In Mary Katranzou designs the print becomes like a optical illusion, through the colours and the patterns representing a photography. The silhouette is forgotten; the prints shine through, the focuse is not done on the body but what it could become; the vehicule of the print in a harmonious way. The patterns can either conform to the shape of the body  or exclude the body from the design.

What i find inspiring in Iris van Herpen work is how she changes the entire aspect of the body. A metamorphosis, the creation of a hybrid between something organic and the silhouette. The design is so well mastered the shapes, the textures, the intention to the details. It feel like the clothes are swallowing the person by crating a totally new form, halfway between something and something else.

What I like in this design is how shapes were maximise, almost like creating a sculpture that exclude the human body from the piece; Using prints in this repetitive way of juxtaposed triangle almost excluded the silhouette. No part is more important in the garnement. Its stable and seems almost totally independant. It makes me think about collage and interior design print; like an object showcased on the body. I feel the designer wanted to exclude the silhouette from the design and create an almost independant structure. It is disturbing in a way, it creates a completely new shape for the body without being in adequacy with it. I could use the idea of creatting a unsettling garnement for the body; ignoring the silhouette when draping for example to make something entirely of its own. The paradoxal approach to design could be interesting to express a feeling of disturbance, of "not fitting" in the world.

Reference : Sauvage beauty : Alexander Mcqueen. Andrew Bolton

The garnement changes the shape of the silhouette, to change the perception of the person. Design can be looked in relation with how a person is viewed in society. The shapes of the clothes can hide or reveal, it changes the point of focuse in the body. The large garnement seems to almost eat the body, swallowing the figure. The woman is metamorphosed into a bird almost literally, even her head is covered in feathers. The garnement is almost like a costume, it changes the body and almost the mind of the person inside like if they where not themselves anymore. I feel like it is a representation of a metamorphosis between life and death. The design relation to the body informs the message behind it. Rather than being only conceptual I have to think about how without having to explain it with words ; My ideas can shine through my designs using the textures, the shapes, the patterns to inform the concept. Also I like the idea of clothing being overwhelming like if you were not your self inside it.

Reference : Sauvage beauty : Alexander Mcqueen. Andrew Bolton

Pattern can bring a added impact to a shape and structure. The deconstruction of the pattern is confusing the shapes. By adding other body parts to the silhouette we are not really sure if we are looking at the front or at the back of the body. I feel like Mcqueen likes to confuse the person looking at the clothes. Working with abstraction in the prints but also in the body changing the silhouette. He informs the perception we have when we look at something. I learnt that I can in my future projects look at patterns in relation to the body, deconstruct images to create prints, use pattern to create a visual impact.

Reference : Alexander Mcqueen : Savage beauty by Andrew Bolton.

Design is a 3D process; you have to think about design from every angle. The front but also the back and the sides. The garnement works entirely with the silhouette. With the design shape you can emphasize certain parts  of the body. If you think of the body as being negative space using fabric can change the original curves and create new ones. It could elongate, shorten, distort the body. The silhouette does not only wear the clothes it is entirely part of the design process. It forms a symbiosis.

Ultimately, everything comes down to perception. What you assemble, what you see, what you draw, what you create. It is interesting to think that from personal objects we were able to get to a broad variety of abstract prints. You lay out a way for the project and by progressing through the brief you discover all new visions of what you love dearly, objects and memories relating to them transfered into colours, textures, finally ligth when the images were projected on the body. A process that made tangible turn into immaterial, figurative turn to abstract, colours turn to shadows; personal objects became etheral light. By using a mannequin we were able to observe how the prints danced on the body, distorted by the curves, blurred by the projection.  

HIGHLAND RAPE
“People were so unintelligent they thought this was about women being raped – yet ‘highland rape’ was about England’s rape of Scotland” [Alexander McQueen]. The name McQueen gave this show and his slashing and shredding of some of the pieces sparked controversy about this collection. It featured Edwardian collars, lace fragments and dresses in traditional tartans cut deep or torn to expose the breasts. The chock is never pointless, fashion seems to carry a social engagement as artists they denounce the crualty of the world, past or present.

IT’S ONLY A GAME  

The catwalk was transformed into a giant chessboard, as 36 models took their places and then fought against each other. Some looks referenced McQueen’s archive, while others were inspired by the film Picnic at Hanging Rock, set in the early twentieth century. I feel like the performance is a way to emphasize the design by playing with the ligthing and the alternance between movement and immobility the clothes offer a deeper meaning staged aswell as a diferent maner to be comtemplated. It adds to the designer vision and the response of the audience.

Madeleine Vionnet created garnement that were both easy to get in and out of and confortable to wear. Something we still find in tricot knits today.

When a woman is moving, the dress is creating a dancing effect.

Reference : Chicago museum of arts.

Madeleine Vionnet is inspired by modern artist like the painter Amédée Ozenfant and the architect Le Corbusier.

Madeleine Vionnet uses Lingerie techniques like Crimping: compress fabric into small folds or ridges or Fagoting : an embroidery produced by pulling out horizontal threads from a fabric and tying the remaining cross threads into groups of an hourglass shape.

Madeleine Vionnet (above) drapes a dress concept on her wooden doll in 1923. I find it is a interesting way to experiment draping, the smaller figure enables multiple tries and the use of various techniques.