The other day I was looking at old photos and found some images, I think is worth sharing with the world. This is Project 5D. The last project I helped deliver at the college.
Project 5D: This incorporated 2D packaging form with 3D textiles. Students had 12 weeks to complete this project from research to making the garment. Along the way they had to produce a sketchbook with research and design ideas incorporating 3D fabric manipulation techniques, learning sewing and pattern cutting techniques to producing final garment. Here I introduced the students to a variety of fabric manipulation techniques. This included Origami, Tessellation, North American Smocking, as well as inspiration from Designers and Artists such as Iris Van Herpen and Anne Kyyro Quinn.
Project 5D was the final project I delivered at the college. The project was more experimental to allow the students to develop their own ideas and techniques based on their research. The 5D project was totally different compared to the first project, which was based on Flotsam & Jetsam. Project 5D was based on packaging with surface fabric manipulation/origami. The shapes of the garments were to be more geometric and structured. I wanted the students to create a 3D garment using 2D techniques hence the project being called Project 5D.
Kicking off the project I started the students on North American Smocking (Canadian Smocking). Slowly moving onto textiles based on designers like Anne Kyyro Quinn’s wool felt surface patterns. Looking at fashion designers like Yohji Yamamoto’s Origami Collection, John Galliano for Christian Dior S/S 2007, Junya Watanabe silk organza neck piece for inspiration.
The students were shown various techniques on paper folding, tessellation, scaling packaging up the easy way, and other fabric manipulation techniques. Part of the criteria the students have to have a sketchbook of ideas and design development. Sketch-booking was done during the first few weeks and garment production was taught over a 12 weeks period. This project allowed the students to focus on creating beautiful sketchbooks and explore design possibilities. Baring in mind these students were only 16 years old and had never made a garment or even pattern cut before. Even their first project was only making a fashion accessory and not an outfit.
The projected started with Ellen teaching the 2D Packaging side of the project where I worked along side her to support the students. The Pattern Cutting and Production Techniques were taught by Lorna with me on hand to support due to the size of the class. Claire joined the team in January and we both team taught on the textiles side of the project. This sometimes became a production lesson towards the end of the project when all hands are on deck to help support the students to produce their final garment. I then helped support the students in the CAD lesson with Photoshop/Illustrator with Ellen and Claire leading the class.
Here are some photos I took during the project so I can look back and feel I have achieved something in life.
But little do they know this was their last project with me.
The completed project on display in the Fashion Lab at the Millennium Point, Birmingham. UK
This was one of my proudest moments of my career, seeing my students develop from school leavers to young adults ready for the fashion world.
It was one of the projects where I get to see them at every stage and help them develop their designs. From research, design development, fabric sampling, pattern cutting, toiling to making the final garment.
North American Smocking (Canadian Smocking) was by far the most popular choice.
If you like to see how some of these samples were made then pop over to Tutorials then under Fabric Manipulations to see just how easy it is. I will be posting a PDF pattern with instructions for you to download and practice.
During this project I also participated in the sketchbook development. I produced a sketchbook during sketchbook lessons to help motivate and inspire the students. Starting from scratch, I showed the students how to display the samples and images and how to play with words, proportion, colour, and placement. The students then present their sketchbooks to the class to help bounce off ideas from each other. It was a shame I didn’t manage to get any photos of their sketchbooks. I literally left the country not long after the handing in of this project. Even the garment photos were taken from the window display.
I will be posting images of my sketch book in a future post.
That’s enough of me reminiscing the days working at the college. See you in my next blog post.
Shan x