GENDER GAMES_ Initial drawings

INTITIAL DRAWING_

There were tables full of typically feminine/masculine objects. The aim was to record these as primary research, in interesting and abstract ways. It was quite difficult for me to get back into this, as it was right at the start of the year and I had had a long break. The recording was fine, but I wasn't happy with the drawings. They didn't inform me of structure, they just seemed flat, lifeless. I became frustrated and angry, until it was suggested that I work on a larger scale in different media (collaging, painting etc). This was much more exciting, and the blocky masculine objects began to take on a form and structure. 

For me, the masculine objects were a lot more interesting than the feminine objects. The form of the objects enabled me to see in a different way, recording the object with an abstract take. The feminine objects were interesting visually, but I found it difficult to record them (such as lace).

 










 
 

FRILLS AND BOWS

FRILLS AND BOWS_

Feminine decorative elements

Oversized frills, ruffles, bows, ties 

Using a feminine aspect, making it masculine- using masculine materials, increasing the scale 

This was a really helpful exercise. It opened up ways in which I could begin to design my collection, thinking about typically masculine/feminine elements but putting a twist on it.

As I was looking at fashion transforming, the tying I experimented with on the back of a bodice block worked really well. The back bodice was cut up into sections, and along the seams a tie was included- 4 in total. theses could then be mixed and matched, tied up in different ways to change the overall silhouette of the garment (oversized to fitted).

The oversized ruffles were exciting, and could perhaps be inserted into a seam of a masculine garment to play on it and make it more feminine. The simple circles sewn together to create flaps was interesting. It could be made from a really solid material to give a strong structure within the garment, or using flowing fabric to add a soft touch, perhaps over a pocket or on the hemline.

GENDER GAMES MOOD BOARD

Gender games mood board/visual research/incorporating transformable aspects 

YEAR 2_

STARTING YEAR TWO_ BATTLING WITH MY INNER DEMONS

Its always a dramatic and anxious affair starting a new educational year, even though I've done it a million times over. I feel scared, not knowing what to expect, whether I can keep up with the work load, whether I’ll be good enough. Of course it is also exciting, and to be quite honest I was looking forward to coming back, getting into the swing of things- over the summer break I had become lazy, I needed a routine back in my life. 

I knew the workload would hit me hard. Having barely done anything before 12pm over the past 3 months, this was surely going to be difficult. However my spirits were high- that would never last long. Suffering with anxiety puts a strain on everyday activities, so I was expecting that to pop up. I overthink a lot, and the new year wasn't an exception. The brief was given out, and I was excited, but its almost as if something takes over inside me, and forces me to think of the bad, the un-necessary and un-realistic. When things are put into context, relate to me, thats when I start to panic- will I have enough time, will I be good enough? On the flip side, my depression forces me to not want to do anything, to the point where days on end I cant physically make myself do anything. I feel stupid, useless. I hate myself. But I’ve learnt (from suffering with it for over 10 years) that I have to do what my body wants, if I push too hard thats when the difficulties occur. Before, I would think I was weak if I didn't make myself do something, stay somewhere I didn't want to be, but it made more ill, to the point where I was at my lowest. Everyday was a struggle, even something as small and silly as asking my mum for a lift somewhere would spur an anxiety attack. It is getting better, I am now able to think with a more positive outlook. I reward myself- if I can make it to uni when I couldn't think of anything worse, staying just half a day, thats a massive achievement. 

This does make uni a lot harder than it already is. But this year I want a change. I accept that Im not going to get better- not in a long time at least. But I can work on ways that help me through uni, to help me achieve my goal. I know I can do it, I know I can get through the remaining years and achieve great results, but the other unwanted ‘thing’ inside of my body wants me to have it hard. But I’ll defeat it.

AGENDER_SELFRIDGES

Agender- Selfridges

Selfridges launched a 'gender-neutral' pop up shop to allow consumers to buy clothes without being restricted to men's or women's fashions.

Selfridges believe that shoppers no longer want to be defined or limited by their gender as to what they can wear. Instead they are able to shop for unisex or 'agender' clothing. 

'We want to take our customers on a journey where they can shop and dress without limitations or stereotypes. A space where clothing is no longer imbued with directive gender values, enabling fashion to exist as a purer expression of 'self'.'

Blurring the lines of fashion.

COMME DES GARCONS AW13

Comme des Garçons AW13

Rei Kawakubo authors another fashion moment, riffing on the psychedelic infinity of tailoring  

Masculine and the feminine. Familiar and the unfamiliar. Decoration and structure. These were all

at play in Rei Kawakubo’s latest collection. The masculine and feminine contrast is especially one that can be problematic if reduced to a simplistic play on proportions or gender bending mash-ups. However, in Kawakubo’s display of “the infinity of tailoring” as she called it, if ever there was a peak in that play of contrast, this must be it. Suits, if you can call them that, in Prince of Wales check, City Boy pinstripes, black and white op-art stripes, houndstooth and solid black were cut with in-build decoration. Giant swirls, lush rosettes and layers of post-it square were not tacked on with whimsical fancy but integrated with technical pattern cutting. They looked like optical illusions as you stared deep at the construction, losing yourself in the folds, drapes, tucks and reams of fabric. The sleeves were especially emphasised as they often ballooned into giant leg-of-mutton shapes or bunched up into padded squiggles and loops. The mainstream vision of suits still needs warping and Kawakubo, whilst not the first to do so, has certainly done it with expert flair. Padding bodies out to great proportions, so much so that the models had to precariously turn to the side, so as to not to bump into each other, felt like a call to arms (quite literally in this case) – to confront the world with shape and construction, just as Kawakubo asked us to do so with her influential flatforms two seasons ago.

When the final five ensembles came out, rendered in the most mind-blowing psychedelic prints, created by the artist Dan Michiels, there was another take away message. Life isn’t black and white. Actually there’s a whole lot more in between and even more on the horizon. To go with Michiels’ mind-at-work, tripped-out psychedelia, let’s tell ourselves to get radical. Kawakubo knows a thing or two about being rad.

J.W ANDERSON SS15

J.W. Anderson SS15

Pulling apart pinstripes and playing with proportions to rebuild a more sleepy, seductive masculinity    

Initial reaction:

“A little bit sleepy, a little bit erotic and little bit dirty all at the same time” – Anderson after the show. 

Reconstructing masculinity:

This season was about throwing things off balance – garments were cut at the bias revealing exposed shoulders (an area of a mans body too often ignored in menswear, but for Anderson this is his canvas for 'seductive' exploration). Traditional men’s ties and pinstriped suits were deconstructed and then re-worked into loose silhouettes that could fall off the body at any minute. 

A ‘hyper-normal’ manifesto:

Much like his last menswear collection, this was about elevating the banal and the everyday – something he termed this season as 'hyper-normal'. It was also a showcase of his ability to cut away at the proportions of a man’s body – box-like jackets had the backs cut out, and knitted jumpers were shrunk to the extreme (“they were boiled and boiled and boiled” he laughed backstage) so they revealed the models midriffs. Anderson's proposition for a radical new approach to menswear is picking up speed, and with his debut as Loewe’s new creative director just around the corner, all eyes will be eagerly trained in his direction.

RESEARCH STARTING POINTS

Research_

Realise what gender means to me, my take on the 'gender games' brief 

Transformers=> films and cartoons, toys, photograph/analyse transformation

Primary research of transformer toys and original robot

Look at transformation in nature=> butterflies, birds, liquids, seeds, flowers etc- something 'ugly' to 'beautiful'

Identify current gender blurring collections

Transformable fashion collections=> eg. Chalayan dissolving dresses

Create a mood board to trigger ideas and emotions

                    

GENDER GAMES_ chosen object

GENDER GAMES_ MY TAKE 

FEMININE_ 

   Having qualities traditionally ascribed to women, as sensitivity or gentleness.

    Of a woman. Traditionally, in most cultures, the expectation for a lady to be nurturing, demure,       to care for her family, to look beautiful, and to be submissive to her husband(or girlfriend). 

    But not all women are like that. More than enough women are strong, direct, and independent. What is feminine is what a woman does.

    Feminine traits include but are not limited to: understanding, empathetic, sensitive, submissive, gentle, modest, willowy, and pretty.

MASCULINE_

    Often defined as aggressive, strong, and unfeeling or stoic. Being masculine means in modern times, at least, no shows of emotion, no flamboyance, no hugging or even looking at other men, must be interested in sports and physical/violent activity. 

    Positively characterized as qualities that are; strong, community building, utilitarian, practical. Negatively characterized as too aggresive, violent, uncaring.

Masculine/feminine personalities clashing

Robot. It strikes images of masculinity- a ‘boys toy’. My initial thought was to create a masculine garment for a woman, or almost a genderless garment. However this wasn't the exciting approach I was hoping for- the word ‘transformer’ from the robot, was the answer. Transformable fashion. Male-female, female-male. I decided to settle on the transformation from male-female, something bulky and masculine to beautiful and feminine. The idea of transformations is seen a lot within nature, and more specifically caterpillars to butterflies (something ugly to a beautiful creature), which would be the basis for my research, as well as the plastic transformer toys, which include wonderful linear, chunky shapes, contrasting the delicate, flowing shapes of the butterfly and its graceful nature. 

The garment becomes a double gender garment- two for the price of one, a game for many. Both genders can wear the garment, tranforming it throughout their wear.

I plan to explore the idea of transformable fashion through the use of materials, colour palette and construction methods. I will use typically masculine/feminine materials (leather, PVC, sheers, lace etc) but contrast them by pairing then with unconventional colours, or using them within the construction in ways that isn't the norm. Construction methods such as having seams on display, putting together with nails/ staples, incorporating both feminine and masculine materials together are all ways in which I can experiment to suggest my take on the gender games brief. 

Panels and hidden elements, perhaps seen through movement or opening is a part I will look into further to compliment the transformable side.

ROBOT_

MASCULINITY

The Transformer robot related as a masculine object due to a number of reasons. It was a BLOCKY, BULKY, CHUNKY object, with an ‘in your face’ form. It contained LACK OF DETAIL, however the shapes and lines on the robots legs were rather INTRICATE, creating lots of lines and shapes.

The material was CHEAP and PRACTICAL, taking on a TACKY quality. The plastic is rather typic of ‘boys toys’, theres something quite childish about the robustness of the material.

BRASH, HEAVY, BOYISH colours are included giving the appearance of a more ‘manly’ object. The colours also CLASH, having no real connection or harmony.

The construction is rather BLOCKY, with CONNECTIONS to keep it in place. The idea of the transformer is to TRANSFORM into something else, so he interaction element is rather COMPLICATED, having almost two objects in one. Therefore, the SWINGING and MOVEMENT of different components into the new object takes on rather intricate qualities. Maybe the idea that this is a boys toy, and in the biased world throughout history, boys/men are more able to figure out and use more complicated toys, leading on to men having more skills through work in later life.

The main purpose of the robot is to be played with, using the robot s a source of IMAGINATION, to crete a new and exciting world within boys heads, often including themselves to become the hero. The robot sparks thought of EVIL, like it needs to be DEFEATED. 

I selected this object as the basis of my research and starting point as I  enjoyed the construction and the block shapes. It gave a lot of potential to become interesting garment shapes, and the ‘TRANSFORMER’ element excited me with where I could take that.

LFWEEKEND_

LFWEEKEND_

London fashion weekend. I didn't know what to expect- I had never heard of the event. I assumed it ran alongside London fashion week, which was the week before, but didn't know what this event included. Me and a friend decided to give it a go. On the 25th September we travelled up to London- it was a stressful day all round, trying to decide what outfit suited the occasion (this followed a quick dash to town fora  last minute buy) however I was still excited.

LFWEEKEND was held at the Saatchi Gallery, a grand building situated in a lovely part of London (I have to admit I did feel a little bit out of place amidst the upper class). We were greeted by lots of friendly people, handing out brochures, useful information and guides- the atmosphere was buzzing. 

LFWEEKend was a bit like a trade show, lots of designer names, small boutiques and independent companies came to sell their products to the public- often one off pieces (I bagged myself a sample black kimono shirt with pockets). It was very much about the selling, and as good as the deals and discounts were, I was hoping it would be more about the up and coming season collections. 

The catwalk show we saw, a womenswear collection by Peter Pilotto, was a highlight. the collection was based on childhood games: snakes and ladders, scalextrics, lego etc. The garments, with the blocky, boyish inspiration, were refined sown into tailored, fitted womenswear pieces. The colour palette was playful, with both colours accompanied with soft subtle tones. The shoe collaboration was to die for, silver booties with amazing heel. My shoe collection would become 100x better with a pair of those. 

It was a good day out, with an insight to the industry. It wasn't perhaps what I was expecting, but I still was inspired, even by the surrounding areas and the outfits people were wearing. 

I then went on to see florence and the machine- I had an amazing time, as Florence to me is an icon in many ways, and has a unique style.

TRANSFORMABLE FASHION_ Hussein Chalayan, Dissolving dresses

In what was one of the most spellbinding moments of SS16, Hussein Chalayan’s Paris Fashion Week show closed with two models standing under a shower, their clothes completely dissolving. It was a spectacle that bordered on performance art, or perhaps even scientific experiment. In front of a live audience, these water soluble garments – crisp white shirt dresses – disintegrated to reveal two different designs, gowns decorated with thick black stitching and white appliqué petals embellished with Swarovski crystals.

ECO CHIC DESIGN AWARD

The eco Chic design award took place throughout the summer, the hand in date being the 15TH August. It is a sustainable fashion design competition inspiring emerging fashion designers to create clothing with minimal textile waste- Zero waste, up-cycling, reconstruction.

MUSE_

a dynamic, contemporary woman aged 25-40 with a sophisticated appreciation of style and modern Chinese aesthetics.

she enjoys considered and conscious luxury, focus given to quality, tailoring and craftsmanship.

she is conscious about wastefulness in modern living and wishes to be clothes in ways that reflect her style as much as her sentiments about sustainability. 

DESIGN_

cut waste out of fashion by using one or more of the sustainable design techniques. 

take the deeper cut by using textile waste for the up-cycling and reconstruction outfits.

show wider opportunities through being reproducible and scalable

I wasn't overly excited by the competition brief first reading. It didn't seem to conjure up any exciting prospects, and the minimal textile waste just added more difficulty. However when I decided to look further into reconstruction/up-cycling, and more specifically reconstruction of mens suits to women's tailoring. I wanted to give a minimalist approach, and focused on the structure, adding layers and ties. The Chinese aesthetics was interesting, I decided the ancient art and beautiful carvings were something I would tie in.

This competition was daunting but also exciting. It was scary to think there were thousands of people all participating for a chance to win. It also kept me in check, as its easy to become lazy over the breaks.

BESTDAYS_ halterneck tops

BESTDAYS REWORK_

An insight to the industry. I had/have the amazing opportunity to work for a vintage shop on Eld Lane, Colchester called ‘BESTDAYS VINTAGE’. My part in their shop is to rework and customise garments that perhaps need a new lease of life, in which I have my own work space in the warehouse. 

My first task was a simple project, but a massively effective one. I as using bandanas to create simple tie halter neck tops, adding beading/ lace /pom poms to the bottom. They were a hit within colchester, selling out almost instantly- I was struggling to keep up with the demand! I was producing around 20 tops a week, and as the word got around, more and more people wanted them. 

As well as the bandanas, I began to use silk scarfs to create the halter necks in the same way, but they had a classier, evening feel about them.

It was amazing to see the reaction they had and how much people liked them and wanted to get their hands on them. When I was out of an evening, I saw people wearing the tops I had created, filling me with a sense of pride and happiness- I was giving joy to these people through the means of my skills.