dazed http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/20747/1/maiko-takeda-out-of-this-world
Last Week of Reflect, WOW News http://www.wow-amsterdam.nl/2015/02/last-week-reflect-at-wow/
Maiko Takeda http://www.maikotakeda.com
Maiko Takeda, Atmosphereic Re-entry, film by Silvia Bombardini, Vimeo https://vimeo.com/74576160
Maiko Takeda for POSTmatter – 2014 film by Michael Forzza, YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzDHVk878lo
Miriam De Waard. Netherlands, The New Gen http://the-newgen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/miriam-de-waard-netherlands.html
Miriam De Waard Spring/Summer 2013 women’s, fashionising.com http://www.fashionising.com/runway/b–miriam-de-waard-ss-13-26887.html
Obsessed: Designer/Artist Anne Sofie Madsen, Fyrafix.com https://fyrafix.wordpress.com/tag/anne-sofie-madsen/
Prickly Subject: Maiko Takeda by Fabricebana, Agent of Style http://www.agentofstyle.com/2013/10/24/prickly-subject-maiko-takeda/
Q&A: Maika Takeda, Frame Magazine http://www.frameweb.com/news/q-a-maiko-takeda
Reflect at WOW Curated by Fashion Designer Aziz Bekkaoui, Runway Passport http://runwaypassport.com/news/tag/miriam-de-waard/
Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague graduate fashion show 2012, Arts Thread http://www.artsthread.com/blog/kabk/
Throwback Thursdays with Tim Banks Video Series, Vogue.com http://video.vogue.com/series/throwback-thursdays-with-tim-blanks
Valeska Jasso Collado http://www.valeskacollado.com
Valeska Jasso Collado folds latex-covered foam into geometric garments by Dan Howarth, Dezeen http://www.dezeen.com/2014/06/09/valeska-jasso-collado-westminster-fashion-collection/
Valeska Jasso Collado/University of Westminster Graduate, Volt Café http://www.voltcafe.com/blog/valeska-jasso-collada-university-westminster-graduate
Valeska Jasso Collado’s Voluminous Designs by Julia Kasper, Trend Land http://trendland.com/valeska-jasso-collados-voluminous-designs/
Vingi Wong BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Print 2013, Showtime/Central Saint Martins http://showtime.arts.ac.uk/vingiwong
Vingi Wong, Brighton Fashion Week http://www.brightonfashionweek.com/vingi-wong/
Vingi Wong, Collectif Textile https://collectiftextile.com/vingi-wong/
Vingi Wong film by Paola Vivas, Vimeo https://vimeo.com/78757324
Vingi Wong, London, Not Just a Label https://www.notjustalabel.com/designer/vingi-wong
♯WomanCrushWednesday: Rising Designer Valeska Jasso Collado by Meghan Blalock, WHO WHAT WEAR http://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/valeska-jasso-collado/


Posted by author: Rebecca Fairley

2 thoughts on “Traditional textile techniques used in contemporary ways – Part 6: Pattern cutting and tailoring

  • A very good point about including research of and on wearables for inspiration even if the objective is to make more gallery like work. The aspect that I find esp. inspiring is the option for movement – I stumbled upon Maiko Takeda’s work very recently coming from researching cable ties as material and was thrilled (and quite a bit envious) of the possibilities that the using the human form gives to the work. Thanks for yet an interesting post. Kindest regards Inger

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