Fashion Design Essentials

Transcription

rwt
Design Essentials
Text © 2 0 1 1 by Rockpo rt P u b l is h e rs
Design © 2 0 1 1 by Rockpo rt Pu b l i s h e rs
Fi rst p u b l i s h ed in t h e U n ited States of Am erica i n 2011 by
Rockport P u b l i s h e rs, a m e m ber of
Q uays i d e P u b l i s h i ng G ro u p
1 00 C u m m i ngs Center
Su ite 406-L
Beverly, M a ssach usetts 0191 5-6101
Te l e p h o n e : (978) 2 8 2-9590
Fa x : (978) 2 8 3 -2742
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information i n a s u bsequent rep r i n t i ng of the book.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
I S B N -1 3 : 978-1 -59253-701-3
I S B N -l0: 1-59253-701-4
D igita l edition p u b l i s h ed i n 2011
e I S B N -1 3 : 978-1 -61 0 5 8 - 043-4
D igita l edition: 978-1-61058-043-4
Softcover edition: 978-1 -59253-701-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
Design: Kathie A l exa n d e r
P h otogra p h s and i l l u strations b y Jay C a l d e r i n u n less otherwise noted .
Printed in C h i na
rwt
Design Essentials
100 Principles of Fashion Design
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Jay Calderin
C O NTENT S
I ntroduction
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7
THOUGHT
I N V E N TO RY
T EC H N I Q U E
1. H i storical Reference a n d Reverence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
16. Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8
36. Fashion Translations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
2. Emulation a n d I n novation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
17. C o l laboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
37. Fou r Seasons: A Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
3. Trends: On, Off, and Adjacent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
18. Articu lation of Style . . . .
. . . . . . . . 42
38. Rote, Ru les, and Roughs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4. Corro borating Couture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4
19. B u i l d i ng a n d Breaking Tem p lates
. . . . . . . 44
39. Hand to Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
5. Forging I d e ntity
16
20. Pattern I nstruments
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21. Stitc h i ng Too l s
6. Sensing Style
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7. Fashion Equations . .
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8. Suits of Armor
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9. C l ient Compatibi l ity
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40. Checks a n d Balances
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48
41. Mac hine I nterfa ce . .
50
42. Cut, Drape, and Fo ld
22. Rendering Media
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23. Ta ming Texti l es
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43. Underpi n n i ngs and Assem bly
24. Letters: Siopers
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44. Manip ulating Full ness
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56
45. Body Mapping
58
46. U n iformity
60
47. Fit
62
48. Mend and Alter
64
49. Deconstruct and Reconstruct
66
50. Structure and Sca l e
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68
51. Anatomica l l y Correct
32. Care and Feeding of a Garment . .
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70
52. Roads Less Traveled
33. Ancient Too l s a n d Tec hniques
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72
53. Camo uflage and Complement
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74
54. C l ot h es That Carry
11. Restra i nt, I m pu lse, a n d I m pact
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13. Net a n d Narrow
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26. Sentences: Ensemb les
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27. Stories: Coll ections
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28. Punctuation: Deta i l s
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29. Closures
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30. Specialty Requisites
14. Disposable as I nvestment
15. Environ menta l Context . .
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25. Words: Garments
12. M i n d Ma pping
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10. C u stom ization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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31. Misce l laneous Markers
34. Accessory Closet
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35. Vintage Pat i na . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
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55. Design u nto Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 6
56. Reshape a n d Reconfigure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 8
57. Resu rface . . . . .
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58. A Cut Above
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59. Fringe a n d Fray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 4
60. A d d , Su btract, and Prese rve
61. Change Agents
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1 30
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62. D rawing t h e Eye
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136
63. A-Symmetry . . .
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64. I ntarsia: Puzzles a n d Missing Li n ks
65. The Revea l
ARTI STRY
N AV I G AT I O N
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86. A Designe r's I n h eritance . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 1 78
Contributor I n dex
67. C u rated Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
87. Luxury Washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 1 80
Acknowledgments
68. Culture Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
88. Copies Degrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . .
. . . . 182
About the Author
69. More Is More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
89. Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 184
70. Less I s M o re
146
90. Label M a ke r . .
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148
91. M a ster a n d Ap prentice
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1 50
92. Desig n i ng t h e Job
1 52
93. External I nflue nces
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154
94. Lifestyle: A Rosetta Stone
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156
95. Fashion Portals
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158
96. Diversification a n d Specia lization
1 60
97. C rowdsourcing Style
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1 62
98. Labors of Love: Diy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
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164
99. Rapid Prototyping:
66. C u ltivated I nflue nce
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71. Meditation on a Dress . .
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72. Build ing on Basics
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73. Design of Dissent
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74. Attitude Adjustment
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75. Myths a n d Archetypes
76. Wit
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77. B l ackouts a n d Fu l l I m m ersion
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80. Dynam ics
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81. Trompe L'Oe i l
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82. Space a n d Sculpture
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83. Matters of Size: Addressing C u rves
84. Dressing for Bowie
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78. Representation a n d Abstraction
79. Symbols
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85. O bjects of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 76
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Twenty-Fou r-Hour Fa shion
100. What Is Good Fashion?
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INTRODUCTION
Creative ideas are elevated by experience and
expertise. Th is book sets forth a c h a l l enge to
fas h i o n design ers: C o n t i n u e to expand your h o r i
zons, hone yo u r s k i l l s, a nd experi m ent w i t h st rat
egies. The idea b e h i n d col lecting a n d cataloging
the esse n t i a l p r i n c i p les of fa s h i o n d e s ign i s to
b u i l d a framework for a rtfu l exa m i nation t h a t the
designer can rev i s it reg u l a rly for i n sp i ration and
i n structio n . T h i s book i s for a nyone devoted to
fas h i on-whether you a re a profe s s i o n a l design
e r, a d e s ign student, o r a fa s h i o n D I Y enthus iast.
The world of fas h ion des ign is constantly
c h a nging-what was i n sty l e last month may be
old hat now, but if you know how to stay a h ead
of trends and keep yo u r des ign ski l l s s h a rp, you ' l l
a lways b e ahead o f the c u rve. Fashion Design
Essentials offers p r i n c i p les, tools, a n d processes
for succeed i n g in a l l fas h i o n endeavors.
E d i t i ng the l ist to o n e h u n d red concepts is m e a n t
to h e l p o rgan i ze a n d prioritize t h i s i n formation
for m a x i m u m efficiency. The refe ren ces in each
l ayout h ave been selected beca use they hone i n
o n the essence of the topic with p recis i o n , w h i l e
a l lowing f o r d iverse rei nterpretation, not s i m p l y
reproduction.
Five primary areas of investigation provide the
structure for the book. In m a ny ways, they can be
described a s a set of best p ractices for c u l tivat
i n g c reativity:
T hought
Intellectual exercises t h a t a re intended to serve a s
catalysts for c h a n n e l i n g c reativity
Inventory
Definitions and applications for u s i n g o r repu r
posing tools, m a n power, a n d raw m ateri a l s for
fas h ion design
Technique
Fundamental skills for i d e ntify i ng and executing
fas h ion design ideas
Artistry
Creative rituals that h e l p co nj u re a n d c u lt ivate the
i m aginative i n sti ncts of a fas h ion designer
Navigation
Diverse strategies designed to a l low a fa s h i o n
d e s igner to negotiate a c l e a r path to success
Each esse n t i a l concept i s u l t i mately a s o u rce of
sti m u l i that m ust be deciphered and then s ha ped
to fit t h e project at h a n d . Dedication a n d att e n
tion to d et a i l d u ring that exa m i nation w i l l h e l p
l everage a des igner's v i s i o n .
I n a n attempt to round o u t the w h o l e experience,
s o m e p h i losophical debates a re woven i nto the
ideas t h roughout the book, s u c h as t h e benefits
or fa r-reac h i ng i m pact tod ay's fas h ion designers
w i l l have on the foreseea b l e future.
Pierre Card i n coat a n d hat,
Autumn/Winter 1959/60
/
/
PHOTO BY RDA AGIP GETTY IMAGES
7
THOUGHT
1
Historical Reference and Reverence
I t i s s a i d that those who don't l e a rn from h istory
a re doomed to repeat it. W i t h i n the fra m e of
fa s h i o n , those who d o n 't l e a rn from h istory a re
doomed to waste a wea lth of i n s p i ra t i o n . Three
m a i n stays in the fa s h i o n wo rld t h at a re restyled
t i m e and aga i n a re co rsets, a prons, and kim o n os.
4
The corset, orig i n a l l y a fo u n dation garme nt,
sti l l reigns s u p re m e on the fa s h i o n l a n d scape.
C o m m o n l y a ssociated with goth, fet ish, a n d
most rece ntly, Steam p u n k fa s h i ons, couturi ers
s u c h as T h i e rry M ugler a n d J e a n Pa u l G a u ltier
h ave been res ponsible for ra i s i n g the corset to
an iconic stat u s .
T h e a p ron a t i t s most f u n ct i o n a l protects cloth
i n g from wear and tear. Aprons at their m ost
gla m o ro u s have graced the ru nways of A l exander
McQueen, M i u M i u , a n d M a rc Jacobs a s fash ion
a ccessories. S h o rt-waist a p ro n s m a d e in practi
cal fa brics as we l l as d ecorative h ostess a p ro n s
speak t o a t i m e w h e n h o m e m a k i n g w a s a way
of l ife for most women. Long ve rsions s u c h as
the b i st ro a pron a re a mong many that a re used
i n the service i n d u stry. The bi b-sty l e a p ron can
t a ke s h a p e in leather, r u b b e r, or heavy ca nvas for
m o re rugged uses. The p i n afore is a decorative
sty le of a p ron that conj u res u p i m ages of l ife on
the pra i rie-a look that was very popular in the
1 970s. The co b b l e r a p ron is a p u l lover style with
a front, a back, and ties on the side. Whether it is
incorporated i nto a co l l ect ion by way of nosta lgia
or u t i l ity, the a p ron sti l l m a kes strides in fas h i o n .
T h e k i m o n o is a fu l l - l e ngth, T-s h a ped robe.
W h e n part of a t raditiona l e n s e m b le, it i s sec
u red with an obi sash. The k i m o n o i s m ade fro m
a t a n , w h i c h i s a fixed bolt of fa bric m ea s u ri n g
1 4 i n ches by 1 2 . 5 yards ( 3 5 cm x 1 2 m ) . The
length is cut i nto fo u r pa nels of fa b r i c that m a ke
u p the two s i d es of the b ody a n d both sleeves.
A col l a r and l a pel-sty le panels a re added with
s m a l l strips of fa bric. K i m onos were orig i n a l ly
d i sassem b l ed for clea n i ng a n d reconstructed
by h a n d .
5
.....
r---L
6
"
f
fr
0
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1. Corset by Joe Carl
2. Vintage apron-Poor Little
Rich Girl
3. "Old Japan" Bridal Kimono
(circa 19805)
4. Corset
5. Apron
6. Kimono
8 Fashion Design Essentials
French model Audrey
M a rnay in a tweed corset
suit by Thierry M ugler, haute
couture collection, Autumn/
Winter 1998/99
THOUGHT
2
Emulation and Innovation
E m u l a t i ng styles from the past often w i l l go a
l o n g way i n fa s h i o n d e s ign, as everyt h ing eventu
a l ly m a kes a comeback. The grace of G re c i a n
gow n s forever i m mort a l i zed i n stone i s a prime
exa m p l e of the power of a fa s h i o n idea that does
not s i m p l y s u rvive, b u t th rives in the i m agina
tions of fa s h i o n designers t h roughout h istory. I n
the 1 92 0 s, M a d e l e i n e V i o n n et wa s i n f l u e n ced
by the d a n ces of I sad ora D u n c a n who, in t u rn,
wa s i n s p i red by G reek sc u l pt u res. W h i le V i o n n et
c o m m a n ded t h e b i a s, H a lston s u m m oned the
spi rit of these e n d u r i ng d ra pes and fo l d s with the
knit jersey in the 1 970s. The H ouse of H a lston
conti n u es to pay h o m age to that aesthetic today.
At every level of t h e m a rketplace a n d from every
corner of the globe, t h e god dess gown con t i n
ues t o s p r i n g from the co l lect i o n s o f designers
who can a p p reciate its bea uty and who wish to
interpret it for t h e m se lves. Desig n e rs can t a ke a
cue from t h is exa m p l e a n d explore t h e degrees of
separation that l i n k t h e m a n d a ny of t h e i r ideas
to k i n d red h istorical cou nterparts.
1 0 Fashion Design Essentials
Below: G reek-inspired statue
Right: Floor-length
Madeleine Vionnet d ress,
September 1935
Halston fashion show
Autumn/Winter 2008/09
New York City
THOUGHT
3
Trends: On, Off, and Adjacent
Alth ough t re n d s a re no longer d ictated, des ign
ho uses spend a great d e a l of t i m e and m o n ey
try i ng to p re d i ct t re n d s a n d/o r set t h e m into
motion. Designers looking to find thei r p l a ce in
the m a rket m ust know whet h e r t h ey i ntend to
be o n -tre n d , t rend -adjacent, o r off-trend a lto
get h e r. They m u st co nsciously decide whet h e r
they w i l l lead, fol low, or ign ore a trend. Alth ough
tre n d - conscious des ign ers ride the wave of the
media and the p u b l i c's c l a m o ri n g for exa m p l es of
the l atest fas h ions, designers who i ntention a l ly
m iss the b a n dwagon sometimes find that t h e i r
independent perspe ct ives i n a dvertently trigger
tre n d s or cou ntertrends of t h e i r own. On-trend
co l l ections w i l l be boil ing ove r with the concept.
An a lterna tive a p p roach to the l atest c raze may
be to find s m a l l e r and s u bt l e r ways to e m b race
it without m a ki n g it the foc u s . The c o n s u m e r
b reaks d o w n t h e s a m e way, a n d a designer who
h a s a clear u n d e rstand i ng of w h e re s h e sta n d s
on trend w i l l c o n n ect w i t h the right a u d i e n ce for
h e r product.
Above: Model Naomi
Campbell i n leopard print
hat, 2004
Below: Anna Wintour in
leopard print jacket, 2007
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Leopard and other a n i ma l pri nts get p u l l ed out of
re l ative obscu rity a n d a re p resented as fre s h a n d
n ew every few seasons. I n fa i rn e ss, designers
w i l l be m oved by a t rend i n d iffe rent ways from
season to season, resu lting in new a n d i nterest
i n g interpretations of it. I f a designer decides to
offer t h e trend du j o u r as a statement garme nt,
a ccent piece, and a ccessory, she m a kes it easy
for cl ients to adopt at least o n e i nterpretat i o n of
it on t h e i r own terms. Then, of cou rse, t he re a re
those who w i l l want to h ave n o t h i n g to do with
it. The fas h i o n fi l m classic Funny Face de picts
the c h a ra cter of fas h i o n editor Maggie Prescott
pai nti ng the town p i n k . Someone on h e r staff
a s ks, " I h aven't seen a woman i n two weeks i n
a nyt h i ng b u t p i n k . W hat a bout you?" P rescott
re pl ies, " M e? I wou l d n 't be caught dead." Truth
is, many t rends a re not m e re l y forecasted, b u t
often m a d e b y a n i n d u stry.
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Publ icity portrait of actress
Audrey Hepburn as she
wears a wide-bri m m ed hat
and white blouse d u ring the
filming of Funny Face, d i rected
by Stanley Donen, 1957
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THOUGHT
4
Corroborating Couture
Fa s h ion h istory i s t h e next best t h i ng to a t i m e
m a c h i n e for the fa sh ion designer. Contact with
a uthentic a rt ifacts brings the true essence of
a t i m e into s h a rper foc us, whether those a rt i
facts a re t h e a c t u a l ga rments a n d accessories,
or i l l u st rations, p hotos, and f i l m c l i ps. Eras a re
com posed of c o m p l exities that i nvolve every
t h i ng fro m science to celeb rity. The 1 950s, for
i n sta nce, could be a s o u rce for fa s h i o n s i nformed
by the Cold Wa r, teenage cultu re, fou n dation
ga rme nts, rock- a n d - ro l l , o r p o p u l a r television
p rogra m s such as I Love Lucy.
Paco R a b a n ne's fas h i o n s i n the 1 9 60s were
considered "out of t h i s world." At a t i m e when
the race to the moon was heating u p, v i s i o n s of a
fut u re i n space f u e l ed the i maginations of m a n y
designers. Raba n n e's foray i nto fi l m l e d h i m to
team with designer Jacques Fonteray. Together
they created the cost u m e s for t h e c u l t c l a ssic
film Barbarella. Although many of the clothes i n
t h i s ge n re now seem dated, e l e ments of t h e i r
fa s h ion pred ict i o n s f o r the fut u re l ive o n .
H a l l m a rks o f the 1 970s i n c l ud e the exploration
of a n d rogyny and a grow i ng im portance for the
re lations h i p between fa s h i o n a n d celebrity. U n i
sex fas h i o n b l u rred t h e l i nes between the sexes,
a n d even though ge n d e rless j u m psu its n ever
beca me a m a i n stay, pants p layed a b igge r part
i n women's fa s h i o n t h a n ever before. Fas h i o n
beca me a bo u t l a bels, s o m u c h s o t h at t h e y were
no lo nger on the i n s i d e of ga rments b u t boldly
d i s p l ayed on t h e back pocket of designer jeans.
Everyt h i ng was big i n t h e 1 9 80 s - h a i r, jewel ry,
belts, a n d most of a l l, s h o u l d e r pads, w h i c h
were served u p i n d ra m at i c proport i o n s . Fa s h i o n
designer a n d t e l evis ion cost u m e r N o l a n M i l l e r i s
best known f o r c reating the fas h i o n s f o r the cast
of the popu l a r 1 9 8 0 s television series Dynasty.
C a reful study of bygo n e e ras (or the cu rrent o ne)
can lead designers to consider how they may be
able to best defi n e t h e ti mes they a re l i ving i n .
Right: Maureen McCormick
and Barry Wil liams rehearse
on the set of The Brady Bunch
Hour, 1977.
Below: Linda Eva ns, John
Forsythe, and Joan Col l ins,
who starred in Dynasty
THOUGHT
5
Forging Identity
"Age can not wither h e r . . . " These words from
S h a kespeare best describe B etsey J o h n son's
stay ing power in the fas h i o n i n d u st ry. A Betsey
J o h n son ru nway show i s not com plete u n t i l the
b ra n d's n a m esake takes her bow i n the form of
a c a rtw h e e l . G y m n astics as ide, t h e spi rit of the
gest u re is what is i m po rta nt. The bra n d 's the
t h i ng in fa s h io n , a n d i n t h i s case, consistency
youthfu l s p i r it, fl i rty fe m i n i n ity, a n d a wild-ch i l d
playfu l ness-is respon s i b l e for ma king Betsey
J o h n son s u c h a recognizable l a b e l .
G reat b ra n d s h ave o n e t h i n g i n c o m m o n : They
del iver messages, p rod u cts, a n d services that
evo lve, but never d eviate too far from the f u n
d a m enta l s t h at gene rated t h e m . Designers can
craft a n i d e n tity with every c h oice they m a ke.
Designer Betsey Joh nson
does a signature cartwheel
after her spring 2009
collection show at Mercedes
Benz Fashion Week, 2008,
in New York City.
THOUGHT
6
Sensing Style
Each of the five senses p l ays a significant ro l e
i n how w e interpret fa s h i o n , a n d e a c h s h o u l d be
considered in the design process.
Sight
T h i s i s e a s i l y the fastest way to assess whether
somet h i n g is pleasing or not. H ow d o shape a n d
scale relate t o e a c h other? H o w vi brant i s t h e
col or? H ow d ra m atic is t h e contrast?
Fashion designer Jean
Pa u l Gau ltier poses with
a sculpture of one of his
dresses made of bread
by French bakers for a n
exhibition a t t h e Cartier
Foundation in Paris, 2004.
Touch
T h i s i s the second most i m port a n t fa ctor. H ow
does the materi a l feel aga i n st your s k i n? Does
the ga rment conform to your body and feel com
forta b l e? Is the material soft a n d p l ia ble, o r stiff?
Sound
I m agine the c l icks of loose beads knocking i nto
each othe r; cri sp, papery fa brics that rustle a s
they sway o n t h e body; t h e synthetic s q u e a k a n d
c r u n c h of plastic as i t stra i n s t o move.
Smell
Scents h ave been designed a n d a re chosen to
transform e n v i ro n m e nts, camo ufl age, or se
duce. For exa m p l e, the T h o m a s P i n k l a b e l , w h i c h
p r i m a r i l y sel l s d ress s h i rts for men a nd women,
pi pes a fresh l a u n d e red scent i nto its stores as
part of its reta i l strategy. Although s u bt l e, deta i l s
s u c h as t h i s serve a s a psyc hological trigger,
h e ighte n i ng t h e fa s h i o n experience t h rough
a romathera py.
Taste
E d i b l e ga rments m ight seem l i ke the excl u s ive
d o m a i n of n a ughty n ove lties, b u t food a n d
fa s h i o n h ave always had a m u t u a l l y i n s p i ra t i o n a l
re l a t i o n s h i p . J e a n Pa u l G a u ltier's d ress scu l pt u res
m a d e of b read m ight m a ke the m o u t h water
i n a s m u c h as they c o u l d i n s p i re t h e color, text u re,
and form of an a c t u a l ga rment. The S a l o n d u
C h ocolat i s a chocolate expo that recognizes the
bond between the food i e a n d t h e fas h i o n i sta. A
fa n c i f u l fas h i o n r u nway s h ow i s a h i g h l ight of t h e
event, a n d feat u res m o d e l s c l a d i n every k i nd of
cocoa confect i o n .
Left: Jon F ishman's Sonic
Rhythm Dress by Alyce
Santoro, Sonic Fabric 2003.
Sonic fabric is woven from
50 percent recorded audio
cassette tape and 5 0 percent
polyester threa d . When
gloves equi pped with tape
heads are rubbed against the
fabric the d ress makes sound.
Below: Y i ng Gao's Walking
City pneu matic fashions,
which are triggered by
movement, wind, and touch.
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H u m a n beings have more
than just five senses. Con
sider the sense of bala nce,
acceleration, temperature,
kinesthetic, pain, and the
sense of d i rection. Royal
Philips Electronics of the
Netherlands is working on
projects that promise a new
level of interaction between
a p pa rel and the wearer.
Textiles infused with sensors
that read and respond to
movement, biological varia
tions, and external factors
hint at the future of fashion.
One example is the S K I N :
dress, which uses pattern
and color cha nges to display
a person's emotional state.
THOUGHT
7
Fashion Equations
The basic a rithmetic of dressing can be a useful
way to b u i l d a collection. Top p l u s bottom is easy
enough, but w h i c h top? W h i c h bottom? O n ce
the designer figu res out w h i c h basics w i l l fit i nto
a c o l l ection as well as i nto a c l i e nt's wa rd robe, he
can beg i n to c a l c u l ate t h e va r i a b l es.
Design det a i l s asi de, c u stomers have oth e r
d e m a n ds, s u c h a s p ractica l ity a n d comfort, w h e n
it co mes t o m ix i ng and matchi ng. T h e designer
m u st a n a lyze those needs, design components
that w i l l fit i nto the a rch itectu re of the col lection,
and engineer the garments the mselves. B roaden
i n g a c u stome r's wa rd robe of basics or a de
s igner's core l i n e i s easy to do. H aving more than
o n e variation of each f u n d a m e ntal garment i s a n
effortless way to i n c rease the n u mber of opt i o n s .
O n ce a structure i s i n p l a ce, i t is e a s y t o p u l l i n
a ccessories to kee p t h i ngs i nterest i ng.
I n 1 985, the fi rst Donna Kara n co l l ection wa s
l a u nched a n d it featu red her Seven Easy Pieces.
The o rigi n a l Easy Pieces were the bodysu it, a
wra p s k i rt, a ch iffon b l o u se, a b l a ze r, a longer
jac ket, l eggi n gs, and a d ress; t h ey a l l rem a i n
re l evant today. T h i s system o f d ressing was a n
i m portant too l for wom e n i n the workforce who
had a desire to re p l ace t h e i r " power s u its" with
m o re fas h i o n a b l e c h o ices, a n d to stream l i n e the
d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g p rocess so that they could put
together outfits for the offi ce, trave l , or a social
occasion at a m o m e nt's notice. In 2 0 09, Donna
Ka ra n rei ntrod u ced h e r version of the Easy Pieces
w ith an u pd ated l i st of m u st-haves: a t u rtleneck,
a s k i rt, the pa nt, a jacket, a coat, and jeans.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS BY MARIE-EVE TREMBLAY
21
THOUGHT
8
Suits of Armor
The i n st i n ct to cover o u r bodies for p rotect i o n
c a m e before t h e d e s i re to d eco rate ou rse lves,
i n it i a l ly from the e l e m ents a n d eventu a l ly from
each oth e r. Com bat n ecessitated t h e s h i e l d i n g of
v u l nerable parts of t h e body d u ri n g wa rfa re. The
major sections of a rm o r broke down i nto h e l met
(h ead), ga u ntlets (fore a r m s), gorget ( ne c k),
b reastplate (torso), greaves ( l egs), a n d c h a i n
m a i l (for a re a s t h a t d i d n o t a l l ow for rigid pl ates).
It is i nteresti ng to note t h a t some of t h e early
vers i o n s of b u l letproof fa bric were m a d e of m a ny
l ayers of s i l k due to the strength of the fi bers.
Alth ough Kev l a r's b a l l istic fa bric is currently the
sta n d a rd, experime nts with s p i d e r s i l k a re finding
that it has not only compara b l e strength, but a l so
e l a sticity.
Mode rn-day fa s h i o n design can provi de protec
tion i n n ew, i n n ovative, and re l eva nt ways. I n a
soc iety t h at va lues m o b i l ity, the d eve lo pment
of l ightweight, wea ra b l e a rc h itect u re speaks to
fa s h i o n designers concerned with social issues
such a s s u rviva l and h o m e l essness. Contempo
ra ry visual a rtist Lucy O rta created the H a b itent
as part of her e x h i b i t i o n cal led " Refuge Wear a n d
Body Arch itect u re (1 992-1 998)." These works
exa m i n e t h e c o m m o n fa ctors that both a rch itec
ture and fa s h i o n design s h a re. They a l so a d d ress
a s h ift i n g l o b a l co nscious ness rega rd ing what
we pro d u ce and why.
Right: A model wears a silver
ensemble from Jean-Cha rles
de Castelbajac's ready-to
wear show, 2010.
Below: Refuge Wear
H a bitent: Aluminum-coated
polyamide, two telescopic
a l u m i n u m poles, whistle, a n d
compass; copyright 2011 by
Lucy
+
Jorge Orta
A model wears a n armor
inspired, silver metal dress
by designer Jean-Cha rles de
Castelbajac, 2010,
THOUGHT
9
Client Compatibility
Design ers, l i ke a rtists, a re often court i ng thei r
m u ses for i n s p i ration. They m u st a l s o c u l t ivate
a rich and mea n i ngfu l re lations h i p with t h e i r
patrons a n d those w h o w i l l partner i n pro mot
i n g t h e i r work, s u c h as styl ists and celeb rities.
H i story p rovides exa m pl es of many su ccessf u l
pa i r i ngs o f a rt i ste and m u se. Yves S t . La u rent
had severa l p ro m i n e n t sou rces of creative i l l u m i
n a t i o n : for m e r model a n d fa s h i o n icon Betty
Catro u x, designer Loulou de la Fa l a ise, a n d ac
tress C a t h e r i n e Dene uve, whom h e a l so d ressed
for fi l m s from Belle de Jour to The Hunger. A
l ifet i m e frien d s h i p was t h e basis of the re lation
ship between designer H u be rt de G ivenchy and
a ct ress A u d rey H e p b u r n . Ove r the years, many
l ovely wo men h ave i nf l u e nced t h e H o u se of
C h a nel, but recently, head designer a n d c reative
d i rector Karl Lage rfeld a n o inted actress Kei ra
Kn ightley a s t h e C h a n e l m u s e . And o n the ot her
s i d e of the c a m e ra, f i l m d i re ctor Sofia Coppola
i s recog n i zed as one of M a rc J a cobs' strongest
i n fl uences.
H aving a h ighly v i s i b l e i nd iv i d u a l i n corporate
your designs into her wardrobe can h ave a
p rofo u n d effect on a des igner. U . S . Fi rst Lady
M i c h e l l e O ba m a is respon s i b l e for s h i n i ng a
l ight o n m a n y t a l e nted d e s igne rs, such as I sabel
To ledo and J ason Wu. To ledo h a s been design
ing s i n ce 1 9 85, but it was the i n a u gu ration s u it
that s h e designed for M rs . O b a m a that put her
name o n everyo ne's l i ps. Later that d ay, Jason
Wu, a re lative newcomer, having d e b uted h i s
fi rst co l l ection i n 2 0 0 6, experienced t h e s a m e
transformation when M i c h e l l e O b a m a wore t h e
now-fa m o u s wh ite gown h e d e s igned for h e r t o
the m a ny i n a ugu rati o n b a l l s .
W hether it is the m use, t h e ben efactor, o r the
m a i nstay of every b u si n ess-the customer-the
best relationsh i ps a re sym b iotic ones where both
sides learn a n d benefit from each other.
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D i rector Sofia Coppola
with designer M a rc Jacobs
bac kstage prior to the Marc
Jacobs Spring 2009 Fashion
Show
PHOTO
BY
MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES
u.s. First Lady Michelle
Obama stands with inaugural
dress designer Jason Wu i n
front o f the gown she wore
to the inaugural balls. The
gown is now on d isplay at
the Smithsonian Museum
of American H i story,
Washington, DC.
25
THOUGHT
10
Customization
Eve n though the d es i re to fit i n i s strong, the idea
of i n dividual ity a l lows a person to fee l spec i a l .
Fa ster, m o re fac i l e m a n ufacturing now a l l ows
custo m e rs to benefit fro m lower prices, w h i l e
sti l l a l lowing t h e m t o e njoy own i ng s o m et h i ng
that i s t r u ly u n ique, beca u se t h ey contrib uted to
the d e s ign p rocess. Des ign ers of m a ny d i fferent
types of pro d u cts a re taking a dvantage of both
the tools a n d consu mers' i nterest in f i n d i n g this
b a l a nce between t h e two.
C o m p a rtmental ized design a l lows the custo m e r
to select how the e l em e nts o f a pro d u ct a re
fa b ricated, c reat i ng o n e-of-a-kind c o m b i nations.
9ta i l o rs pro d u ces q u a l i ty s h i rts. M ix i ng fa b rics
and choosing specific design details, such as
co l l a r, p l a c ket, pocket pocket position, c u ff, and
cuff button , a l lows a c u stomer to transform a
9ta i l ors s h i rt i nto a n origin a l . Conve rse p roduces
the iconic C h u c k Tay l o r A l l Sta r h i-top sneake r,
a sty l e that is offered i n t h e tra d i t i o n a l ca nvas,
suede, or leather-but that is j u st t h e fou n d a t i o n .
C u st o m e rs h ave m a ny c h o ices when i t comes
to the design and c u stomization of the s hoe, a s
we l l a s a wide assortment o f colo rs, res u lt i n g i n
infi nite design variat i o n s .
Based i n the N et h e rl a nds, fa s h i o n designer
Berber Soepboer a n d gra p h i c designer M i c h i e l
Sch u u rm a n designed the C o l o u r- I n D ress, a
s i m p l e s l eeve l ess d ress with a n A - l i n e s k i rt. The
t h i rd p a rt n e r in the design process is the wea rer.
She can use t h e text i l e m a rkers provided with
the d ress to m a ke it her own. The gra p h i c pattern
on the text i l e l e n d s itself to b e i n g interpreted
in m a ny d ifferent ways. The d ress also h a s the
poten t i a l to be a work in p rogress, s h o u l d t h e
wearer decide t o a d d more color each t i m e i t
IS worn.
The whole customization process is particula rly
s uccessf u l when the ga rment itself is fa m i l i a r a n d
t h e modifications a re easy t o i m agine. Designers
m ight be wary of giving up c o m p l ete contro l , but
i n a l l of these exam ples, the p roduct designers
h ave the u n iq u e opportun ity to see t h e i r design
t h rough the eyes of t h e i r customers. The exercise
p rovides va l ua b l e i n sight i nto what t h e i r a u d i
e n ce wa nts.
The N 3 Zipper Dress by artist
designer Sebastian Errazuriz.
Made of 1 2 0 zippers this
,
dress a l lows the wearer
to customize neckline,
openi ngs, and length simply
by zipping or u nzipping
segments.
Above: Colour- I n Dress by
Berber Soepboer and Michiel
Schuurman, 2008
Right: Customized Converse
sneakers
27
THOUGHT
11
Restraint, Impulse, and Impact
Design is a s m u c h a bout what you add to the m i x
as what you elect not t o a d d . T h e fa b r ics, t h e cut,
and the fi n i s h m u st be beyond re p roach, be
cause t h e re a re no d i stract i o n s-what you see i s
what you get. N e utra l col ors a n d the a bsence of
adornment a re often used to define a restra i ned
aesthetic. Fa s h i o n with more of a pop u s u a l l y
re l ies on somet h i n g m o re . T h i s type o f d e s ign
has a p u l se, somet h i ng that can be tapped i nto,
whether it is t h e vi brant p l ay of color, a s t i m u l at
i n g pattern, or the h a n d of a texture.
I m pact c a n have many of the q u a l i ties of i m
pu lse, b u t it i s not restra i n ed t o passion o r t h eat
rical ity. Somet i m es t h i s type of forcef u l fas h io n
c a n b e down right h ideous. The rol e of ugly fas h
i o n i s t o c h a l l e nge. O bse rvers c a n 't h e l p b u t b e
e ngaged, whet h e r t h ey f i n d t h e m se lves i n t rigued
or offe n d e d . The l ove-h ate re l a t i o n s h i p teeters
on d e s ign se n s i b i l ities. W i l l pu rposefu l l y dowdy,
d i scorda nt, or garish c reat i o n s be i nteresti ng?
O r does a ru nway odd ity d isturb a n d u n sett l e
you? T h e point i s t h at rega rd less o f whether you
l i ke someth i ng you d o n ' t u n d e rstand you can not
d i s m i s s it, because it has grabbed your atte ntion.
I t can be a p p reciated merely for having been a b l e
t o s h a ke t h i ngs u p a n d pen etrate est a b l i s h ed
sta n d a rds of beauty fa r e n ough to c h a l l enge yo u .
A model wearing a H ussein
Chalaya n creation, 201 0
THOUGHT
12
Mind Mapping
A t r u l y c re ative m i n d is o n e that b u i l d s a founda
tion with t h e l eft b ra i n so that the right b ra i n can
m a ke giant leaps of fa n cy. I t's easy to i d e ntify
a n d focus on what o u r b ra i n has a natural ten
d e n cy to be good at, and to d i s rega rd wea kness.
St rengthen ing those sh o rtc o m i ngs i s a key to
success. Lefties a re ana lytical, tec h n ical, critical,
a n d logical. They n eed to stretch to tap into the
part of thei r b ra i n that a l l ows t h e m to be m o re
i n t u itive, i maginative, a n d i n novative. The s a m e
level o f effort s h o u l d be put i n t o p l a n n ing, o rga
n i z i ng, a n d b u i l d i n g st r u c t u re for a right-b ra i n
i n d ivi d u a l .
S i m u ltaneously enterta i n ing oppos i ng needs a n d
d e s i res can b e a tough t h i ng t o contain i n yo u r
b ra i n . I n order t o overco m e natu ra l tendencies
that l e a n to one s i d e o r t h e other, a designer
needs to move the p rocess outside of h e r head.
T h e re a re seve ra l ways to map out a su ccessfu l
c reative strategy t h at a l l ows the designer to
see, sort, a n d s h u ffle everyt h i ng i nvolved.
Left-brain fashion thinking
can be found i n a designer's
ability to a na lyze the
needs of the ma rket;
make reasonably logical
decisions; craft language
that w i l l best represent their
vision; have a n awareness
and basic comprehension
of i n novations i n science
and technology; and be
wel l-versed in the va lue of
n u m bers in patte rnmaking
as well as i n busi ness.
Talk it out. Every designer can use a sound ing
Right-brain fashion
thinking can be fou n d
i n a designer's ability to
board. H ea ri n g ideas out loud is a great rea l ity
c heck, m a d e even better when others p rovide
you with feed back.
consider the process of
Write it out. Com m i tt i ng it to paper a l l ows o n e
design thoughtfully; trust
thought to l e a d to a n other on t h e page, without
the risk of l etting a n y idea s l i p t h rough you r
fi ngers.
their intuition when making
decisions; always be open
to creative insights and
exercises; a ppreciate the art
of fashion; and find the music
that creates a n a p propriate
setting for their work.
Lay it out. The wide open space of a t a b l e, a
b u l letin board, or a wa l l a l l ows the designer
to s p read out a l l as pects of an idea. When a
designer can see the whole p i ct u re s h e w i l l begi n
to recogn ize relatio n s h ips betwee n the m a n y d if
ferent e l e ments.
M a pp i ng t h i ngs out is a way to fi ne-tune the
p rocess and e n h a n ce the potentia l for o rigi n a l
t h i n ki ng.
31
THOUGHT
13
Net and Narrow
The world of h a ute couture i s so e l ite a n d exc l u
s ive that m a n y designers fee l they need t o a l l ud e
t o i t i n t h e i r work, i f n o t a s p i re t o i t . Although it
h a s a very n a r row a u d i e n ce, couture h a s a com
pe l l i ng a l l u re beca use that a ud ience i s com posed
of some of t h e rich est, most fa m o u s, and most
powerf u l fa s h i o n c l ients in the world. This n iche
crowd ce rta i n l y has its pe rks, if o n l y by associa
tion. Serving this a ri stocratic caste of couture
we l l w i l l often come with critical a c c l a i m , but
not a lways eco n o m i c s u ccess. Fas h i o n designers
w h o su pport t h e i r v i s i o n a ry p rojects with m o re
m a i n st re a m c reations a re t h e ones who have
stay ing power.
Musician/a ctor L L Cool J
and designer To mmy H i lfiger,
2007
Ready-to-wea r rea c h es the people e n m asse. The
o n l y l i m i tations when serving vast n u mbers a re
m a n ufacturi ng o u t l ets and deve l o ping p roducts
that h ave m ass a p pea l . Casting such a wide n et
not o n l y generates greater s a l es, but a l so b u i l d s
n a m e recogn i t i o n . J u st because it i s off t h e rack
doesn't m e a n it c a n not have great i n fl ue n ce . I n
1 994, ra pper S n oop Dogg wore a To m m y H i lfiger
s h i rt on an episode of Saturday Night Live. The
b l ack, urban, rap s u bcu l t u re responded a l m ost
i m med iately. H i lfiger's work was adopted a n d
a d a pted by h i p - h o p fo l l owers everywh ere. H i l
figer c u l t ivated re latio n s h ips with other l e a d e rs
i n t h i s com m u n ity and a reta i l star was born.
This was e n o ugh to p l a ce H i l figer o n the m a p,
but he rea l ized h e needed to serve t h i s a u d i e n ce b y sca l i ng the c l ot h es u p i n s ize, sty l i n g h i s
work to refl ect the c u l t u re, a n d t u rn i ng h i s logo
into a h ig h l y visible status symbol in t h e fas h i o n
co m m u n ity. H i s l a rge customer base cont i n ues
to i n form the d i rection of his work. The rest is
fa s h i o n b u s iness h i story.
o
e
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THOUGHT
14
Disposable as Investment
No ntext i l e p rojects a re c o m m o n l y used to
stretch a fa s h i o n designer's c reative m u scles.
Many fa s h ion progra m s offer at least o n e course
that req u i res a student designer to b u i ld a body
cove ring without fa b r i c and conve n t i o n a l sewing
methods. The exploration of this ty pe of wear
a b l e a rt i nvo lves a great d e a l of experi mentat i o n .
W h a t a re the objects o f c h o i ce? H o w w i l l t hey
be asse m b l ed o r wove n into a su rface? H ow w i l l
com pone nts s u c h as t h e bod ice, skirt, and s l eeve
be put togeth e r? W h at k i n d of method of c l o s u re
w i l l be devised? The f i n a l prod uct takes s h a p e
as a form s c u l pted to f i t t h e body and m i m i c
tra d i t i o n a l a p parel.
Depe nd i ng on the n a t u re of the raw materia l s i n
a ga rment of t h i s category, i t m ight not h ave a
long l i fe span-a t i ssue-paper gown 's days a re
n u m bered. So, why i nvest i n s u c h a d i sposable
piece of fa sh ion? The n ovelty and artistic va l u e
of ga rments m a d e o u t o f paper bags, plastic
spoons, or d u ct tape a re i n h e rent, but t h e re i s a
greater va l u e to be fou n d . The res u lts of b r i n g
i n g fas h i o n design s e n s i b i lities to nontrad i t i o n a l
p roj ects i n c l u d e u n ex pected problem-solving
methods a n d i n s p i red tec h n i q ues. Compositions,
color schemes, textu res, and construction s o l u
t i o n s that m ight not h ave otherwise been used to
create conventional c l oth i ng become a p p a rent.
A n ew set of ski l l s and a fresh perspective can
kick-start a col l ecti o n .
Left: Nontextile dress
constructed out of pennies
by I nes Antigua
Right: Nontexti Ie d ress
constructed out of tea bags
by Kathryn Feeley
35
THOUGHT
15
Environmental Context
G eogra p h i c a l regions d evelop a sty l e of t h e i r
own . I n t h e U n ited States a lo n e, the N o rth a n d
t h e South h ave d istinctly d ivergen t tastes for
c l ot h i ng. The West Coast a n d t h e East Coast
h ave very d iffe rent takes o n the defi n it i o n of
fa s h i o n . The M i dwest has a nother sta n d a rd of
sty le a l together. I n stead of m a ki n g va l u e judg
m e n ts a bo u t the wort h i n ess of a certa i n s e n s i b i l
ity, a good designer w i l l d elve i n t o t h e roots these
assessme n ts stem fro m . These foundations a re
u s u a l ly based on t h e m a n y a s pects of a n envi
ron m e n t t h at would color o u r c h o i ces: h i storical events, cu ltural i nflue n ces, geogra phy, a n d
c l i m ate. W h e n t h i s concept is extended globa l ly
there a re even s u bt l e r d iffe re n ces to be studied.
A good fa s h i o n com pass w i l l help u n cover t h e
reason s for u n de rsta n d i n g w h y a w a rd robe
of b la c k h a s become synonymous with u rb a n
sett ings s u c h as N ew Yo rk. I s the i n c l i n a t i o n to
adopt s u c h a d a rk pa lette j u st a practical c h o i ce?
I s the ove ra l l look h a rder a n d m o re i n t i m i d a t i ng,
somet h i n g t h a t m ight give you an edge when
dea l i ng with the gritty rea l ities of the city?
W h a t is t h e explanation for a n i n c l i nation towa rd
b right colors a n d bold patterns i n the South?
Does the weather play a part in it? Do these
cho ices reflect the l a ndscape? This exa m i n a t i o n
assists design ers i n d e l i ve ri n g thei r p roduct to a
m a rket that i s a l ready prone to receive it we l l .
Left: Vintage Yves Saint
Laurent dress in bright,
colorful floral print
Right: Sophisticated, dark
brown cascade collar suit by
Sara Campbe l l
I NVENTORY
16
Acquisitions
Setti n g u p a bus iness o r sta rt i n g a p roject re
q u i res t h at design e rs s h ift into h u nter-gat h e re r
m o d e . W h a t a re t h e m e a n s b y w h i c h they w i l l
b e a b l e t o deve l o p wo rk? H ow w i l l t h ey a m ass
resou rces?
Good fas h ion h u nters w i l l fa m i l ia rize themse lves
with a terra i n, track thei r ta rget, a n d a cq u i re it.
I d e ntify i ng the r ight m a c h i n e ry and the proper
tools is esse n t i a l . Not a l l cutting i nst r u m ents
a re c reated eq u a l . For i n stance, the d iffe rence
between scissors and shears is length; the l atter
m u st measure m o re t h a n 6 i n ches ( 1 5 cm). De
s ign room s w i l l reserve shears for cutt i ng fa brics
versus scissors for c utti ng paper. P i n k i ng s h e a rs,
a p p l i q u e sc issors, a n d s n i ps each m a ke specific
jobs a little easier.
Fa s h i o n gatherers a re a l ittle m o re s u bjective.
They w i l l forage t h rough the m a n y c h o i ces of
fa brics a n d notions to procure the ideal raw m a
terials, based on aesthetic needs a n d seaso n a l
demands.
O n ce a workroom is o u tfitted and its s h e lves
a re stocked with s u p p l ies, a workforce m u st
be asse m b l e d . I n d o i ng so, t h e designer m u st
dete r m i n e how each m e m be r of the staff fits into
the com m u n ity being crafted. N ext, the designer
m u st b u i l d a c u l t u re, an e n v i ro n ment, systems,
and tech n o l ogy.
I n some cases, it is a s m a rt idea to accu m u late
reserves. A s u r p l u s can mean the d iffere n ce be
tween e n d u r i n g and t h rowing i n the towel when
fa ced with situations that c h a l l e nge su rviva l .
H owever, stockp i l ing i s n 't h e l pful u n less t h e
goods a re rel eva nt and a re actua l ly p u t t o use.
The va l u e of a des ign er's i nventory-co m p r i s i n g
m a c h i n ery, raw materi a l s , m a n power, or fin i s h ed
p ro d u ct-depends on how cohes ive it a l l is.
Right: Design stu dio:
button bins
Far Right: Design studio:
fabric and pattern storage
PHOTO: JOEL BENJAMIN
I NVENTORY
17
Collaboration
Some very s u ccessf u l fas h i o n design tea m s
p rove that two heads a re often better t h a n one.
A c reative c o l l a borati o n can res u l t i n designs
that a re m o re complex and i n n ovat ive than those
that origi n ate fro m a s i ng u l a r v i s i o n . Partners h i p s
with buyers, ed itors, c l i e nts, a n d oth e r designers
a l l h ave the pote n t i a l to foster s u ccessf u l ideas
and e n h a nce the creative process.
Some exa m p l e s of s u ccessf u l fa s h i o n d e s ign
teams i n c l u d e :
•
Viktor Horsting a n d Rolf Snoeren o f V i ktor &
Rolf met w h i l e studying fas h i o n at the A r n h e m
Academy o f Art a n d Design i n T h e Nether
l a n d s . T h e i r team a p p roach to fa s h i o n cont i n
ues to surprise a n d c h a rm the fa s h i o n e l ite.
•
•
Parsons School of Design in N ew York City
wa s where Lazaro Hernandez and Jack
McCollough both stud ied before go ing on to
form the l a b e l Proenza S c h o u l er-a n a m e t h at
keeps it a l l i n the fa m i ly, originating from t h e
m a iden n a mes of both designers' mothers.
Domenico Dolce m et Stefano Gabbana
w h i l e working for the same design firm i n
M i l a n, Ita ly, and a re now the force b e h i n d
I ta l i a n l u x u ry house D o l ce and G a b b a n a , a
m u lt i m i l l io n - d o l l a r fas h ion e m p i re .
•
•
S i b l i ng c a m a raderie, n o t riva l ry, i s at t h e
h e a rt o f the s i ster t e a m o f Kate a n d Laura
Mulleavy for Roda rte, a company a lso n a m ed
after t h e i r mother's m a i d e n n a m e . They h ave
c o l l a borated with the G a p as wel l as Ta rget,
p roving they u n d e rsta nd how to interface well
with others.
Above: Ruben and Isabel
Toledo
Right: Dutch designers Rolf
Snoeren (left) a n d Viktor
Horsting (right), of Viktor
& Rolf, shake hands at the
end of their Autumn/Winter
2010/11 ready-to-wear
collection show in Paris.
Power couple Isabel and Ruben Toledo
represent t h e h u sband and wife d u o that
i m pact c u l t u re o n m u lt i p l e fronts. She is a
fash ion designer a n d h e i s a n a rt i st.
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41
I NVENTORY
18
Articulation of Style
Use your words. A designer ben efits great ly from
a m astery of la nguage- n ot m erely having a n
exte n s ive voca b u l a ry, b u t a lso posses s i ng the
a b i l ity to c raft words i nto ideas, messages, a n d
stories. W h ether complex o r u nc o m p l icated, t h e
intent b e h i n d t h e words t h a t a re used t o describe
and define t h ings helps to i n spire and deve l o p
design concepts. Th rough la nguage, a designer
can d iscover a d i rection for a project.
U s i ng color as a n exa m p le, the adjectives used
to n a rrow the defi n ition of a color can affect t h e
context i n w h i c h t h e f i n a l pro d u ct is perce ived .
J u st red? It s h o u l d n ever be just red. Per h a ps it
i s ru by, a red as rich a n d l u x u r i o u s as t h e ge m
sto n e . O r c h er ry red, a c o l o r you can a l most
taste. When you t h i n k of Fe rrari the associations
a re sport, speed, and Ita ly, w h i c h m a kes Ferra r i 's
co-bra n d i ng of s n e a ke rs a n d a t h l et i c spo rtswear
a natu ra I fit.
A lt h ough design ers m ay work from a broad
p a l ette, they can also become closely associated
with a part i c u l a r color. Elsa S c h i a p a re l l i is forever
l i n ked with s h oc k i ng p i n k, j u st as Va l e n t i n o w i l l
a lways b e re m e m b e red for h i s signat u re red.
I t may just seem l i ke sema ntics, but the s a m e
i s t r u e o f a l l t h e v i t a l com pone nts i nvolved i n
deve l o p i ng a ga rment o r a central t h e m e for a
col lectio n . A sm ooth text u re c a n be descri bed
as having a glossy, polis hed, or satin f i n i s h ,
wh ereas a gra i n y texture can be descri bed as
rough, porous, or eart hy. C l ever word play is at
the h e a rt of how fas h i o n is d i scussed in the me
d i a , so why not sta rt that d i a logue i n - h ouse on
the designer's terms.
Models in red, Va lentino's
signature color, wa l k on the
catwa l k for a grand fina le,
2008.
43
I NVENTORY
19
Building and Breaking Templates
Esta b l i s h i ng sta n d ards p rovides a fash ion de
sign e r with reference points. F i n d i ng the m i d d l e
is i m porta nt. The "ave rage" s h o u l d n o t be con
sid e red a death sentence to c reativity, when it is
positioned as the sta rting point. O n ce specifica
tions a re in p l a ce, u n d e rstood, a nd respected, a
designer can bend, if not break, a l l the rules.
The basic s l oper i s e m p l oyed as a fou ndation
for flat pattern m a ki n g beca use it conta i n s a l l
the vital meas u rements t o b u i ld a pattern that
w i l l correspond to the body it is being d e s igned
for. With those m e a s u re m ents i n pl ace, a l m ost
a n y modification is poss i b le, w h i l e sti l l keepi ng
the f u n ction a n d fit of the ga rment gro u nded
i n rea l i ty. A fitt i ng m u s l i n i s a ga rment that can
be used i n m u ch the same way. This ga rment is
constructed so that a designer can m a n i pu l ate
the d e s ign a n d custom ize t h e fit.
Good c ro q u i s figu res a re based on the propor
t i o n s of the h u m a n body. W h e n the re lation s h i p s
between parts o f the body a re m a i nta i n ed, t h e
figu re can b e exaggerated t o extremes without
risking a bstract i o n . The transformation may
refl ect the design e r's style tendencies, b u t the
finished p roduct will re m a i n recognizable.
Left: Average length and
elongated croq u is
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exaggerations designed to
accentuate overa l l sil houette
45
I NVENTORY
20
Pattern Instruments
A s h a rp pencil, some paper, a n d a rul e r - it
seems s i m p l e enough, but pattern m a ki ng de
m a n d s that d e s igners filter t h e i r vision of a ga r
m e n t t h rough a strict m at h e m atical grid. There is
no gett ing away from the fact that we l l-executed
patterns rely heavi ly on geometry a n d a re the re
s u l t of t h i n ki n g l i ke a n engineer. Designers s h o u l d
be very fa m i l i a r with the purpose o f e a c h tool of
the t rade and flu ent in the l a nguage of whatever
u n its of measurement t h ey a re working i n , down
to the s m a l lest fraction.
Precise measure m ents a n d c l e a r notations a re
key when ma king p ieces fit together. N otches,
for i n st a n ce, provi de the stitcher with specific
places w h e re pieces a re to be joined. They serve
as a n chor poi nts, wh ich h e l p to e n s u re p roper as
s e m b ly. Seam a l l owance can be looked at a s the
b reakdown lane of stitc h i ng l i nes, because t h ey
give us room to h a n d l e t h e fa b r i c w h i l e we a re
sewing a n d p rovide room for a lterations after t h e
fa ct-too m u c h a nd you h ave u nwanted b u l k; too
l ittle a n d sea m s begin to fa l l a pa rt . Beyond taking
each flat p iece a n d atta c h i n g it to a n other, t h ese
two-d i m e n s i o n a l pieces may a l so be m a n i pu l at
ed i nto m o re n u anced t h ree-d i m e n si o n a l shapes.
Ta i loring a garment to the h u m a n form m ight
req u i re darts that e l i m i n ate u nwa nted full n ess,
or gathers that add it where d e s i red.
A comm e rci a l pattern comes with a set of
i n structions that t a ke the consumer t h rough t h e
most efficient way o f putting a ga rment togeth e r.
Part of the design process for the d e s igner
should i n clude c reat ing a s i m i l a r a lgo r i t h m for a
pattern a d d ressi ng w h i c h methods of construc
tion w i l l be used, and what the specific sequence
of steps w i l l be.
Above: Tracing wheel,
notcher, and awl
Right: Pattern rack
·1
I
I NVENTORY
21
Stitching Tools
Sewing i s a sen sory experience. Fo llowing
i n struct i o n s that a re provided i n a book, a video,
or a l ive d e m onst rat i o n is a start, b u t t h e re
is n o su bstitute for expe r i e n ce, a nd l ots of it,
w h e n it comes to stitc h i ng a ga rment together.
Eas i ng the cap of a s l e eve i nto a n a r m h o l e i s
defi n itely e a s i e r s a i d t h a n d o n e . O n l y repet ition
w i l l provide the experience needed to h a n d l e
t h e fa bric expertly, select the proper t h read, a nd
u n d e rstand how to co ntrol a n d m a x i m ize the
tools you a re work i n g wit h . N ot h i ng i s pe rfect,
but p ractice certa i n ly gets you close.
There a re m a ny choi ces when it comes to what
type of stitch to use for a ny given job, and each
can be executed by hand or on a m a c h i n e :
•
Loose s i ngle-thread stitches f o r basting
•
B l a n ket o r overlock stitches to fi n i s h an edge
•
Pad st itc h i n g to sec u re layers of fabric togeth e r
•
Back stitches o r tacking to rei nfo rce a reas
•
Z igzag o r top stitc h i n g to decorate the su rfa ce
•
C h a i n, c ross, or satin stitches for e m b roidery
•
Butto n h o l e stitches to f i n i s h a n d re inforce the
ope n i ng for a button c l o s u re
•
B l i n d stitches for h e m m i ng
I n every case, a l ight, see m i ngly effortless touch
is the mark of the p rofes s i on a l .
Above Left: Hand sewing
Above Right: Machine
sewing
Right: Basting samples
Far Right: Hand basting
I NVENTORY
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Rendering Media
Fa s h i o n ren d e r i ngs a re u s ua l ly c reated i n pencil,
m a r ke r, or pai nt. Today, the pixel is another
m ed i u m for d rawing fas h i o n with the a i d of
com puter softwa re. Whether it's a fash ion n ote
on a n a p k i n , style schematics in a notebook, or
fa s h ion shorthand i n c h a l k on a c h a l kboard, the
goa l i s t h e exc h a nge of ideas.
There i s a myst i q u e a ro u n d t h e a rt of fa s h i o n ,
as tho ugh o n l y a sel ect few a re entitled t o even
atte m pt to c reate it. Alth ough not everyo n e who
sits down to d raw w i l l prod uce a rt to riva l t h e
work o f Steven Stipe l m a n or Antonio Lopez, it's
i m porta nt to rem e m be r t h at these m a sters a re
i l l ustrators a n d not designers. H o n i ng the s k i l l s
req u i red t o com m it concepts t o paper is p ri m a r
ily a bout h a n d to eye coord i nation, w h i c h o n l y
comes with t i m e a n d p ractice.
A carefully conceived d rawi ng, in w h i c h style
l i nes, design deta i ls, a nd propo rti o n s h ave been
t h o ughtfu l l y p l a n ned out, will h e l p m a ke the next
ste p - d ra p i ng a nd/or pa tte r n m a king- move
that m u c h faster.
Right: French designer Yves
Saint Laurent using chalk to
sketch fashion designs on
a chalkboard in the atelier
of the Ho use of C h ristian
Dior, where he has just
been na med as successor
to couturier C h ristian Dior,
Paris, November 1957.
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Fashion Design Essentials
I NVENTORY
23
Taming Textiles
Textiles a re a very tang i b l e s o u rce of i n s p i ration.
Much l i ke t h e marble that informs the s c u l p
t o r w h a t it wants to become, fa b ri c w i l l suggest
what sh apes a n d types of m a n i p u lation w i l l
transform it i nto a work o f a rt .
T h e s a m e pattern for a ga rment w i l l a s s u m e
u n i q u e l y d ifferent c h a ra cteristics, d e p e n d i n g on
whether it i s m a d e of s i l k ch iffo n , rib bed knit,
r i pstop nylon, Lycra, taffeta, or wool felt. The de
sign e r can design with fabrics ba sed on h ow they
coord i n ate and cont rast with each ot her. Weight,
body, a n d weave w i l l p rovide further d i rection.
C o l o r, pattern, and text u re a lso d e l iver a w h o l e
set o f a d d i t i o n a l c h o ices.
A designer can take ideas fo r a col l ection i nto
n ew territory by switc h i ng fa brics. S u bst ituting
fa brics l i ke d e n i m for taffeta, ch iffon for oxford
c l oth, leather for l i nen, and lace for tweed i s o n e
way t o trigger u n pred icta b l e i n n ovations. B l ock
i n g with color, pattern, and text u re is another
way to s h a ke t h i ngs u p. Combine these methods
with tec h n iques u s u a l ly reserved for d iffe rent
fa brics, a n d the design cho ices m u l tip ly. A p p l y
a top-stitched fl at-fe l led seam, c o m m o n l y found
on d e n i m , to s i l k orga ndy and it bri ngs together
two see m i ngly u n re l ated a reas of fa s h io n , c reat
i n g something fresh a n d u n expected.
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Right: Medium body: Sara
Campbell floral jacquard skirt
Below: Fu l l body: Viktor &
Ro lf silver d i pped sati n skirt
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Light body: soft satin
charmeuse blouse
I NVENTORY
24
Letters: Siopers
A s l oper is a tem plate for a n y pattern piece t h a t
does n o t i n c l u d e s e a m a l lowance. Starting from
scratch is not a lways n ecessa ry. It is used to
deve l o p va riations on patterns a n d is a great too l
for bra i n st o r m i ng a n d test i ng out design ideas
without having to go back to s q u a re one. S i nce
a good sloper a l ready i n c l udes a l l the m e a s u re
m e n ts that w i l l ens u re a proper fit, the designer
h a s the freedom to concent rate on aesthetics.
The designer can m a n i p u late the position of a
d a rt, add fu l l ness, l e ngt h e n or s horten, as well
as cut away or b u i l d a reas onto t h e origi n a l .
Each s l oper piece is l i ke a l etter i n t h e D N A o f a
ga rment. Each of these base patte r n s is designed
to conform to a d iffe rent p a rt of the body as well
as i nterfa c i ng with other pieces. Every t e m p l ate
h a s e l e ments that a re u n iq u e to t h a t piece. I n a
sleeve, the seam that c l oses it does not relate to
a ny part of a n other pattern piece. But the cap of
the sl eeve m ust fit i nto an a r m h o l e that is c re
ated when the fro nt bodice is con n ected to the
back bod ice at the s h o u l d e r and side seams. The
most essentia l a s pect of designing something
that goes from two d i m en s i o n s to th ree is fit
how t h e pieces fit toget h e r and how they fit
the pu rpose.
Getting wrapped up in the m i n utia of t h i s b l u e
print for a ga rment may s e e m l i ke t h e exc l u s ive
d o m a i n of pattern m a ke rs, but designers c a n use
their own sensi b i l ities to solve design c h a l l enges
with t h i s as we l l .
Slo p er s
55
I NVENTORY
25
Words: Garments
Every ga rment m a kes a va l u a b l e contribution to
an overa l l look. It might be cast i n the sta rring
role or as a su pporting piece. I n d iv i d u a l ite m s of
clothing can be t reated l i ke the words that w i l l
b e expres s i n g t h e designer's v i s i o n . B ig word s
as well as l ittle o n e s s h o u l d b e ca refu l ly chosen,
beca use even the s l ightest va riation i n d efi n it i o n s
can m a ke a b ig d iffe rence.
The o rigi n a l st i m u l us for a design e r's i n spirati o n
can b e d is t i l l ed i nto s u bt l e b ut powe rfu l det a i l s
i n even t h e s i m plest of ga rments. I n addition to
b e i ng a p p reciated by the true connoisse u r, these
touches add a com plexity that m a kes these
ga rme nts d i s t i nct. A lthough some ite m s a re
intended to e m ph a s ize a m o re d o m i n a n t p iece,
they s h o u l d n ever be t reated l i ke an afterthought.
If they a re designed as independent entities, they
w i l l stand a l o n e i n terms of design and q u a l ity.
A simple white blouse
by Viktor & Rolf, made
distinctive with button
detail, 2006
•
• •
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I NVENTORY
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Sentences: Ensembles
Asse mb l i ng a n ensemble i s l i ke stringing words
together to form a sentence. In the best of situ
ations, the res u ltant fas h i o n p h rase i s a we l l- c a l
ibra ted comb i n at i o n o f refe rences t h a t i n s p i red
the d e s ign p rocess i n the fi rst place.
M ix i ng d ra st i c a l l y d iffe rent colors can p u n c h up
a look. B l e n d i n g more h a r m o n i o u s shades w i l l
result i n a gen t l e r t o u c h . At e i t h e r end of t h e
spectrum or a nywhere i n between, color s h o u l d
a lways a l l u d e t o t h e i m pact the designer w i s h e s
to have on h i s a u dience.
The interplay of textu res a n d patterns can a l s o
b e used t o sti m u late or re lax the person wea r i ng
those specific garments. F i n d i ng the right b a l
a n ce betwee n d i fferent s ha pes is a n i m portant
fa cto r, whether the designer wants the com p l ete
look to h ave a rese rved s i l h o u ette or o n e with
d ra m atic f l a i r. O rn a m e n t can be sca l ed to differ
ent propo rt i o n s so that it h a s t h e d e s i red effect.
The lack of it c a n be j u st as bold i n its a uste r ity.
Design ers need to consider t h at these sets of
ga rme nts w i l l not exist i n a va c u u m , and they
need to m a ke thei r m a rk o n the observe r-the
c l ie nt's c i rc l e, the media, a n d the ge n e ra l public.
Every designer has t h e abil ity to m a ke c l e a r
state m e nts o f sty le w i t h every compos i t i o n .
PHOTO: JESSICA WEISER
Samira Vargas ensem bles
featuring a mix of texture and
pattern, 2010
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I NVENTORY
27
Stories: Collections
A variety of looks can be brought togeth e r to
i l l ustrate a bigger idea. The m i x itse lf is an exten
sion of t h e conce pt that i n s p i red each e l e m ent
of t h e col lection to begin w i t h . M a ny cho ices a re
i nvolved i n designing a s i ngle garment, c reating
co rrespon d i ng pieces to put together a n outfit,
a n d t h e n d o i ng that n u m e ro u s t i m e s u n t i l you
h ave a l l the i n gred i e n ts n ecessa ry to tel l yo u r
fa s h i o n story: a co l l ectio n .
T h e designer m u st t h i n k l i ke a sty l i st a n d con
sider how these pieces will go togeth e r to c raft a
bigger, m o re c o m p l ex pict u re. Ask the q u estions
that would help you c raft a good story. H ave you
a made conscious c h oice to j u xta pose contra st
i n g e l em e nts to c reate confl ict and d ra ma? I s
h u m o r wove n into t h e col l ection t h a t con nects
with yo u r a u d ience t h rough witty c h o i ces? I s
there a s e n se o f harmony i n h ow yo u r c h o ices
come together? Does each e n s e m b l e fee l l i ke
it represents a c h a ra cter in your story? D o you
h ave a strong sta rt and an exciti n g fin i s h?
The specific decisions a designer m a kes-putti ng
e m p h as i s on what s h e sees as i m po rta nt-wi l l
u lti mately set h e r a p a rt from other d esigners
and t h e i r co l lect i o n s . This p rocess is j u st a s
i m porta nt as t h e garments themse lves, beca use
it p l a ces the d esigne r's vision in a context of her
own c reation.
C h ristian Lacroix Col lection,
2006
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I NVENTORY
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Punctuation: Details
O n ce the structure of a ga rment h a s been clearly
defi ned and the materi a l s being used to fa b ricate
it have been chosen, it is t i m e to conte m p late
the deta i l s . These points w i l l fine-tune the d e s ign
a n d e n s u re t h at a design er's aesthet ic s e n s i
b i l ities a re con s i stent t h roughout. We l l - p l aced
e m b e l l i s h m e nts w i l l pu nctuate t h e design, b u t
n o t d i stract from i t .
Decorative b utton s or s n a p s h e l p to m i x form
and f u n ct i o n . O n e big, bold button on an other
wise u n d erstated coat serves as a n exc l a m ation
point. M ost fa ns of the classic Weste rn -style
s h i rt wo u l d agree that pearl s n a ps a re an es
sential fi n i s h i ng touch. Big brassy zi ppers stress
uti l ity, a n d when used d e l i be rately they c a n m a ke
a statement. Exposing t h at k i n d of h eavy h a rd
wa re and having i t s l a s h t h rough a del icate d ress
defi n itely m a kes a d e c l a ra t i o n .
Strictly orna m e n t a l deta i l s s u c h a s e m b ro i d e ry
or bea d i ng a re straightforwa rd e nough, except
when t hey a re strategica l ly pla ced in u n expected
locations. A s m a l l godet inserted at t h e end of a
seam can provide ease but also i nterest. Top
stitc h i ng with t h read in an accent color is o n e
way t o u n d e r l i n e the style l i nes of a ga rment.
The edge of a ga rment may be d otted a n d
d a s h ed with a d ecorative b l a n ket stit c h .
Fo r m a ny fas h i o n designers, " t h e d e v i l i s i n t h e
deta i l s " beca use that i s w h e re t h e y m ight f i n d
the process the m ost d iffi c u lt or c h a l l e ngi ng.
I t i s a l s o a way t h at design ers can s u btly sign
t h e i r m a sterpieces.
Above: Beaded Mary
McFadden gown
Right: Decorative zipper
deta i l by Aey Hota rwaisaya
Beaded, bowed, a n d gilded
dress by C h ristian Lacroix,
2006
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I NVENTORY
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Closures
C l o s u re methods a re pri m a rily p ract ical consid
e rations, b u t they can also be used as prom i n e n t
design d eta i l s that com plete a l o o k . A l m ost a n y
fa stener c a n be stea l t h i l y h i dden w i t h i n a p la cket
or a seam, or camo ufl aged when covered i n fa b
ric, to a c h i eve a c l e a n a ppeara n ce. There a re a l s o
specia l considerations for e a c h type o f closu re
that w i l l affect the fit a n d f i n i s h of a garment.
Flat buttons a re c o m m o n in most i n stances, but
s h a n ked buttons a re often used when the t h ick
ness of the fa bric req u i res greater space to a l low
for that b u l k to be butto n e d . A sta n d a rd z i pper
can be centered, l a p ped, or i n se rted without a n y
exte n s i o n s o f fa bric t o intenti o n a l l y re m a i n vis
ible. The i nv i s i b l e z i pper is designed to p u l l t h e
fa bric o n both sides together t o m i m ic a sea m .
H ooks a n d eyes as we l l a s snaps a re ava i l a b l e
i n d iffe rent sizes, col ors, a n d types. I n s o m e
i n sta nces, t h e y a re cove red to b l e n d i nto the ga r
ment. Both a lso a re ava i l a b l e on a tape that can
be sewn in. Vel cro is c o m m o n l y not visible and
can be a pp l ied i n segments o r co n t i n u o u s strips.
E l e m e nts such as ties, be lts, frogs, and toggles
a re u s u a l ly chosen for t h e i r decorative contri b u
tion as wel l a s t h e i r u sefu l n ess.
Top: Pink bias ribbon lacing
Above: Blue fabric-covered
buttons
• •
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I NVENTORY
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Specialty Requisites
Spec i a l m ateria ls a re often req u i red to a c h i eve
d e s i red effects, p rovide specific functional ity,
a n d e n s u re q u a l ity workm a n s h i p . S o l v i ng u n i q u e
design c h a l l enges req u i res d iffe rent m ateria l s .
I f the right i ngred ients don't exist, a n i n n ovative
designer w i l l be i n s p i red to invent t h e m .
A fu l l -flowing s k i rt w i l l ben efit from a b a n d of
h o rse h a i r braid sewn into the h e m . O rigi n a l l y
m a d e o f actual horseha i r, t h i s m e s h i s now made
of nylon. O n e of its uses i n c l udes provid ing a
flexi b l e stiffness that reinfo rces the edge of the
hem. The s k i rt m ight be m a d e without it, but i n
c l u d i ng i t res u lts i n a rou nded, b i l lowi ng h e m l i n e
t h a t seems t o ro l l a s it moves.
I n weatherproof outerwea r, a l a c k of b reat h a b i l ity
m ight req u i re the i n sertion of a nylon mesh into
strategi ca l l y p la ced vents. D o u b l e z i ppers a l l ow
the garment to be part i a l ly o p e n ed at either end
without com pletely exposing the wea rer to the
e l e m e nts.
T h read i s at the h e a rt of putting togeth e r most
ga rments. Each project w i l l req u i re a d i ffere nt
type of t h read. The size and weight of a t h read
is i n d icated by a set of n u m bers, such as 50/3 .
The fi rst n u m be r refers to the d i a meter of each
strand (the h igher t h e n u mber t h e finer the
t h read) a n d the second to the n u m ber of stra n d s
t h a t h ave been twisted together t o c reate that
t h re a d . F i n e r t h reads a re i n kee p i n g with h a n d
work a n d d e l i cate fa b rics. Strong t h reads w i l l
h o l d u p t o heavier fa brics a n d c a n be used i n
situations w h e n t h e re w i l l b e a d d i t i o n a l stress, a s
i n gath e r i n g stitches a n d b utto n h o les. Synthetic
t h reads p rovide a l itt l e m o re give when sewi n g kn its. E m b roid e ry t h read is m o re c o m m o n l y
refe r red t o a s floss and is u s u a l l y co m posed o f
six loosely twisted stra n d s .
I n addition t o d iffe rent lengths a n d d i a meters, t h e
s h a pe o f the point o f a needle is very i m po rta nt.
Fo r i nstance, needles used fo r kn its need to be
sl ightly ro unded at the point so they do n't snag.
Clockwise: Decorative yarns;
heavy-duty zipper ; thread;
horsehair
•
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I NVENTORY
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Miscellaneous Markers
I n fa s h io n , eve ryth ing revo lves a ro u n d the n ew
a n d the u nexpl ored. L i ke a nyth i ng e l se, even
the fa s h i o n i n d u stry can fa l l i nto a rut, and o n l y
ra ndom w i l d cards a re a b l e t o s h a ke t h i ngs u p
a n d sh ift the fa s h i o n l a ndscape j u st e n ough to
infl u e n ce c h a nge. I n truth, they deserve t h e i r own
custo m , sometimes com p l ex, l a b e l , but beca use
it is d iffi c u l t to fit t h e m i nto a category, these
fa s h ion fl a res a re u s u a l l y f i l ed under "M isce l l a
neo us." Their ra n d o m n ess s h o u ld not b e l i e t h e i r
i m porta n ce i n terms o f i n s p i ration a n d d i rection.
Now that v i rtu a l l y everyon e h a s a b l og of h i s
own, t h e b l ogos p h e re's i m pact see m s d i l uted a nd
c o m m o n p l a ce. H owever, the b l oggi ng l a ndscape
is sti l l a p l a ce wh e re d i a m o n d s i n the ro ugh c a n
b e fou n d . These u n d iscove red ge m s reflect facets
of fa s h i o n that may not h ave been on a nyone's
ra dar u n t i l o n e of these writers chooses to foc u s
on i t a n d s p read t h e word . Some a re described
as being on t h e front l i nes of fas h i o n , so tappi ng
into t h e right c o m b i nation of o n l i ne voices w i l l
p rovide i n s ight, resou rces, a n d i n s p i ration for the
fa s h ion designer.
B l ogs a re just one exa m ple. Move m ents toward
susta i n a b i l i ty a n d fa i r t rade h ave been b u i l d i n g m o m e n t u m i n t h e fa s h i o n i n d ustry, but
they ra re l y ga i n traction i n the h igh-end fa s h i o n
world. H oweve r, i n the J u ne 2 0 0 9 i s s u e of Vogue,
C a m e ron D i a z was featured wearing a p a i r of
eco-frie n d ly/h igh-end fas h i o n sh orts by Goods
of Conscience, a fas h ion label c reated by Fat h e r
Andrew O'Connor, a C a t h o l i c priest based i n
the B ro n x, New Yo rk. The u n expected s o u rce
ce rta i n l y generates interest, but t h e bus i ness
model and the message lay the gro u n dwork for
the evo l ut i o n of an i n d ustry.
Design ers need to be looking fo r signs of the
fut u re on a l l fronts-who is s h i n i ng a l ight o n a
d iffe rent perspective a n d h ow t h at w i l l fuel t h e i r
creative p rocess.
Father Andrew O'Connor,
(right), created Goods
of Conscience in answer
to the needs of several
co m m u n ities. The company
employs both Mayan I ndian
weavers and underem ployed
Bronx sewers, supporting
loca l production in both
locales. The line uses a soft,
lightweight material made
of o rga nic cotton, called
Social Fabric, which is made
in the G uatemalan tradition
of back-strap weaving. The
manufactu ring of the fabric
and garments ta kes into
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Tavi Gevinson is a n
American fashion blogging
phenomenon. She started
"Style Rookie" in 2008 at
the age of eleven and her
followers include M i uccia
Prada, John Galliano, Rei
Kawakubo, a n d the M u l leavy
sisters. These design stars
say she "gets it," and they
are taking notice.
I NVENTORY
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Care and Feeding of a Garment
I t's i m pera t ive to consider the l ife of a garment
w h e n desig n i n g it, such as h ow t h e ga rment w i l l
h o l d u p over t i m e, t h rough wear, c l e a n i ng, a n d
stea m i ng. T h i s can m a ke the d iffe rence between
having an object that is a keepsake a n d o n e that
is re legated to the d u stbi n . In some cases, it is
the patina that deve l o ps d u ri n g the aging p rocess
that adds to its d e s i ra b i l ity. I n othe rs, the va l u e
comes from t h e item's a b i l ity to reta i n a good-as
n ew a p peara n ce over t i m e .
W i l l the garme nt's fa bric a n d c o n struction sta n d
u p t o m a c h i n e wash i ng, o r w i l l it req u i re h a n d
wa s h i n g or d ry c l e a n i ng? W i l l a l i nt b r u s h o r a n
a d h esive ro l l e r b e a b l e t o c l e a r the s u rface o f l i n t,
h a i r, a n d fuzz?
Faux furs can be brushed gently to
Nylon, polyester, and other synthetics
prevent matting, a lso removing dust and
used for outerwear may be machine
debris. May be machine washed and
h u ng to d ry. No d ryer o r direct heat.
washed or dry cleaned. They can also be
placed in a dryer at a low temperature.
Sturdy cotton (canvas, denim twi l l ) can
Dry cleaning is preferred for most
be laund ered-hot water for whites;
d e l icate si l ks. They may also be gently
warm or co ld for colors. Shrin kage can
hand washed with mild soap. Lay flat to
be addressed with prewashing.
dry on a noncolored towel.
Heavy wool tweeds and suiting may be
Hairy fabrics (a ngora, moha i r, a l paca, or
dry cleaned or spot cleaned with a damp
sponge. A steamer is the recommended
vicuna) should be dry cleaned or gently
way to take out wrin kles.
Steam; do not iron flat.
Does the fa b r i c req u i re p ressing or stea m i ng?
I n the case of velvet or cord u roy fa brics, w i l l a
needle press board or pad h e l p m a i nt a i n t h e p i l e?
W h e n i ro n i n g the ga rme nt, h ow w i l l a t a i l o r's
h a m , a press m i tt, a seam ro l l , a point press, o r a
sleeve board wo rk for the user? W i l l a p ress cloth
or pad help to prevent the fa bric from s h i n i n g
or si nge i ng?
After a length of t i m e, folds can beco m e perma
n e nt and wea ken the fabric, so proper sto rage is
essent i a l . W h i c h type of h a nger best s u its that
part i c u l a r garment? W i l l p a c k i ng with tissue a n d
cardboard for m s h e l p keep t h e body o f t h e gar
ment in s h a p e a n d w r i n k l e-free? Wo u l d it be best
to store t h e ga rment on the h a nger in a plastic
bag or a cloth bag, o r i n a box with acid-free pa
per? W i l l basting pockets a n d vents closed h e l p
p revent saggi ng o r twisti ng?
Design ers may not a lways h ave t h e t i m e to test
the e n d u ra nce of a ga r m ent, but they can be
come fa m i l i a r with how fa b r i cs and construction
tec h n i q ues w i l l sta n d u p to t i m e and use, h e l p i n g
t h e m t o m a ke the best c h o ices.
washed. Do not wring or agitate; dry flat.
Right: For t h e designer
working with exotic trims
such as fur or feathers, it is
a good idea to design the
garment so that these sections
are removable for cleaning
pu rposes. Gown by designer
N a ra Paz
Raw silks and linens can be dry cleaned
o r gently hand washed. They may be
pressed at a low heat from the reverse
side of the fabric or steamed.
Fabrics with meta llic or plastic threads
should be dry cleaned. A press cloth
should be used when ironing on low
temperature from the reverse side.
Pile fabrics (velvet, terry cloth, o r
cordu roy) c a n be cleaned according
to fiber content. Steam only from the
reverse side or on a needle press board .
I NVENTORY
33
Ancient Tools and Techniques
Fo r the fi rst t i m e o n record, the woman who h a s
b e e n c h a rged w i t h creating b ra id w o r k u s e d t o
decorate C h a n e l su its s i n ce 1 947 w a s i nt roduced
to t h e p u b l i c in t h e documentary Signe Chane/.
M a d a m e Pouz i e u x creates t h e fa m o u s fa s h ion
b ra ids on a o ne-of-a-kind a n c i e nt l o o m . Wor k i ng
the loom i s second n a t u re to h e r, but m a n y a p
p re n t i ces have been confou nded by i t s intrica
ci es. The H o use of C h a n e l i s a loyal patron of
h e r wo rk, beca use t h i s type of b ra i d t r i m can be
fo und now h e re else.
T h i s story i l l u st rates o n e exa m p l e of h ow va l u
a b l e a n d u n i q u e o l d-world tech n i q ues c a n be, not
to mention antique tools and m a c h i n e ry. N ew
sewing m ac h i nes with bu i lt-in c o m p uters can
be p rogra m m ed to do m a ny wonderfu l t h i ngs,
but for power a n d sta b i l ity, not h i ng compares
to o l d e r i n d u st r i a l m a c h i nes. W h i le the m a
c h i nes can st i l l b e found, t h e knowledge a n d s k i l l
req u i red to m a i nta i n them i s beco m i n g h a rd t o
f i n d . M a n y t a l e nts a re a l so fad i ng i nto obscurity, beca use t h ese v i ntage c rafts a re not being
passed on. A l t hough automation affords the
designer the a b i l ity to p rod uce fa ster, t h e p rocess
of resea rc h i ng, l e a r n i ng, a n d i m p le me n t i ng
o l d -fash i o n ed methods may p rove to be a useful
c reative exercise.
Left Above: Vintage sewing
machine
Left Below: Loom
Right: Assorted braids by 18
73
I NVENTORY
34
Accessory Closet
W h i c h comes first t h e s u i t o r the stil ettos?
W h a t about the c u r rent "it" bag or a s m a rt p a i r
o f g l asses? A great accesso ry can be t h e c e n
terpiece of a great o utfit . I f the sho pper can t a ke
that a p p roach, why c a n 't the design e r? G reat
a ccessories that stra d d l e the l i n e betwee n f u n c
tion a n d a rt a re worthy of a designer's atte ntion.
Studying t h e m i c rocos m s of sty l e may gene rate
ideas that a designer can expand u pon, a n d pos
s i b l y b u i l d a col lection a ro u n d .
H ats a re n o t a m u st for tod ay's fas h i o n a b l e
wom a n t h e way they were i n t h e 1 9 5 0 s a n d
1 960s, b u t t hey h ave n o t gone away. M i l l i n e rs
a re reg u l a r l y req u i red to rise to the c h a l l e nge of
e m powe r i n g t h e i r c u stomers with the confi d e n ce
to don these a rtfu l expres s i o n s of fas h i o n . Ap
parel designers can t a ke a cue from the c raft a n d
a rti stry b e h i n d t h e i r work.
Clockwise: Fashionable
eyewear; Shaunt Sarian
bag; Zack Lo shoes
Shoes h ave become one of the most i m portant
fa s h i o n a ccessories, beca use u n l ess the option
of going ba refoot i s on the t a bl e, a pa i r of shoes
is tec h n ica l ly a n ecessity. Accord i n g to A n swers.
com, on ave rage, women between the ages of
twenty-five a n d fifty own from forty to s i xty p a i rs
of shoes. As a fa s h i o n category, shoes r u l e !
PHOTO: SIMPLYNATE PHOTOGRAPHY
Ma rie Ga lvin hat
I NVENTORY
35
Vintage Patina
Right: "IT'S M I N E ! " A Daily
You nger s i b l i n gs everywh e re co m p l a i n about
h a nd-me-downs, but i n fas h i o n , a seco n d h a n d
ga rment h a s the potenti a l t o b e a t r u l y coveted
item. Its degree of va l u e ste m s from m a n y t h i ngs:
o
o
o
News front-page head l i ne
from October 28, 1999.
Col lector Bob Schagrin
pays $1.1 m i l lion for Marilyn
Monroe's dress.
I s the garment sti l l re levant? A great
m oto rcyc l e ja cket sends j u st as powe rfu l a
m essage a s it ever d i d .
PHOTO: N Y DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE/GETTY
IMAGES
Does a designer l a be l cou nt? I d entifia b l e
m a rke rs s p e a k to the power o f b ra n d i ng
fash i o n .
I s i t a sym b o l i c part o f h i story? The u ltra
fem i n i n e s i l houettes of the early 1960s have
greatly influenced contem pora ry fa s h ion
t h a n ks to t h e p o p u l a rity of the television series
Mad Men.
o
o
o
How ra re i s the item? O n e-of- a - k i n d p ieces a re
sought after regard less of the category.
W h o wore it? The provocative d ress that
M a r i lyn M o n roe wore to sing " H a p py B i rt h d ay"
to P resident J o h n F. Ken nedy i n 1 962 was
n oteworthy in its d ay, but has cont i n ued to
i n c rease expo n e n t i a l l y in both p o p u l a rity and
va l u e s i nce then.
Does it possess g l a m o u r by association?
Designers and j o u r n a l i sts a re often gu i lty
of foste r i ng relations h i ps between c l ot h ing
and celebrities, even if th ere i s no c re d i b l e
affi liation betwee n the two . Describing a l i tt l e
b l a c k d ress a s "very A u d rey H e p b u r n " m a y be
a sort of tri bute to h e r, G ivenchy, a n d Breakfast
at Tiffany's, but t h ere i s n 't a rea l connect i o n .
I n w h a t way can today's designers b r u s h t h e
patina of a v i ntage g a r m e n t ove r t h e i r work?
I t need not be as l itera l as t a r n i shed butto ns
a n d buckles o r d i stressed and faded fa brics.
The s u bt l e use of color schemes that reflect
the aesthetics of a n oth e r t i m e i s a n option.
The a p plication of o l d -wo rld pattern m a k i ng,
construct i o n , o r f i n i s h i n g tec h n i q ues is another.
The use of s i l h ouettes that refe rence specific
periods in fas h ion h i story can a l so provide the
designer with a sense of a not her era. Vi ntage
sources a re now varied a n d p lentifu l . Local
boutiqu es, regional m a r kets, and o n l i ne reta i l e rs
a re useful b a rometers t h a t a l low a designer to
spot ti mely vintage tre n d s .
Evening gown featuring
a distinctive geometric
silhouette of the 1980s
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N E W S
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S P O R T S
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GORE GOES
ON OFFENSIVE
IN DEBATE
17 MIWON
HOT DOGS
RECAll ED
LAPTOPS GO
HOME WITH
SCHOOL KIDS
PAGES 4 6 5
PAGE 2
SPECIAL REPORT
PAGES 32 6 33
77
TECHN I Q U E
36
Fashion Translations
Fa s h i o n i n fl u ences come fro m many d i fferent
sou rces, i n c l u d i ng spo rts, c l u bs, social and eco
n o m i c c l ass, a n d d iffe rent c u l t u res. I t's up to the
designer to tra n s l ate and adopt these i n fl uences
to fit i nto the m a i nstre a m .
T h e rugby s h i rt, for exa m p l e, a l lows t e a m s to
ide ntify the mse lves with team-specific colors
i n corporated i nto the five or six horizontal stripes
cal led hoops. The " rep" tie i s used by schools,
c l u bs, a nd m i l itary reg i m ents to d i splay t h e i r af
filiations. The term rep refers to the r i b b i ng of t h e
fa bric's weave, n o t t h e c o l o r a n d configurat ion of
stripes (a c o m m o n m i sconcept i o n ) . How m ight
the idea of wea r i ng y o u r "co lors" figure i n the
design p rocess?
I nteresti ng d i st i n ct i o n s deve l o p a mong d i ffer
ent social a n d e co n o m i c c l asses. I n the U n ited
Ki ngdom, costermo ngers, who s o l d fruit a n d veg
eta b l e s from m a rket sta l l s , would set t h e m se lves
a pa rt from ot h e r ve ndors by sewing a row of
pearl buttons a l o n g the sea m s of t h e i r ga rments.
The res u l t was cal led a Flash Boy outfit. A large
ca rgo of pearl butto n s from J a p a n in t h e 1 8 60s is
sa id to have contrib uted to the deve l o p m e n t of
this t rend a mong the trad e s m e n .
H e n ry C roft w a s a part o f t h a t com m u n ity, a n d
he i s c red ited with creating t h e u n iq u e Pea r l y
Ki ngs a n d Q u e e n s l o o k i n 1 875. Croft, a teen
age orphan who had a desire to h e l p those i n
need, u n derstood that h e needed to set h i mself
a pa rt to be n ot i ced, so he covered a n e n t i re s u i t
w i t h pearl buttons. T h e fi rst "pearly" w a s born.
The working class adopted the Pea r l y Ki ngs a n d
Q ue e n s trad ition t o continue t h e "whip a ro u nd,"
w h i c h is what they called m a k i ng co l l ect i o n s for
those i n need.
D e n i m ga rments have been interpreted a nd
re interpreted over t h e yea rs. I ntro d u ced as work
c l othes a n d then ad opted as fa s h i on by teenag
e rs, d e n i m went on to se rve as a canvas for s u c h
e m b e l l i s h m e nts as m eta l studs, h a n d p a i nt i ng,
a n d r h i n estones. Someti m es the fusion of two
d iffe rent fa s h i o n languages c a n resu l t i n a fresh
new idea-denim a n d pearly button s .
M a ry and Fred Ti nsl ey,
Pearly Queen a n d King of
Southwark, London, 1949
Decorative button deta il on
denim from Art by T
TECHN I Q U E
37
Four Seasons: A Timeline
The seasons h e l p co m pa rtmental ize fas h i o n . The
p ractical d e m a n d s of weat her a l o n e c a u s e u s
t o focus o n t h e e l e m e nts o f design that shield a
person from the ra i n , s u n , w i n d , o r s n ow. H ow
ever, the natural aesthetics of each period a l so
infl u e n ce designers with regard to t h e colors,
patterns, a n d text u res t h ey choose. Each season
is potent with reference poi nts; even for peo ple
living in a c l i mate that doesn't cha nge d ra m ati
ca l ly from season to season, the re a re degrees
of d iffe rence that have an i m pact on t h e i r fas h i o n
cho ices, whether t h ey a re the designers o r t h e
c o n s u m ers.
What seaso n a l associations m ight someone
m a ke? S p r i n g could b r i n g s howers a n d gard e n s
to m i n d . S u m m e r may evoke s u n s h i n e a nd
s u n fl owers. Fa l l m ight conj u re u p a cava lcade of
color as the l eaves cha nge. A n d wi nter has the
poten t i a l to st i r u p frosty i mages of s n ow and ice.
Although these a re a c c u rate reflections of s p r i ng,
s u m m e r, fa l l, a n d w i nter, each d e s ig n e r has a
u n i q u e set of va r i a bles that s h e b r i n gs to the
table based on h e r perso n a l expe r i e n ces.
Below: Spring inspiration
Right: Colorful ensemble
featuring floral embroidery
by designer N a ra Paz
Below: Summer inspiration
Right: Vintage hand-painted
cotton d ress from Poor Little
Rich G i rl
These fa s h ion t i m e l i nes a re not s i m p l y l i ne a r.
They a re a set of para l le l l i n e s that begi n at d if
ferent poi nts o n the calendar. It's a b a l a n c i n g act
for design ers, because whic heve r season you're
a ctu a l l y experienci ng, as a fa s h i o n profess i o n a l
y o u a re designing for at least two seasons a h ead,
p ro d u c i n g for o n e season a h ead, a n d d e l ivering
i n the p resent d ay.
Below: Fall inspiration
Right: Copper leather shirt
and sati n stripe skirt by
designer Elena Sanders
Below: Winter inspiration
Right: Black-and-white wool
coat by designer Pavlina
Gilson
TECHN I Q U E
38
Rate, Rules, and Roughs
A fas h i o n designer may be tem pted to avoid
ste ps in the creative p rocess to m eet dead l i nes
or simply reap the rewards a little sooner.
Whether it's i n sketchi ng, pattern m a ki ng, o r
sewing, bypassing steps cou ld u n d e r m i n e the
final outcome.
•
Sketch i ng: A s e n se of the shape and flow of
a ga rment can often i n it i a l l y be fou n d in a
rough sketch. Repeating that p rocess on paper
p rovides a place w h e re deta i l s can be fin essed
before the actual garment is being deve loped.
•
Pattern m a k i ng: M e a s u re twice, cut once.
Mathematics i s a u n iversal l a nguage, and
t h e re i s l ittle roo m for i m p rovisation when it
comes to accu racy. H ow pattern p ieces i n te r
lock, how they a re based o n c l e a r a n d d eta i l ed
notations o n a pattern, a n d h ow they a d h e re
to t h e body's m e a s u re me nts a re a l l based o n
a system o f r u l es.
•
Construction: Basting seems l i ke t h e biggest
waste of ti me, u n t i l something goes wrong. I n
the end, t h i n k i n g a bout basting u s u a l l y wa stes
m o re t i m e t h a n actu a l ly d o i ng it. These tem
pora ry stitches serve much the same f u n ction
as a rough sketc h . They let you a ssess h ow the
ga rment i s coming together without t a k i ng per
m a n ent, a n d i n some cases i rreve rs i b le, ste ps.
I n addition to getting it right the fi rst t i m e, each
and every p h a se of pre p a rat ion p rovides a n op
portun ity for i n s p i ra t i o n . The r u l e s d o n 't n eces
s a r i l y cha nge, but the o n e s you a p ply, as well
as how, when, and where you a p p ly t h e m , is a
c reative act i n itse lf.
"
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First stage of sketch:
the rough
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83
TECHN I Q U E
39
Hand to Eye
The c o n n ection between the m i n d 's eye a n d the
hands of the designer is easily taken for granted.
T h i s l i n k m u st be re i n fo rced t h rough conscious
exercise and exploration. I f the co m m u n ication
between the two i s f l u id, a designer's d exterity
i n exec uting ideas beco mes effo rtless a nd, after
a t i m e, second n at u re. B u i l d i ng strong bonds re
q u i res e q u a l pa rts a rtist, a rc h i tect, and construc
tion worker. I t's easy to p l ay to your strengths,
but a good designer w i l l have a clear com pre h e n
sion o f cause and effect i n every a rea .
A stitc h e r who u n d e rsta n d s h ow a pattern is
designed to come together p roduces better work.
The seq u e n ce of construction and deta i l p l a ce
m e n t w i l l m a ke a big d iffere nce i n the fin ish of
the f i n a l p roduct.
The q u a l ity of a s ketch is h igher when it ben efits
from knowledge of construction tec h n iq ues
a n d experience with a wide va riety of d ifferent
fa brics. Rendering the ro l l of fa bric cut on the
b i a s has a d istinctly d ifferent feel than d rawing
something cut on the l engthwise gra i n .
Patter n m a ke rs w h o c a n v i s u a l ize how a ga r
m e n t w i l l be sewn w i l l be s u re to i n c l u d e t h e
right i nfo rmation i n the pattern they ' re d rafti ng.
I n clud i ng we l l - p la ced notches, the a p propriate
seam a l l owa n ce, or e n o ugh ease is essenti a l if
the stitc h e r i s going to be a b l e to do his job we l l .
A designer s h o u l d b e a b l e to n avigate between
v i s u a l mode where the i magination a n d a esthet
ics a re para m o u nt, the b l ueprint phase that
d o c u m ents and com m u n i cates how each design
w i l l be executed, a nd bu i ld i ng somet h i n g that re
spects and reflects the origi n a l vision and i ntent.
The m o re d i rect the path between the designer's
imagination a nd the rea l ities of producing it, the
better t h e work.
Above: Fashion sketch
of a design by Victoria
Dominguez-8agu
Right: Design by Victoria
Dominguez- 8agu
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Right: Fashion sketch
of a design by Victoria
Dominguez-8agu
Far Right: Design by Victoria
Dominguez-8agu
85
TECHN I Q U E
40
Checks and Balances
O n e of the most im portant stages i n the design
p rocess is self-correcti o n . There may be a sense
of something b e i n g off, but it's diffi c u l t to p i n
point t h e pro b l e m . To do t h i s objectively, t h e
piece needs t o b e taken out o f context. There a re
seve ra l ways to c h eck t h e work.
W h i l e re ndering a two-d i m e n s i o n a l representa
tion of a design, t u r n i ng t h e sketch u ps i d e down
so that it can be seen a s an a bstract o bject
h e l p s to m a ke i m ba l a nces obvious. A vers i o n
o f a sketch on t raci ng p a p e r c a n b e folded i n
h a l f d own t h e figure's center t o avoid u n wa nted
d i stort i o n s .
The custom o f worki n g on the h a l f i s a l ready
p racticed in pattern ma king and d ra p i ng because
it cuts down on h u m a n error when trying to
p roperly b a l a nce both s i d es of the ga rment. Eve n
patterns for some a sy m m etrical ga rments c a n be
sta rted on the fold to e ns u re proper fit in a reas
that s h o u l d reflect each other, a l lowing for the
asym m et ry to then be incorporated i nto
the patte r n .
Color i n a fabric u nder natural light appears
cool, with a blue cast.
W h e n considering t h e fa brication o f a design, col
ors s h o u l d be checked i n d ifferent types of l ight
to have a c l e a r vision of how the colors w i l l read.
Fa bric s h o u l d a l s o be tested for t ra n s p a re n cy to
avoid u nwa nted overexposure .
Throughout construction, d o u ble-checking seam
a l l owa nce, d a rt l e ngths, and hems for consistency
is a good p ractice to develop. Fi n i s h i ng h e m s that
fa l l on the bias, l i ke a circ u l a r s k i rt, s h o u l d fi rst be
a l l owed to h a n g for at least twenty-fou r h o u rs,
beca use most fa bric w i l l end up sagg i n g i n those
a reas. This w i l l a l low the designer to e n s u re an
eve n l y d istri b uted s k i rt length.
Color in a fabric under incandescent light
a p pears warm, with a red cast.
Color in a fabric under fluorescent light
has a green cast.
When a tried-and-true basic
sloper is used to generate a
new pattern with a n asym
metrical feature, starting
the process on the fold will
help ensure that the fit is
consistent. Once the piece is
opened and laid flat, a l most
any alteration to incorpo rate
asymmetry into the new
model can be made. The bal
ance is a l ready built in.
87
TECHN I Q U E
41
Machine Interface
The owner's m a n u a l w i l l provide the funda
mentals for u s i ng a sewing m a c h i ne, but th e re
is m o re to t h e re lations h i p between sewer a n d
m a c h i n e t h a n basic i n structions. A s u ccessfu l
i nte ract ion req u i res a com m itment from t h e de
signer to "get to k n ow" the m a c h i n e . I t's easy to
att r i b ute h u m a n c h a racteristics, even perso n a l i
ti es, t o a m a c h i n e that is used o n a reg u l a r basis.
Some designers d evelop s u c h a strong bond that
they go as far a s n a m i ng their m a c h i n e s . T h i s can
be a good t h i ng beca u se it means the operator of
that e q u i p m e n t is res pons ive to feedback sh e's
gett ing. A u d i b l e, v i s u a l , a n d tact i l e cl u e s u n iq u e
t o every m a c h i n e h e l p t h e sewer m a ke decisions
d u ring the prod uction process.
Although most sewing m a c h i n e s work in p retty
m u c h t h e s a m e way, there a re l ittle d iffe rences
a n d s u btle n ua n ces rega rd ing h ow they work.
Threadi ng, b o b b i n type, power, and speed of the
motor a re a few of the m ost obvious t h i ngs that
w i l l va ry a mong m a c h i ne s .
If the designer is a b l e to re cogn i ze m a c h i n e parts
a n d u n d e rsta n d t h e i r fu n cti o n , she can solve
p ro b l e m s more easi ly. A foot pedal, power cord,
spool h o l d e r, b o b b i n w i n d e r, tension d i scs, stitch
length, width and need l e position adjustments,
t a ke - u p l ever, p resser foot, p ressu re a dj u stme nt,
t h roat p l ate, feed dog, h a n d wheel, m otor, belt,
t h read c utter, s l i d e p l ate, b o b b i n , a n d b o b b i n
c a s e a re the parts common to most m a c h i nes.
Beco m e i n t i m ately a c q u a inted with yo u r ma
chine. Read the m a n u a l .
C l e a n i ng, l u brication, a n d m e c h a n i c a l adj u st
m e n ts a re a part of basic m a i ntenance that e n
s u res consistent resu lts. Safe p ra ct i ces a re often
based on com mon sen se. D o n 't rush, don't force,
keep the a rea n eat, and keep finge rs away from
the needle. If fa bric is being fed into t h e m a c h i n e
p roperly, there i s no reason w h y h a n d s s h o u l d
ever b e c l ose e n ough t o c a u s e inju ry.
An i n vestment of t i m e a n d e n e rgy is req u i red if
designers a re going to have a good expe r i e n ce
a n d positive resu lts.
I nside a n overlock machine
Inside a buttonhole machine
TECHN I Q U E
42
Cut, Drape, and Fold
Close exa m i nation of how fa bric is m a n i p u lated
by cutti ng, d ra p i ng, a n d fo l d i ng a l lows the
designer to b u i l d s u bt l e and dyna m i c elements
into a design. Deve l o p i ng a lternative cutting
strategies, wrapping t h e figure i n soft fo lds,
or desig n i ng systems of pleats, permits the
designer to tra n sform a ny s i l houette.
The role of the cutter in a design roo m seems
s i m p l e enough-cut the p ieces - b u t it i s a job
that d e m a nds great precision and attention to
deta i l . H ow the garment i s cut especi a l l y when
u s i ng patte rned fabrics l i ke stripes, c h ecks,
a n d p l a i d s can res u l t i n d iffe rent a p pe a ra n ces.
Pieces can be cut o n d iffe rent gra i n s or the bias
for effect.
Kilt by H ector Russe l l ,
Edinburgh, Scotland
There is a sensual ity i nvolved i n d ra p i ng fa bric
on and a ro u n d the body. The s a r i (or saree) i s
a n i d e a l exa m p l e o f a garment that uses a rtful
d ra p i ng. I t i s a le ngth of fa b r i c, a p p rox i m ately
5 to 1 0 y a rds (4.6 to 9.1 m ) in length, u s u a l l y
featuring a n ornamental border. I t i s n ot c u t o r
sewn i n a ny way. T h e contem pora ry s a r i is worn
ove r a c h o l i (sari blouse) and a petticoat. I t can
be d ra ped in a va riety of ways, but the N iv i style
is the most po p u l a r.
Scott ish tartans were origi n a l ly d raped i n a
fa s h io n s i m i l a r to the sari, cal led t h e G reat K i lt
giv ing a soft toga - l i ke a p peara n ce. The k i l t has
evo lved over time to t a ke o n a m o re ta i l o red
l ook, featuring precise l y measured a n d pe rfect ly
p ressed k n i fe or box p leats. The modern kilt uses
6 to 8 ya rds (5.5 to 7.3 m) of fa b ric and can be
pleated to set, w h i c h a lthough p l eated, v i s u a l l y
m a i n ta i n s the t a rtan repeat. A k i l t c a n a lso b e
pleated t o stri pe, a m ethod associated w i t h ki lts
for the m i l ita ry. A p roper ta rta n is m a d e of wool
twi l l a n d m ust be identical i n both d i rect ions of
the warp a n d weft of the fa bric. Methods that
req u i re a n a d h e rence to t h e kind of rigid r u l e s
i nvolved i n ki lt-m a k i n g c u l t ivate a beauty o n l y
mathematics ca n provide.
Straight-gra i n top
Bias top
Cross-gra i n top
Straight-gra i n swatch
Bias swatch
Cross-gra i n swatch
Vintage sari cou rtesy
of Shel ley C h ha bra
TECHN I Q U E
43
Underpinnings and Assembly
Any ga rment, from p l a i n to intricate, w i l l benefit
from a s o u n d i n frastruct u re . We l l -const ru cted
ga rme nts rely on m a ny e l e ments that a re not
a p parent a t first g l a n ce. Good workma n s h i p w i l l
depend u pon specific tec h n iq ues a n d additional
materials that best se rve t h e d e s ign.
C h oosing the best seam for a p roject i s con
ti ngent on the effect t h e d e s igner i s trying to
ach ieve a n d the nature of the mater i a l s being
used. S i m p l e garme nts may u s e p l a i n sea ms that
can be fin i shed with pi n king s h e a rs o r ove r l ock
stitc h i n g to p revent u n rave l i ng. B o u n d sea ms a re
f i n i shed with a strip of b i as-cut fa b r i c a n d a re
c o m m o n l y fo u n d i n u n l i ned ga rme nts. A French
seam is a seam within a seam, which works well
with shear fa brics. Lapped o r flat-fe l led sea ms
can be fou n d on jeans a n d a re used for their
strength and d u ra b i l ity.
Fa ci ngs a re used to f i n i s h off a reas s u c h a s
a neckline o r a n a rm hole. F u s i b l e a n d sew- i n
i nterfa c ings a re fo u n d i n fa c i ngs, c uffs, co l la rs,
plackets, a n d butto n h o l e s to add body, keep
sha pe, and s u ppo rt a n d rei nforce an area.
They a re ava i l a b l e as wove n, no nwove n , a n d
k n i t materi a l s .
L i n i n g i s the i d e a l way to profe s s i o n a l l y fi n i s h a
ga rment. I nterl i n ing is used between t h e l i n i ng
a n d the garment to provide warmth, whereas
u n d e r l i n i n g is used to a lter the hand (drape a n d
fee l ) o f t h e fa b r i c, w h i l e a lso sta b i l i zi ng a n d
strengt h e n i n g it. I t c a n b e as l ight as organza o r
as rigid as buckra m .
B o n i ng is a nother type o f sta b i l i ze r a n d i s not
restricted to use in corsets, b u stiers, and stra p
less c resses. I t can be used a long side sea m s to
p revent saggi ng or as part of a neckline to avoid
ga p i ng. I t can be a p p l ied to a n y a rea to prevent it
from col l apsing a n d taking away from the design.
Depe n d i ng o n t h e garme nt's design, t h e re is
a lways a logical o rder for its assembly. H ow it
is asse m b l ed a n d f i n ished a l so affects t h e final
p ro d u ct. Which a reas a re to be stitc hed? G l ued?
Ta ped? Fused? Every c h o i ce t a kes the ga rment i n
a d i fferent d i rection, m a k i ng it truly u n i q u e t o the
designer who conceived of it.
Clockwise: Boned bodice;
Overlocked seam; Pinked
sea m
Infrastructure of a Daniel
Faucher Couture bridal gown
TECHN I Q U E
44
Manipulating Fullness
The vo l u m e a nd b u l k of a ga rment can be con
t ro l led by various methods.
Gathering fa bric is o n e way to add f u l l n ess.
Ruffles a re made of gathe red fa bric that is re
leased on one edge. S h i rr i ng i nvolves gathering
on opposite edges, in m u lt i p l e rows, so that the
rows a re co nta i n e d . Both f l o u n ces, which a re c re
ated u s i n g c i rc u l a r sha pes, a n d godets-wedge
sha ped i n se rts - a re used to add f l a red fu l l ness.
Smocking i nvo lves p i n c h i ng fa bric in patterns
such as the h o n eyco m b . The s i l h ouette of a gar
ment can a l so be pum ped u p with q u i lt i ng a n d
stuffi ng.
Fa bric can a l so be folded to c reate m a n y d iffe rent
types of pleats t h at m a n age fu l l ness. Flat pleats
such as k n i fe, fa n, accord i o n , box, and i nverted
box can be p ressed or u n pressed, can be partia l,
or can r u n the f u l l length of the a rea. B roomst i c k
pleating i s a n i rreg u l a r, c r u s h ed type o f pleat.
Exa m p l e s of p rojecting pleats i n c l u d e c a rtridge,
pi nched, a n d t u b u l a r. Tu cks can be spaced,
gra d u ated, d o u b led, and tapered, as we l l as being
contoured, s l a shed, a n d c ross-stitc hed. Materi
als that have a m i n i m u m of 60 percent m a n
m a d e fiber have thermoplastic p roperties, w h ich
m e a n s they will reta i n shapes that a re ba ked in
with heat. These heat-treated fa brics a re ideal
for c reating sta rbu rst pleat i ng and va riations on
Fo rtuny-style p l eati ng.
D a rts a re one of the most effi c i e n t ways to e l i m i
nate u nwa nted fu l l ness a n d contour t h e shape
of a ga rment. They a re u s u a l l y triangu l a r or
diamond sha ped and sewn r ight s i d es together
so that excess fa bric can be folded o r t r i m med
away.
M a n y of these tec h n i q u e s can be used i n conce rt
a n d the com b i nations a re end less. Devi s i ng
a p l a n for the a p p l i cation of a ny of these p ro
ced u res can co n t r i b ute to b oth s i l h ou ette a n d
su rface textu re .
Above: Gathers create
vo lume in a C h ristian LaCroix
dress.
Right: Empire dress
pleated at bust by Victoria
Dominguez- Bagu
Box pleats are gathered into
the bubble sil houette of a
cocktail dress by Ed d i Phi l l i ps.
TECHN I Q U E
45
Body Mapping
The leg bone's con nected to the knee bone,
the knee bone's c o n n ected to t h e th igh bone,
the th igh bone's c o n n ected to the h i pbone, and
so on and so fort h . These a re the roa d s to the
ca rtogra phy of cou t u re. A step further t h a n
a n atomy, body m a p p i ng is a bout und e rsta nd
i n g t h e re l a t i o n s h i p s between d i fferent a reas of
the body, t h e experi ence of the wea rer, a n d t h e
ga rment itse lf. The concept o f body m a p p i ng
re l ies on se lf-observation and self- i n q u i ry. The
designer has to gather the same kind of i n s ight
by co m m u n icating with h i s c l ient.
S i m i l a r to u s i ng a road m a p, a body m a p antici
pates needs to build in the structure, function,
and size. Does a stra p l ess d ress have e n ough
structural su pport to keep it from s l i pp i ng down
the body as the wea re r moves? In the case of
ga rme nts b e i n g used i n a ct ive s ituations, do t h e
ga rme nts a l low for fu l l a rtic u l ations o f joi nts,
m u s c l e reflexes, a n d/or how the body expands
as it b reathes? Is there enough ease in the seat
of a garment that is worn by someone who sits
most of t h e day? If t h e a n swer to any of these
q u estions is " no," the designer can m a ke co u rse
correcti o n s w h i l e d eve l o p i ng t h e ga rment that
a l low for effi ci ent, e l ega nt m ove ment a n d
comfort i n a n y situation. These a re a l l physical
rea l ities, but there a re also a b stract b o u n d a r i e s
infl u e n ced b y society a n d a designe r's s e n s i b i l i
ti es, s u c h a s h ow Iow a n e c k l i n e o n a b l o u se c a n
a n d s h o u l d go.
CD Designing a neckline close
® The height and shape of
to the base of the neck
the rise in a pant must
should take i nto consider
a l low for any extension of
ation that the neck natu
the abdomen, the fu l l ness
rally leans forward so as
and shape of the backside,
not to constrict the throat.
The height of a collar may
and the fact that the body
bends at this point. When
interfere with the head's
the figure bends or sits,
range of motion.
the seat spreads.
@ The shou lder is a pivot
point for the arm. When
stress point for the pant
engineering a n arm-
leg. The pant leg may be
hole, the designer must
designed with a generous
consider how much ease
a m ount of ease to main
w i l l a l low for fu l l or lim ited
ta in a smooth sil houette
rotation of the a rm. The
or be intentionally lacking
depth a n d breadth of the
ease in order to create a
armhole will also be a
shape that bunches u p
contributing factor to fit.
and grabs a t t h e knee.
® The fit at the bust line
® A pleat, a s l it, o r a wrap
must take into consid
deta i l will a l low for a full
eration not only the
stride i n a skirt with a
measurement and the c u p
narrow sil houette. The
size, b u t a l s o t h e contrac
designer may limit move
tion and expansion of the
ment by design to bring
lu ngs-wh ich also affects
about a very specific way
the back. The back of the
to move in the garment.
garment is subject to ad
Some examples include
ditional stress across the
the t radition a l kimono or
shoulder blades due to the
Pa u l Poi ret's hobble skirt
natural tendency of the
of the 1910s.
arms to reach forward.
@) The elbow is a primary
stress point for a sleeve.
A sma l l dart at the elbow
will allow the arm to bend
without putting undue
wear and tear on the
sleeve while sti l l reta i n ing
a snug fit. Adding volume
to the sleeve at this point
will also a l low for freedom
of movement, but alters
the sil houette.
® The knee is a primary
97
TECHN I Q U E
46
Uniformity
H aving been raised i n I nd i a , where u n iforms were
a fact of l i fe in p u b l i c school, Sheena M a t h e i ke n
h a d no p rob l e m pledging to wea r t h e s a m e d ress
for 365 days (seven identical d resses, one for
each day of the wee k). The c h a l l e nge lay in sty l
i n g and resty l i n g the d ress so t h a t n o two days
were t h e s a m e . The whole p roj ect was deve l oped
as a fu n d ra iser fo r Akanksha Fou n dation. The
concept i s a test a m e n t to p utti ng a new face on
how m u c h we can do to express ourse lves, even
w i t h i n t h e constra i nts of a u n iform, s i m u ltane
ously speaking to i ssues s u c h a s susta i n a b i l ity,
w h i l e su pport i ng a great cause.
In the a re n a of mo re t ra d i t i o n a l u n iforms, these
ga rme nts become sym bols associated with t h e
m i litary, law e nforce ment, p rotection, rescue,
and the service i n d u stry. U n iform design has
its l i m its and may not have the gla m o u r of
tre n d - ba sed designs, b u t the c h a l l enge comes
i n the fo rm of p rofessi o n a l sta n d a rds of q u a l ity,
comfort, d u ra b i l ity, safety, a n d a n y of t h e specific
req u i re m ents of the job.
Right: Beyond the practical
there is the pageantry. Due
to the historic and heroic
nature of many of those who
wear a uniform, there are
often fo rmal ceremonies that
req u i re a little more gra ndeur.
This might be done gently
with ribbons and/o r with a
great deal more im pact, as
i n the case of the Scottish
mi litary tattoo where long
standing tradition dictates
the flourish of deta i l s.
Below: Blauer police u niform
deta i l s
••
•
•
•
o
•
••
•
•
••
•
:.
e•
•
•
..
.
:

.
•
U n iform Project dress
99
TECHN I Q U E
47
Fit
G a r m e nts can g ra b, skim, or bag a ro u n d the
wea re r's body depending o n the designer's
aesthetic of fit. A fl atte ring fit may be i n the eye
of t h e beholder, but as a r u l e, garments that
s q ueeze and cut into the body, or that ove r
w h e l m it with vo l u me, a re not u s u a l ly considered
attractive or p roperly s i zed. U l t i m ately, o p i n i o n s
regard i ng fit a re a lways su bjective, d u e t o a wide
variety of c u l t u ra l i n f l u en ces that c u l t ivate d i ffer
ent sta n d a rds of bea uty.
A tight fit w i l l seize the body, becom ing a second
skin, often creasing and fo l d i ng as it stra i n s to
cove r the a rea.
A true fit w i l l fo l l ow the contou rs of the body,
u s i ng a b a l a nce of ge ntle ta i l oring a n d ease to
reta i n the i ntegrity of the s i l hou ette.
A loose fit's gen e ro u s p roport i o n s m ight a l s o be
considered re laxed or oversized beca use t h ey
a l low for a f u l l range of mot i o n .
Other factors t o con s i d e r w h e n a d d ressing t h e
f i t o f a g a r m e n t i n c l u d e vanity s i z i ng, which
m o re accurately reflects t h e psyc h o l ogy of the
custo m e r rather than her actual s i ze . Category
s i z i ng, as in M isses, J u n ior, Wom e n 's, a n d Petite,
a re used to i n form s i z i n g for specific body types.
There is rea l l y no s u c h t h i n g as one size fits a l l ,
beca use a ltho ugh you m a y b e a b l e t o get a ga r
ment ove r y o u r body, t h e fit w i l l be d iffe rent from
person to person .
C u st o m i zation i s a lways a n option w h e n i t comes
to prov i d i n g the proper fit for the c usto mer, but
designers can a lso d evelop i n -house sizing sta n
d a rds that reflect specific body measurements.
Armed with this useful tool, customers a lways
know what they're getti ng.
Tight fit
/
"
'"
-
-
- -
True fit
Loose fit
101
TECHN I Q U E
48
Mend and Alter
" M a ke D o a n d M e n d " was t h e n a m e of a c a m
p a i g n d u ri n g World Wa r I I which encou raged t h e
re pa i r a n d rep u rposing o f everyt h i ng t h a t st i l l
had the poten t i a l to b e u sefu l . Waste wa s t h e
e ne m y, a n d t h i s move ment set a c reative c h a l
l e nge t o w o m e n everywhere to do t h e i r p a r t a n d
sti l l be sty l i s h . Booklets were d i stributed t h a t i n
c l u d ed tec h n iq u e s s u c h as b i n d i ng frayed edges,
d a r n i ng, taking garme nts in a n d letting them out,
recutting a ga rment into a n ew style, u n p i c k i ng a
kn it, re kn itti n g with the same ya rn, a n d p l a i n as
we l l a s deco rative patch i ng. N ecessity bec a m e
both t h e mother o f invention a n d fas h i o n .
Fixing i m pe rfecti o n s i s a n exercise i n f i n d i n g the
beauty in flaws. Eve n a lteri ng perfectly good
ga rme nts c a n e n ha nce the ove ra l l look a n d fee l,
and in the end can c reate a u n iq u e design for
the weare r.
•
•
.
.
....
,. 9
..
, I
..
'
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•• , • • • •
,
.
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Make Do and Mend booklet
•
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' • • CI ,
"IN . , . ,
• ... .,
,..
Left: Recut and repurposed brown
plaid dress by Shannon G lasheen
1
3
1. Origin: gray knit hoodie
2
sweatshirt
2. Origin: men's plaid flannel
jacket
3. Origin: herringbone pencil skirt
Right: Recut and repurposed color
blocked dress by Shannon G lasheen
4
5
6
4. Origin: men's red hoodie
sweatshirt and women's terry
cloth tank top
5. Origin: Vespa logo T-shirt
6. Origin: African dashiki
103
TECHN I Q U E
49
Deconstruct and Reconstruct
I n the n a m e of susta i na b i l ity a s we l l as style,
m a n y design ers a re taking u nwa nted clothes
a part and refa s h i o n i ng them i nto c o m p letely
different and origi n a l ga rments. In the interest
of m a k i n g good use of t h e m o u nt a i n s of discarded fas h i o n s that sit i n c losets, th rift sto res,
a n d warehouses a ro u n d the globe-if t h ey have
not a l ready been re l egated to l a ndfil ls-these
designers t ra n sfo rm the seco n d h a nd and the u n sold i nto relevant n ew fa s h i o n s . T h i s re purposi ng
resonates with a gen e ration of fas h i o n e n t h u s i asts concerned w i t h the environment.
Designer S h a n n o n G l asheen a pp l i e s all h e r t ra i n
i n g i n pattern making a n d construct i o n to re p u r
pose ga rments that may be outdated, we l l worn,
or m i s u n derstood. B reat h i n g new l ife i nto pieces
such as these req u i res that t h e designer look at
each item as raw materia l and not as a fin ished
p ro d u ct. O n ce d i ssected, th e re may a l so be very
specific sect ions of a garment that can be reori
e nted to serve a n ew pu rpose. B u i l d i n g hybrids is
a not her va riation of t h i s m ethod, where e le ments
from va rious garments a re rem i xed into a
designer m a s h u p .
Fo r designers worki ng with i n the confi nes of
a b u s i n ess model with d iffe rent d e m a nds, the
deconstruct/reco nstruct a pproach to the des ign
p rocess c a n be incorporated as an a esthetic from
the sta rt, utilizi ng it to d eve lop s a m p l e ga rments
that can then be rep l icated.
Shannon G lasheen designs
TECHN I Q U E
so
Structure and Scale
I n the w i l d , when confronted by a n a n i m a l, some
ex perts suggest extendi ng yo u r arms over yo u r
head o r out t o your s i d es, o r h o l d i ng you r ja cket
open, to give t h e i m p ression of being l a rge r and
m o re th reaten i ng. Basic rept i l i a n b ra i n s u rv iva l
i n s t i n cts m ight be at the core of what d rives u s
t o refra m e o u r bodies to s i m u l ate m o re i m pos
ing s h a pes. A colorful exa m p l e of fright or fl ight
fa s h ion can be found a m ong the cost u m e s
designed b y Tim C h a p pe l a n d Lizzy G a rd i n e r
for t h e movie Priscilla Queen o f the Desert. M a ny
cost u m e ideas for t h at f i l m c a m e from a n i m a l l ife
i n d ige nous to Austra l i a . O n e of those c reatures,
the f r i l l - n eck l i z a rd , has a ruff of skin around its
neck t h at f l a res out when frightened. The design
e rs e m u l ated that featu re to d ra m atic effect in a
co l l a r on o n e of the cost u m es. W h e n the m a l e
peacock fa ns o u t its feat h e rs to attract a mate, it
creates a very d ifferent su rviva l i m p u l s e .
T h e h o o p s k i rt is a n und erga rment that consists
of rigid concentric ri ngs m a d e of ro pe, osiers,
w h a l e bone, stee l , or nylon, a n d su spended by
fa bric o r bands of ribbon. When stored, the
structure can c o l l a pse into itse lf, but when worn,
the whole t h i n g functions as a s u p p o rt system
for a wom a n 's s kirt. Partic u l a r shapes refl ect
the fa s h ion of any specific period, but the scale
a lso p rovides a m e a s u re of personal space that
keeps everyone at a r m 's l e ngth . The Fre n c h word
panniers refers to wicke r baskets that a re s l u n g
on e it h e r s i d e o f a pack a n i m a l . Pa n n iers used for
fa s h i o n were faste ned onto a wom a n 's h i p s to
create an effect s i m i l a r to the hoop ski rt.
H ea d d resses, s h o u l d e r pads, b u st l es, a n d
tra i n s a re a l so used t o exte nd o u rselves a n d
o u r personal b o u n d a ries i n t h e n a m e o f fa s h i o n .
At a t i m e w h e n fa s h io n w a s focused on the bust,
Vivi e n n e Westwood is c red ited with d ivert i n g u s
t o t h e rea r with bustles d u bbed Faux Cui, that cel
e b rated, if not exagge rated, a woman's derriere .
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TECHN I Q U E
51
Anatomica Ily Correct
I t i s no coincidence that o n e of t h e t h i ngs that
designer G eoffrey Beene i s known for i s l i b e rat
ing a wom a n 's body. He stu d i ed m e d i c i n e at
Tu l a n e U n ivers ity for t h ree years before s h ifting
gears and studying fa s h i o n at Tra p h agen School
of Fa s h io n . He u nd e rstood the m e c h a n i cs of t h e
body, a n d therefore e l i m i n ated conventional
i m pe d i ments such as u n n ecessa ry paddi ng,
interl i n i ngs, z i p pers, a n d fasteners.
Co mfort i s one of the p r i m a ry concerns for
the contem pora ry consum er. A designer be nefits
from u n de rsta n d i ng the body a n d h ow it works,
such as what happens when a m u s c l e contra cts,
re l a xes, or extends. W i l l a garment p rovide u n re
stri cted moveme nt? Struct u res that e n case the
body need to res pond to the p l i a b i l ity of m u scles
and the rigid ity of bones. Studying the a n atomy
of m a m m a ls, b i rds, i n sects, rept i l es, and aq uatic
l ife co u l d p rovide a wea lth of design cues. The
a rch itecture of plant l i fe m ight suggest a lterna
tive methods i n s o l v i ng c reative c h a l l e nges. Even
m i c roscopic o rga n i s m s can serve a s a s o u rce of
i n s p i ration.
Ath l et i c garm ents, medical ga rments, and u nder
garments take a dvantage of text i l e tec h n o l ogy
a n d engi neering to add ress the issues a ssociated
with m o b i l ity. Beyo nd range of motion, the same
too l s can be a p p l i ed to com pressing the body to
p rotect o r res hape it. A good com prehension of
the body and how it works a l so a l l ows the de
signer to i so l ate aspects of the design p rocess to
a d d ress specific a reas of the body, with each zone
offering its own advantages and d isadvantages.
Haute Contour, the Dessert
Shapewear™ by SPANX,
launched i n 2009 is the
next step in the evolution
of fo u ndation garments,
designed to ach ieve a
specific sil houette while a lso
providing gentler support
and more comfort than it's
predecessors-the corset
and the girdle. What may
be i n itially taken for granted
as a simple u ndergarment
is now infused with the
kind of scientific research
and techno logy that make
it a powerful partn er in the
process of fashion design.
TECHN I Q U E
52
Roads Less Traveled
A designer who foc uses p r i m a rily on t h e front
torso when desig n i ng a ga rment is m i ssing out
on an opportun ity to explore and accentuate
oth e r parts of the body. H e re a re oth e r i m porta nt
a reas to consider:
Going Below
Fo r some designers, the lower h a l f of the gar
m e n t or e n s e m b l e i s a n afterthought, something
that c o m p l etes the look but rem a i n s seco n d a ry
a n d su bord i n ate to t h e top. The hem of a d ress,
an e m b e l l is h m e n t on a s k i rt, a n d the s h a pe of a
pant a l l have j ust as m u c h power to set the tone
for the rest of the outfit.
From Beh i n d
M a king an e n t ra n ce is one t h i ng, b u t how some
o n e looks as she t u rns and w a l ks away has the
poten t i a l to have a s much i m pact, if not m o re
so. P l u nging ba cks, s k i rt tai ls, bows, fl owers, and
oth e r f l o u ri s h es a re j u st a few of the ways to
bring u p t h e rea r.
Side to Side
The satin t r i m down the s i d e seam of a t u xedo
pant i s not t h e extent of deta i l that can be p l a ced
i n this a rea. The very seam itse lf p rovides myriad
cho ices. Side sea ms can s p l i t to reve a l , pleat
to control fu l l n ess, i ncorporate a c l o s u re, or be
decorated .
Inside Look
C l ose and c a refu l atte n t i o n to t h e work m a n s h i p
a n d special deta i l s i n side a ga rment a re t h e m a r k
o f a f i n e pro d u ct .
Right: Kira McClellan side
deta i l
Below: Va lentino back deta i l
Far Right: Aey Hotarwaisaya
design with focus on skirt
hem deta i l
TECHN I Q U E
53
Camouflage and Complement
W h e n it comes to camo uflaging or complement
ing the s h a pe of a body, design ers need to t h i n k
a bo u t how t o conceal or a ccentuate d iffe rences
i n body s h a pe . A designer who t reats these de
viations from the ave rage l i ke va riations and not
flaws is a l ready a step ahead in t h e psyc h o l ogy of
fa s h io n . Consider that average is j u st a reference
point. I t u s u a l ly i n d icates bala n ced p roportions i n
a sca l e t h at relates t o he ight, width, a n d weight.
These basic body types benefit from specia l
design d eta i l s :
T h e Apple
B road s h o u l ders and n a r row h i p s can benefit
from something that b reaks u p the width of the
s h o u l d e r, such as a ha lter neckl ine.
The Pear
E m p h a s i z i n g the torso, especi a l l y the s h o u l d e rs,
a n d downplaying the h i ps w i l l b a l a nce a fra m e
w i t h n a rrow s h o u l de rs and a f u l l e r h i p.
The Ru ler
The c o m b i n at i o n of n a r row s h o u ld e rs a n d h i ps
creates a lo ng, t h i n fra m e . That l e ngth c a n be
b ro ke n up with horizontal l i nes as well as cups o r
oth e r deta i l that e n h a nces t h e b u st l i ne .
T h e Hourglass and t h e Fuller Figure
B road s h o u l de rs, fu l l bust, a n d fu l l h i ps benefit
from asymmetrical style l i nes. If the m idsection
is fu l l e r, deta i l s such as r u c h i ng can c reate the
i l l us i o n of a m o re tapered waist l i ne.
Add ing other fa ctors into the equation, s u c h
as l o ng waist, s h o r t wa ist, c u p s ize, height, a n d
weight, gives rise t o n u a n ces that m ay req u i re
adj ustments a n d/o r a d a ptations. C u t le ngth,
sty le l i nes, asym m etry, deta i l p l acement, pad
d i ng, and corset ing a re some of the design
cho ices t h at a s s i st in t h e modification of a body
type t h rough clothi ng. Tra nsfo r m i n g the a ppear
a n ce of a figu re is about red i recting atte ntion,
and not a bout co r rection.
Clockwise:
Bathing suit d rawings: a pple;
pear; rul er; hourglass
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TECHN I Q U E
54
Clothes T hat Carry
Whether it is the s m a l lest of five pockets o n a
pa i r of jea n s meant for spare cha nge, o r a l a rge
pouch o n t h e front of a hooded sweat s h i rt, a ny
type of pocket can be eq u a l parts function a n d
design. Even a n i n -seam pocket, w h i c h is meant
to d i sa p pear, helps to keep t h e l i nes of t h e design
sm ooth w h i l e s i m u ltaneously p rovi d i n g the
ca pacity to carry.
World Wa r I I is recogn i zed as a period i n which
m a n y tech nologi cal adva n ces were made i n
response to the d e m a nds o f the d ay. Designs
deve l o ped d u ring that e ra also refl ected needs
u n i q u e to the t i m e period, as is evident in the
creation of the kanga roo c l oak. This garment
was designed with huge pockets that a l l owed
the wea re r to q u ic k l y stuff t h e m with household
items w h e n air ra id s i re n s went off.
Pockets can d o d o u b l e d u ty d e p e n d i ng on h ow
they're m a d e and what t h ey're m a d e of. Some
pockets can be t u rned i n s id e out to envelop
a ga rment, l i ke a w i n d b rea ker o r ra i n poncho.
When made o u t of fleece, they can se rve as hand
wa r m e rs in outerwea r.
Designing pract i c a l pockets for carpenter pants
w i l l be d i ctated by t h e specific too l s that need
to be c a r ried. Any type of pocket can have a f l a p
t h a t i s faste ned b y buttons or Ve lcro. Z i pper
pockets offer a n other type of closure. Pockets
can be inserted into a s l i t in the fa bric a n d e m
b e l l i s h ed/strengthened w i t h a welt.
Accessories that act as uti l ity be lts, such a s the
fa n ny pack, poc ket belts, bum bags, or hip sack,
a re pop u l a r for t h e i r versat i l i ty. C loth i ng deve l
oped for t h e m i l it a ry or spec i a l a ctiviti es, s u c h
as safari jackets, fish i ng vests, a n d ph otogra phy
vests, provides tem pl ates for pocket- d riven
design. The ca rgo pant is sta n d a rd issue in the
a rm ed forces, a s well a s i n many fas h i o n a bl e
wardrobes.
Patch pocket with button flap
Inset zipper pocket
I nset welt pocket
115
TECHN I Q U E
55
Design unto Others
Design u n to others a s you wou l d have t h e m de
s ign u nto you. This golden r u l e s h o u l d a lways be
refe ren ced d u ri n g t h e design p rocess, especi a l ly
i n the world of fa s h i o n . W h at a re the c u st o m e r's
concerns when it co mes to c l ot h i ng? A designer
m u st d eve l o p a certa i n level of e m pathy for c l i
e n t s w h o p lace d ifferent d e m a n d s on t h e a p p a re l
they p u rchase.
Put yo u rself in t h e pl ace of someone who i s es
pec i a l l y t a l l , petite, thin, o r fu l l -figu red, o r whose
body proportions have u n expectedly cha nged
d ra m atical ly. I n addition to the psyc h ological
concerns, t h e re a re u n d e n i a ble physi c a l aspects
to contend with.
Fa s h i o n design for the e ld e r l y i s an i m portant
consideration as wel l . As we get o l d e r, o u r sen
sitivity to c h a nges in tem peratu re and textu re
i n c reases. L i m ited m o b i l ity i s a lso considered
a fa ctor.
D i s a b i l ities that req u i re t h e use of a c a n e, wa l ke r,
or w h e e l c h a i r p rovide t h e designer with percep
t i b l e issues that m u st be add ressed. Arthritis is
a d i s a b i l ity that i s less obvious. B utton c l o s u res
that m ight seem s i m p l e e n ough at fi rst g l a n ce
c o u l d pose a c h a l l e nge for someone l iving with
a rth ritis. Poss i b l e solutions can be fo u n d i n the
most u n p redictable p l aces. The long zipper p u l l
for the back z i p p e r on a wet s u i t m ight b e o n e
way to d e a l with a back z i p p e r on a d ress for
someone with l i m ited ra nge of motion.
Fa s h i o n designers can take a cue from other
i n d u stries t h at have i n corporated t h ese pri n
ci ples i n to t h e i r work a s bench m a rks o f good
design. Fo r exa m p le, t h e m ission of the I nstitute
for H u m a n Centered Design is to expand a n d
e n ha n ce experiences for people o f a l l ages a n d
a b i l i ties t h rough design t o i m p rove q u a l ity o f l i fe.
Designers who can put themselves in the shoes
of any of these c l i ents w i l l d evelop s e n s i b i l it i e s
t h a t i n f l u ence a nd e n h a nce t h e i r work.
Wetsuit zipper deta i l
When honoring fashionable
and elder clientele, a designer
may find inspiration in the
form of the iconic American
model Carmen Dell'Orefice,
who began her career at the
age of fifteen in 1946 a n d
continues t o b e a sought
after model on the runways
and in print. With the muse
of matu rity, designers can
counteract the ageism of
the fashion ind ustry and
truly serve their customer,
Grandmothers are no longer
relegated to their rocking
chairs-i nstead they can
be fou nd at the gym on the
tread m i l l beside you-not to
mention the front row,
TECHN I Q U E
56
Reshape and Reconfigure
O n ce of t h e easiest ways to reshape a garment is
to belt it. W h ether it serves to gra b a n d control
vo l u m e or create a v i s u a l b reak, the effect i s
powerf u l . C o n s u m e rs a re looking for versat i l ity i n
t h e i r w a rd robes a n d design e rs can b u i l d t h a t ver
satil ity i nto t h e i r work by considering h ow tyi n g
off a ga rment a t d ifferent p l a ces w i l l t ra n sform it.
Co ntrasting belts create the most obvious b reak.
A self-belt i s a softer way to cinch a s h a pe .
D rawstri ngs do t h e s a m e job b u t can be d i s
creet ly h i dden with i n c h a n n e l s positioned a l most
a nywh e re on a ga rment- u n d e r the b u st, wit h i n
s i d e sea ms, at t h e wa i st, a l o n g t h e s l eeve, or o n
pant l egs a n d skirt h e m s .
S i l h o u ettes can a lso be transformed w h e n p a rts
of t h e garment can be attached or rem oved with
button, z i p, s n a p, hoo k, or Ve l c ro. S l eeves b utton
off and t ra nsfo r m a j a c ket i nto a vest. Pa nt l egs
z i p off to become shorts. A snap-on pep l u m w i l l
take a d a y jacket i nto eve n i ng. A sk irt o r t ra i n c a n
b e b u stled u p w i t h h id d e n hooks. S h o u lder pads
Ve l c ro in to c reate an exagge rated shape. Eve n
b u l k can be adj u sted with re mova b l e l i n ings.
Viktor & Rolf belted
trench coat
TECHN I Q U E
57
Resurface
The i m a g i n ative a pp l i cation of d eco rative cou
ture d eta i l s a l lows for even t h e most m odest
of fa brics to become extra o rd i n a ry. The use of
t h read, beads, seq u i n s, fl owers, a p p l iq ue, feath
e rs, a n d ribbon i s l a rge ly a decorative p rocess
that i nvolves raw materials that a re not neces
s a r i l y generated by the original cloth. U s i ng o n l y
t h e fa bric itself, i t i s a l so poss i b l e t o transform
both the su rface and the s i l h ou ette with r u c h i ng,
b u st l es, q u i lt i ng, ruffl es, a nd pickups. The a b i l
ity t o a lter, e m phas ize, a n d accent a concept i s
restri cted o n l y by o n e's imagination.
Beading
Embroidery
Fabric roses
Sequins
Feathers
Corded applique
Q u ilting
Gold sequin d ress by
Daniela Corte
TECHN I Q U E
58
A Cut Above
Scissors a re a n essen t i a l part of a design er's tool
kit, for obvious reasons. When it comes to most
ga rme nts, a designer w i l l use shears to tri m away
excess fa bric a n d s h a pe the overa l l s i l h o uette,
w h i c h i n c l u d es c a rving out neckl i nes a n d a r m
h o l e s . T h e laser takes the a rt o f the cut to a n ew
level of precision a n d efficiency.
Although c utting holes a n d t ri m m i ng edges i nto
scallops is tech n i c a l l y a p rocess of e l i m i n a t i o n ,
i t is a lso a form o f d ecorat i o n . Sh aped key h o l e
ope n i ngs have l o ng been i n corporated i nto t h e
design o f a c l o s u re, but t h ese open ings can b e
scaled a n d even m u lt i p l ied for d ra m a t i c effect.
The c utaway a esthetic is a lso the basis of cut
work n e e d l e lace and em bro ideries. The edges of
a n y a rea that is extracted may be l eft u n t reated,
bound with t h read, or fin ished with a facing.
C a ref u l l y consid ered cutting p roves that there
a re t i m es when what i s removed i s a s i m port a n t
as w h a t is a d d e d .
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wear outfit featuring cut-outs
by designer Yohji Ya mamoto,
2010
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ensemble from Jean-Charles
de Castelbajac's ready-to
wea r collection, 2006
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TECHN I Q U E
59
Fringe and Fray
The outer edges of a s i l h ou ette n eed not be the
defi n it ive finish l i n e of a garment. D e l i berately
a d d i n g some type of trim to the edge of a gar
ment w i l l have a m o re orga n i c a n d less rigid
q u a l ity. Fri nge softe ns a s h a pe by e l i m i n a t i ng
the h a rd l i n e by way of movement, a n d i n some
instances, i rreg u l a r l e ngths. Po m po m s, tassels,
beads, a n d feathers have a l l been used to c reate
i nteresting and playful edges. Eve n s i m p l e eye
l a s h fringe on a flapper- i n s p i red d ress w i l l d a n ce
on the s u rface of the d e s ign with just the sl ight
est of m ove m e nts. S u c h a n a n i mated garment is
compe l l i ng and enterta i n i ng.
A word of caution is in order for des ign ers
who see frayed edges as an easy out from the
trad itional and often c h a l l e ng i n g work of f i n ish
i n g a ga rment. I n corporating a raw edge i n t o a
ga rment has its own set of c h a l lenges if it i s to
be d o n e wel l . I f t h e gra i n l i n e at that edge i s not
p roperly a l igned, it w i l l end up fray ing u n even ly.
If the fa b r i c is pro n e to frayi ng, it's i m perative to
a p ply a stay stitch to co ntrol h ow fa r it w i l l u n
rave l . N a t u ra l frayed edges w i l l soften a n d re l a x
even t h e most iconic o f ta i l o red ga rments, s u c h
as a C h a n e l su it.
Dress by Aida Lourenco with
frayed hem as the center
of interest
A model i n fringed white suit
by Chanel, 2005
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TECHN I Q U E
60
Add, Subtract, and Preserve
A sc u l ptor i s afford ed t h ree basic p rocesses t h at
w i l l i nform the style of t h e f i n a l work. S h e may
add, s u btract. or preserve. A designer a p p roach
es the use of materials i n much the same way.
Each has a n i m pact on the spat i a l re l at i o n s h i p of
a ga rment to the wea re r as well as t h e enviro n
m e n t that s u rro u n d s it.
Lady Gaga i n a t h ree
d i mensional black and gold
dress, 2008
A model i n a n origami
inspired gown from the
C h ristian Dior Haute
Couture Collection,
Spring/Su mmer 2007
Lady G aga i s known for her high-conce pt
fa s h i o n sen se, taking i n s p i ration from ava n t
garde designers s u c h a s M a rti n M a rgiela a n d
A l exander M cQ u e e n . Pa rt o f h e r ha ute cout u re
tro u sseau i nc l udes variations of a d ress i n s p i red
by Thierry M ugler. The design of t h e d ress
fea t u res m u l tifaceted t h ree - d i m e n s i o n a l shapes
that p roject from h e r body l i ke an explosion of
crystal sta lagmites. C ostu mes l i ke these use the
add itive process, asse m b l i n g t h e fi n a l s h a pe by
b u i l d i n g onto a core ga rment.
The t u l l e gown s in a V i ktor & Ro lf 2010 col lec
tion a c h ieved a l evel of su r re a l i s m that would
have i m p ressed Sa lvador D a l i . The m et i c u l o u s l y
ca rved s i l houettes we re a n exercise i n the c re
ation of n egative space. These ca refu l l y executed
voids d efy c o m p rehe n s i o n a n d l eave most ask
ing, " H ow d i d they do t h at?" The Dutch design
team a s s u red environ m e n t a l watchdogs that the
m issing fa b r i c was properly recyc l e d .
I n the a rt o f origa m i , nothing is rem oved o r
a d d e d . O n l y t h rough fo l d i ng d o e s t h e form take
a n d ret a i n its s h a pe . The M a rc J acobs c o l l ection
for Dior in 2007 experim e nted with the l i fe-size
a p plication of fo l d s and p l ea t i ng used in origa m i .
The gowns were o bvio u s l y not constructed
from one a ltered piece of s q u a re fabric, but the
d ra p i n g and s u rface treatments do pay homage
to the gracef u l forms that res u l t fro m thoughtful
fo l d i ng.
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A model wearing a sculptura l
cut-out gown by Viktor &
Rolf, 2010
TECHN I Q U E
61
Change Agents
C lever couture that i s m u ltifunct i o n a l by design
is not o n l y a great i nvest m ent, but a l so a c reati ve
exercise for both t h e designer a n d the user. O n e
exa m p l e i s a gown designed b y N o r m a K a m a l i ,
exc l u sively f o r e Bay. I t can be worn i n seve ra l
d iffe rent ways: boatneck, o n e - s h o u l d e r, strap
less, ha lter, a n d c ross - h a lter eve n i ng gown , a l l i n
one. Be lted a n d b l o u sed, t h e gown transfo r m s
i n t o a d ress f o r everyday. S o m e designers, s u c h
as Karo l i n a Z m a rlak, a re m a k i n g the concept of
convert i b l e clothing a part of t h e i r brand D N A .
If
Ath l etic ga rme nts a n d cloth i n g meant for out
door activities often ben efit from being versa t i l e
as we l l . B e i ng a b l e to p u l l a d rawst r i ng, button on
a h ood, or zip off a pant leg a l lows the u s e r to re
spond to a situation in s h o rt order. The novelty of
these very p ract i c a l a p p l i cations m a kes them a n
attractive design deta i l t o i n corporate into other
categories of fas h i o n . M o re often these adop
t i o n s a re m o re a bout aesthetics t h a n function.
Adva nces i n t h e science of dyes i n c l ude U V
reactive photoc h ro m i c pai nts, w h i c h cha nge
color in the s u n a n d glow u n d e r a b l a c k l ight.
W h e n these pai nts a re used i n t h read, fa b rics,
and beads, clothes can take on a l ife of their own
depend i n g on thei r environ ment. I n the h a n d s
of i n n ovator H u sse i n Cha layan, t h e tech nology of cha nge i s m o re complex. The designer's
co l l ection of transfo r m e r d resses pushed the
b o u n d a ries of fa brication with the help of the
Lon d on - based e n g i n e e r i ng firm 2 0 : 3 0 . Com
puter syste ms b u i lt into the ga rment mecha n i
ca l ly m o rp h ed it i nto a d iffe rent s h a pe a n d style
without a ny ext e r n a l assistance. I nter-i n d u st ry
part n e rsh ips l i ke t h i s one m a ke it poss i b l e for a
designer's c reativity to rea ch new h e ights.
,
Norma Ka mali convertible dress versions
Left: Karolina Zmarlak
convertible design versions
Below: A model wearing a
garment that transformed
into a different sil houette
using technology by designer
Hussein Chalayan, 2007
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TECHN I Q U E
62
Drawing the Eye
The designer i s i n t h e d river's seat when it comes
to m a p ping a path for the eye to t ravel . A s e n se
of move ment c a n be ach ieved with repeati n g patterns as wel l as the variat i o n s in those
patterns that c reate rhyt h m . Action or i m pl ied
action i n t h e form of anyt h i ng that points in a
specific d i rection may use a gra d u ation of s izes,
color, or i ntensity. The fa s h i o n designer can con
tro l where to pl ace e l em e nts t h at block o r push
i n and a ro u n d the body. E m p h a s i s w i l l d o m i nate
the composition and a r rest attention. Eq u a l b i l l
i n g cancels everyth i ng out; with n o foca l poi nt,
the overa l l d e s ign is u n re m a rka b l e . C a refu l ob
servation and meticulous a p p l ication of potenti a l
foca l points a l low designers to control t h e p u l s e
o f t h e i r design. Wh e re does t h e eye l i nger? What
m a kes it dart away?
Ed d i Phi l l ips' silver cockta i l
dress uses color and
embel lishment to create a
powerful focal point.
131
TECHN I Q U E
63
A-Symmetry
Sym m et ry a n d b a l a nce a re not n ecess a r i l y the
same t h i ngs. S y m m et ry i s defi ned by sides that
m i rror each oth e r. I n this case, the b a l a nce wou ld
be consid ered form a l . S y m m et ry can a l so be
ach ieved t h rough rad i a l b a l a n ce where a l l e l e
m e n ts radiate from a central focal point.
A n i n fo r m a l bala nce can be fou n d i n design that
is asymmetrical, l i ke a o n e - s h o u l d e red gow n .
W h e n o n e s i d e does n o t reflect t h e other, t h e re
is a n a bsence of sym m et ry a n d a designer m ust
rely on i n st i nct a n d experience to find the right
ha rmony. With each s i d e working i n d ependently,
it is i m portant to b u i l d re lati o n s h i ps between t h e
d i s si m i l a r-vibrant color a n d n e u t r a l co l o r; d a rk,
l ight, a n d mid -tones; flat a n d t h ree-d i m en s i o n a l ;
s m a l l a n d l a rge; a variety o f sha pes; position a n d
re l ative p l aceme nt; o r solid a n d patte r n .
Whether t h rough sym m etry o r asym m etry, the
designer can d raw d e l i be rate atte ntion to an a rea
by d i rect i ng the observer with a rrow-sha ped/
tri a n g u l a r o bjects. Zigzags a re a nother way to
t a ke co m m a n d of t h e viewer. As a r u l e, the bias
can be a powe rfu l tool beca use of t h e e n e rgy and
d i s r u ptive natu re of the d iago n a l l i ne.
A test of b a l a nce i n sym metri cal or asymmetrical
ga rme nts i s to ga uge h ow focused t h e observer's
atte ntion i s . If the vi ewer's eye travels a ro u n d t h e
piece, taki ng i n the w h o l e, there is a n i n d ication
of b a l a n ce. Eve n a see m i ngly c h aoti c d i spersal of
deta i l s can ach ieve b a l a nce if there i s an overa l l
s e n se of u n ity. M a n y b a l a nced cout u re co m posi
tions, but not a l l , tend to be visually we ighted or
sta b i l ized at t h e bottom of t h e piece.
Right: Pavlina G i lson layers
an asymmetrical design over
a symmetrical day dress.
Below: Maison Martin
Margiela vest featuring
leather straps, woven into an
asymmetrical pattern
Samira Vargas ensemble
TECHN I Q U E
64
Intarsia: Puzzles and Missing Links
Solving a mystery can be an i rresistible c h a l
l e nge-so m u c h so t h at w e w i l l c reate them
ou rselves to sti m u late our m i n ds. Des igners can
use the p r i n c i ples of puzzle m a k i n g to test thei r
p ro b l e m -solving s k i l l s . I f a d e s igner c a n s u ccess
fully express h i s ideas i n a m o re complex fa s h i o n ,
t h o s e intricacies have the potential to ca ptivate
the i m aginations of others. Patt e r n m a king is, i n
essence, o n e b i g mathematical puzzle.
The n onogram is a puzzle akin to mosaics, which
is t h e a rt of c reat i ng patterns and pictu res by as
s e m b l i n g s m a l l pieces of colored mate r i a l . O n ce
the d e s igner designates the p a rt i c u l a r placement
of color, it becomes paint by n u m bers u n t i l the
f i n a l picture is revea led. The p rocess u s u a l l y
i nvolves sq u a res or oth e r specific geomet ric
sha pes, b u t a rch itect Antoni G a u d ! used the
a ngles and c u rves he observed in nature to cre
ate h i s very u n iq u e a n d o rga n i c mosaics. Pieced
work or patchwork is an exa m p l e of how t h i s
tec h n i q u e can b e a pp l ied t o fabric.
C o m p uter d i s p l ays e m p l oy the s a m e p r i n c i p les
of mosa ics, beca use this m e d i u m i s based on
grids and u t i l i zes s m a l l recta ngles of co l o r cal led
pixels to b u i l d d igital i m ages. Photomosaics is
an i nte rest i n g a lternative to this p rocess, w h ich
uses photogra phs instead of s o l i d b l ocks of co l o r.
To c reate m u lticolor patte r n s i n kn its, each n ew
color is i ntro d u ced by l i t e ra l ly tying i n a d iffe rent
ya rn, but each stitch correspo n d s to the pixel
p r i n c i p l e . T h i s tec h n i q u e i s c a l l e d i ntarsia. C l oth
is wove n by interl a c i ng warp and weft t h reads.
The c o m b i n at i o n of specific weaving patterns
and caref u l l y chosen co lors can be used in m u c h
the s a m e way.
A designer can c o n n ect t h e dots for h e r a u d i
e n ce o r intenti o n a l l y tea se. P rovid i ng y o u with
a l l but one c l u e, the q uestion becomes "What is
X?" Obvious om issions a re able to b u i l d c u rios
ity around couture . Coded messages, and h id d e n
m ea n i ngs, enterta i n a designer's a u d ie n ce by
a l l ow i ng them to solve the c i p h e r.
Peter H idalgo d resses
TECHN I Q U E
65
T he Reveal
D i recto r Al fred H itchcock i n tegrated a pers o n a l
c a m eo a ppeara n ce i nto h i s fi l m s . C a r i caturist
AI H i rschfeld i n corporated Nina, his da ughter's
n a me, i nto most of h i s d rawi ngs. Both became
a l m ost as fa m o u s for t h ese ve i led gifts as for
the f i n e work t h ey p roduced. Software, m u sic,
books, a rt, a n d t e l evisi o n s h ows a re just a few of
the media wh ere " Easter eggs" can be h id d e n .
This l ong-sta n d i ng t radition o f weavi ng i n special
h i dden su rprises can a l so be fou n d i n fas h i o n ,
w i t h d iscovery beco m i n g as m u c h a part o f t h e
exper i e n ce as the actua l c l ot h i ng.
There a re some tra d i t i o n a l target a reas for the
placement of a h id d e n treat. C l assic s h i rts m ight
h i de them on the u nderside of the c o l l a r, the col
lar sta nd, or the i n side cuff. Some sort of d ecora
tive deta i l m ight a l so be p la ced on the sh i rtta i l .
Addressing t h e part of t h e tradition that req u i res
"someth i n g b l u e," a brida l gown can be designed
to i n c l u d e t i ny b l u e bows sewn i nto the l i n i n g.
A s i m p l e s u m m e r d ress c a n m a ke good use of a
contrasting fa bric to face the neckline, a r m h o le,
or hem of t h e garment, h i nt i n g at somet h i ng
m o re p l ayfu l . The a m biguously p l ayfu l m essage
" L u cky Yo u " can be fo u n d on a l a b e l placed o n
t h e i n s i d e z i pper o f Lucky B ra n d jea n s .
Private m o m ents a nd p u b l i c d i sp l ays o f design
can be caref u l l y c rafted i nto a ny ga rment. Letti n g
your h a n d s i n k i nto a pocket l i ned with t h e soft
est fleece is a pers o n a l present from the designer
to the wearer. A flashy l i n i ng in an otherwise
con servative s u i t a l l ows the user to choose
when, where, and to whom he wi shes to expose
h i s w i l der s ide to a rea l "Ta-da ! " moment.
Right: Jeff Lahens for ECC
Life & Style; und ercollar
deta i l
Middle: Arnold Scaasi d ress
with matching coat lining
Below: Sara Marhamo cuff
lining detail
Jeff La hens for ECC Life &
Style; suit li ning detail
ARTI STRY
66
Cultivated Influence
Fa s h i o n m avericks a re c o m m o n ly defi ned
by a s i ngu l a r attri bute: They fo l l owed t h e i r
own i n st i n cts rega rd less o f t h e conve n t i o n s
o f t h e i r t i m es. M a r l e n e D i etrich a n d Kathe r i n e
H e p b u r n h ave beco m e refe rence poi nts for t h e
pant a n d m en swea r- i n s p i red fas h i o n s for w o m
e n - D ietri c h i n a top hat a n d tai ls, a n d Hepburn
i n casual s u iti ng. In l ight of the h i story of pa n ts
for women, these lad ies d i s p l ayed a certa i n l evel
of fa s h i o n bravery. A m e l i a J e n ks B l o o m e r, a n
early advocate of women's rights i n the U n ited
States, is known i n part for adopt i ng the fa s h i o n
o f wearing loose t ro u se rs gat h e red at the a n k l e .
A h e a d of i t s t i m e, the trend d i d n o t last.
Right: Actress Marlene
Dietrich making her
Hollywood film debut as the
tuxedo-clad Amy J o l ly i n the
film Morocco, directed by
Josef von Sternberg, 1 930
Far Right: Portrait of actress
Katharine Hepburn in slacks
World Wa r I I made wea r i ng pa nts a pract i c a l
necess ity f o r wo m e n who were working i n fac
tories, but it was not u n t i l the 1 970s t h at s l acks
beca me a fas h io n a bl e item to i n c l u d e as part of
a wo m a n 's wardrobe. Designers tapped i nto the
Wom e n 's Li beration M ovem e nt, infusing their
co l l ections with t h e a l l - e m powe r i n g pant, wh ich
had become yet a nother symbol of e q u a l ity
between the sexes.
There a re few co ntem porary exa m ples of s i m i l a r
n o n confo r m ists. B u t t h e re a re more theatrical
fa s h i o n ren egades, such as Lady G aga and Bjork,
who without q u estion integrate fa s h i o n as part
of t h e i r pers o n a l ities that a l s o t ra n s l ates to thei r
perfo r m a n ces. The q u estion fo r design ers w h o
l e a n towa rd t h e re b e l l ious i s , " W h i c h visiona ries
of style infl u e n ce the essence of who you a re a s
a d e s igner?"
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ARTI STRY
67
Curated Experience
I t's a b i rd ! I t's a p l a n e ! I t's a supermod e l ! The
power of a fas h i o n concept can be traced
back to the most u n expected of sou rces. Who
would have ever thought that a n e n t i re e x h i b i
t i o n e x p l o r i n g the i n f l u e n ces of s u pe r h e roes on
fa s h ion would be t h e basis for an e x h i b ition at
the M etropolitan M u s e u m of Art in N ew York?
The " S u pe r he roes: Fa s h ion a n d Fa nta sy" e x h i b i t
filtered fas h i o n t h rough t h e colorful fiction of
comic books a nd gra p h i c novels. Beyo n d secret
identities, the e x h i b i t i o n esta b l i s h ed specific
strategi es for c reati ng s u p e r h e ro pe rso n a s t h a t
had a d i rect correlation t o fa s h i o n .
The fas h i o n tactics e m p l oyed i n c l uded u s i ng
gra ph ics to brand a s u p e r h e ro; wra ppi ng a h e ro
i n the flag to capital ize on patriotism; s u persizing
m u s c l e to overe m p has i ze the m a s c u l i n e o r fem i
n i n e strength; t h e contra d iction o f good a n d bad
exist i ng s i m u ltaneously w i t h i n the s a m e c h a r
acter; a d d i n g a p rotective layer of a rm o r; h ow
a erody n a m i c design feeds t h e need for speed;
b re a k i ng with conve n t i o n a l sta n d a rds of bea uty;
h e roes that morphed i nto h u m a n - a n i m a l hybrids;
and the i nt ro d u ct i o n of the a nt i h e ro, with a d a rk
e r, grittier s i d e t h a t d efied easy c l assificat i o n .
T h i s wealth o f resou rces w a s generated from
j u st one gen re . Ap p roa c h i n g fa s h i o n design l i ke
a m u s e u m c u rator has the adva ntage of b e i n g
exposed to con nections that may n o t h ave been
obvious, and b u i ld i ng a concept a ro u n d t h at.
I n "Superheroes: Fas hion
and Fantasy," the Costume
I nstitute at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New
York explores fashionable
supe rheroes. Outfits by
designer Bernhard Willhelm
and Ho use of Moschino.
141
ARTI STRY
68
Culture Filter
Anyone who h e a rs t h e word poncho h a s a n
i m m ed iate i m age i n h e r m i n d o f what i t is. The
poncho was used very strategi ca l l y in Ugly Betty,
a television s itcom that revolved a ro u n d the fa s h
ion world a n d a M e x i c a n A m e r i c a n fa m i ly. H i s
torical ly, the poncho has n ever rea l l y been a b l e
t o ga i n a footh o l d as a defin itively fa s h i o n a b le
garment. but it does h ave a d i rect c o n n ection to
Mexican fol k cultu re . O n e of t h e fi rst t i mes t h e
c h a ra cte r o f Betty S u a rez i s on -screen with i n t h e
context o f the fas h i on world, she is wea r i ng a
decidedly Mexican poncho. I f we were n ' t certa i n
of its origin, t h e word Guadalajara e m blazoned
a cross the front of it i nforms us i m m ed iate ly.
There is a l s o a n interplay with a very g l a m o rous
c h a racter who is wea ri ng a designer's i nterpre
tation of a poncho t h a t bri ngs the point h o m e
t h a t Betty i s n o t sty l i s h . Used as a storytel l i ng
tool i n enterta i n m e nt, a stereotype stradd les t h e
border between h u m o r a n d good taste, a n d that
is exactly the same l i n e t h at designers m u st be
conscious of navigating when e m bra c i ng c u l t u ra l
symbols a s part o f t h e i r concept.
Some designers shy away from i n corporating
e l em e nts from t h e i r own c u ltural background
beca use they fear b e i n g ste reotyped. Others
avoid any d i rect cu ltural refe re n ces because they
can not see beyond the folk costume. A designer
m u st stretch, rea c h i ng beyond the expected, but
not bypass the eth n i c and c u ltural sym b o l i s m
associated with the ga rment. Fas h i o n can use the
idea of a ste reotype a s a sta rti n g poi n t, a n d l et
the idea evo lve into a c o m p l etely new expression
of t h e s o u rce.
I nuit poncho from I ris Apfel
private col lection
America Ferrera stars
as Betty Suarez in ABC
Te levision's Ugly Betty.
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ARTI STRY
69
More Is More
I f a designer i s a b l e to synthesize a wide variety
of e l e m e nts into o n e garme nt, it h a s the poten
t i a l t o b e a m u st-have, goes-with -eve ryt h i n g
ga rment. This type of core ward robe item c a n
be used a s a founta i n head t h a t bra n c h es out
into a b road col lection. But the designer m u st
a p p roach the d e s ign of each item with a greater
u n d e rsta n d i ng of how it works w i t h i n the w h o l e .
T h i s a d d i t ive process s h o u l d a l ways e n h a n c e a n d
n ever overwh e l m , beca u se t h e overa l l s i l h ouette
can easily be com prom i sed by b u l k .
Seve ra l strategies c a n b e e m p l oyed w h e n assem
bl ing e n s e m b l es that i nvolve m a n y l ayers:
•
Base layers s h o u l d a lways be l ighte r t h a n those
on the n ext leve l .
•
Concentrate on s hort over l o ng, restricting the
a p p l i cation to j ust o n e a rea-ta n ks ove r tees or
leggings ove r t ights, but not bot h .
•
Control t h e v i s i b l e proportions o f each layer t o
s e e t h e s h a pe it c reates, a n d a l low t h e eye t o
fol low each l a ye r.
•
Select special items for t h e m i x that a re strong
enough to sta nd a l o n e .
•
D raw attention t o fa m i l y rese m b lances i n s i m i
l a r ite m s and c reate t h e i l l u s i o n of fa m i l i a r ity
with d issi m i l a r ones.
•
Mix day i n to eve n i ng and bring a l i tt l e n ight
t i m e g l a m o u r into the d a y l ight.
•
Coord i n ate looks that a re co mforta b l e and
not forced.
Sara Marhamo design
145
ARTI STRY
70
Less Is More
Ockham's razor i s a p r i n c iple t h at m e a n s "A l l
t h i ngs being e q u a l , the s i m p lest sol ution is
u s u a l ly the right one." As it relates to fas h i on,
this r u l e of t h u m b sets the tone for designers
w h o don't wish to e m b e l l i s h or c o m p l icate t h e i r
work. Knowing when to stop i s n o t a lways easy.
A we l l -ed ited col lection need not be a ustere
a n d i s stre ngthened by t h e power of m i n i m a l
i s m . D e s igners m u st resist t h e tem ptat ion to
add e l em e nts i n o rder to d i sg u i se m i stakes-a
pitfa l l not unco m m o n a mong n ew d e s ig n e rs. Be
w i l l ing to sta rt over. A designer s h o u l d be a b l e to
create somet h i n g s i m p l e a n d restra i ned t h a t is as
compell ing as a m o re complex design.
Minima list white d ress
by Donna Karan
Every designer s h o u l d view his work t h rough the
visual filter of s i m p l i c ity to avoid weigh ing ideas
down with u n n ecessa ry c l u tter. Clear com pre
h e n s i o n of the design c h a l l e nge at h a n d a l l ows
the d e s igner to e m p h a si ze the vital essenti a l s .
Anyth ing t h a t d istracts s h o u l d be revi sited a n d ,
i n m a n y i n st a n ces, d iscarded. But h o w m a ny
layers of design can be stripped away without
com p rom i s i n g the ga rme nt's functional ity or
aesthetic va l u e? W h e n i n d o u bt, l eave it out.
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ARTI STRY
71
Med itation on a Dress
M a n y s p i r i t u a l a n d re l igious i nfl u e n ces i n fas h i o n
a re rooted i n a ncient c u l t u res a n d a re often
b rought to the m a i nstre a m by bold, v i s i o n a ry
trend setters. For i n sta nce, M a d o n n a i n itiated a
trend for wea ri n g cruc ifixes a n d rosa ry beads i n
t h e 1 9 80s. J e a n Pa u l G a u lt i e r s h owed a c o l l e ction
i n 1 993 that was i n s pi red by the t rad i t i o n a l ga r
m e n ts worn by H a s i d i c J ews. Religious icon og
raphy a lso plays a big part i n fas h i o n . C h ristian
Lacro i x e n ded his 2009 h a ute couture show
with a heav i l y e m b roid ered gown t h a t c o u l d be
descri bed as a trib ute to the V i rg i n M a ry.
I nternat i o n a l l y recogn i zed figu res s u c h a s the
D a l a i Lama expose the globe to a way of l ife a n d
d ress t h a t people m ight n o t otherwise b e aware
of. O n e exa m p l e is the saffron ro bes of Ti betan
B u d d h i sts. A l o n g the s a m e l i n es, m a ny websites
a re d evoted to H ija b-fr i e n d l y fa s h i o n for M u s l i m
women w h o w i s h to e x p ress t h e i r faith without
i n h i biting their fas h i o n sense. Exploring rel igion
t h rough fas h i o n can be seen as a t r i b ute to a l l the
m ea n i ngfu l traditions, rich h i story, a n d beautifu l
a rtwork a ssociated with rel ig i o n .
H i s Hol iness the 14th Dalai
Lama in Tokyo, 2009
A model wearing a haute
couture gown with distinctive
religious references by
designer C h ristian Lacroix,
2009
ARTI STRY
72
Building on Basics
Tried-an d-true basics may feel l i ke fa l l back items
i n fas h io n , but ga rments i n this category exist
beca use everyon e u n d ersta n d s and a p p reciates
t h e i r va l u e . Staple ga rme nts a re not an easy o ut,
beca use t hey actua l ly pose greate r c h a l l enges for
the designer. C o m i n g up with s o m et h i n g com
pletely d i fferent i s often easier than putting y o u r
sta m p on a c l a s s i c .
T h e l i t t l e b l a c k d ress is a ga rment t h a t most
women own or h ave owned d u ri n g t h e i r l ife
ti me-it n ever goes out of sty l e . It h a s been at
the center of everyt h i n g from m u s e u m exh i b i
t i o n s t o m o r n i ng-show m a keove rs. The f i rst
association most people m a ke regard i ng the
little b l a c k d ress is t h rough t h e film Breakfast at
Tiffany's in w h i c h A u d rey Hepburn wea rs o n e
d e s igned by H u be rt d e G ivenc hy. I n fact, i t i s
G a b r i e l l e Coco C ha ne l 's work i n the 1 92 0 s that
i s c redited as t h e origin of the modern-day l ittle
black d ress. Vogue cal led it " C h a n e l 's Ford," refer
r i ng to t h e Model T, w h i c h was a l so designed
to be s i m p l e and a ccessi b l e . O n e of its most
redee m i n g q u a l ities is the a b i l ity to accessorize
it to s u it a n y occa s i o n . For m e n, the tuxedo is
a fa s h i o n sta p l e for for m a l occa s i o n s, though
most men don't actu a l l y own one. Defi n i ng t h e
basics t h a t a designer w i l l i n c l u d e i n h e r body of
work req u i res as m uch, if not m o re, research a n d
deve l o p m e n t i f the designer wants h e r v i s i o n to
be m em o ra b l e .
British actor and comed ian
Cary G rant in a t u xedo, 1953
A model wearing a sequined
little black d ress at a Marc
Jacobs fashion show, 2010
ARTI STRY
73
Design of Dissent
Rebels h ave a lways infl uenced fas h i o n . By
today's stand a rds, the flapper look of t h e 1920s
is c h a rm i ng a n d c h i c . Nostalgia now c l o u d s
h o w wo men who epitom ized t h a t l o o k were
perceived, s u c h as Louise B rooks a n d C l a ra Bow,
w h o were t h e bad girls of t h e i r day. Re b e l l ious
a n d rec kless, these girls bobbed their hair a n d
wore fl i m sy d resses that exposed t h e i r knees a n d
ba red thei r arms.
J e a n H a rlow, M a e West, Joan C rawford, a n d
Bette Davis perso n ified t h e sloe-eyed va m p of
the 1 930s who b ro ke with conve n t i o n a l m o ra l s
a n d brandished ove rt sexual ity i n s l i n ky satin
gow n s . Actresses such as La n a Tu rner, Virg i n i a
M ayo, a n d Barbara Sta nwyck b rought t h e fe m m e
fata l e o f t h e 1 940s t o l ife i n fi l m n o i r.
The u nd e rc u rrent of the very conservative 1 950s
was part teenager, part Beat G e n e ration, a n d
part "rebel without a cause." J e a n s a n d leather
jackets were t h e major fa s h i o n influence of icons
such a s J a m es Dean and M a r l o n B ra n do. H i pp i e
fa s h ions o f the 1 960s were heavily i n fl u e n ced by
a b o h e m i a n l ifesty l e a n d the m u s i c of perfor m e rs
such as Joan Baez and J o n i M itchel l . P u n k i s o n e
o f t h e most aggressive a ntifa s h ion m ove ments.
I n the 1 970s, infa m o u s perfo r m e rs such as
J o h n ny Rotten a n d Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols
were d ressed by Vivi e n n e Westwood, who i n
co rporated B D S M gea r, safety pins, razor b l ades,
and s p i ked dog co l l a rs into her fas h ions.
In d i rect contra st to s l ick power d ressing in
the 1 9 8 0s, street fa s h i o n and d e l i berately torn
clothing beca m e the a ltern ative fa s h i o n , heavily
i n f l u e n ced by pop stars M adonna and C i n d y
La u pe r. The 1 9 8 0 s a l so i n itiated the start of
Goth, w h i c h h a s d i ve rs ified ove r t h e yea rs to
i n c l u d e everyth i ng from h orror to h igh fas h i o n .
Function t r u m ped form i n gru nge fa s h i o n s o f the
1 990s, p o p u l a rized by t h e Seattle m u s i c scene,
and in part i c u l a r, Ku rt Coba i n . Layers of baggy,
u n ke m pt p l a i d flannel s h i rts, c h a rity shop finds,
cardigans, and c o m bat boots com prised the look.
Fa s h i o n designers m u st be i n touch with t h e
fringes o f fa s h i o n . Who a re the outsiders of
today that m ight be defi n i ng o u r e ra?
Goth-infl uenced style
G r u nge-influenced style
ARTI STRY
74
Attitude Adjustment
C l othes do m a ke t h e m a n , or the wo m a n , when
they a re part of the sto ryte l l i ng process on stage
or on -scre e n . Ward robing s u ccessfu l l y for f i l m
or the theater req u i res t h a t each c h a racter i s
p rofi led accurately. Fo r a costu m e r, und ersta n d
i n g the c h a racter's h isto ry, psychology, c i rc u m
stan ces, a n d enviro n m e n t i s as i m porta nt as a
fa s h i o n designer's grasp of a c l i ent's l i festyle.
Both rely on exce l l e n t powers of o bserva t i o n .
Fa s h ion tel l s a story a s w e l l . T h a t t a l e is a hybrid
of the designer's vision a n d the wea rer's interests
a n d ecce ntricities.
Many h ig h - p rofi l e models b u i l d a career by
esta b l i s h i ng a d i stinct look that designers want
to a l ign themse lves with, but models that a re
a b l e to be c h a m e leons w i l l be va lued for t h e i r
a b i l ity t o tra n sform i nto t h e i d e a l o f a ny c l i e nt .
U ber-versat i l e s u permodels of the 1 9 80s, s u c h
as L i n d a Eva nge l ista, were k n own a s cha meleons.
They m ade good use of cosmeti cs, h a i rsty les,
and clothes to t ra n sform t h e i r a p pea ra n ce in a n y
fa s h ion fantasy.
Fa s h i o n designers often cite fi l m s and actors a s
s o u rces o f t h e i r i n s pi rati o n . W h y not weave a
sto ry, based on a f i l m o r mot ivated by c h a ra cters,
into the fa bric of a co l l ection? W h o is t h e m u s e
d u j o u r? W h a t i s s h e doi ng? W h ere is s h e go ing?
H ow w i l l s h e express h e rself? G etting i nto h e r
head a l l ows t h e designer t o adjust a n d a d a pt t h e
deta i l s o f h i s work s o t h a t i t h i nts at t h e sou rce,
but to avo i d c l ic h es, the designer must be a b l e to
p u l l t h e i l l usion i nto the context of rea l ity.
Above: Model Linda
Eva ngelista in Chanel haute
coutu re, 2003
Right: Costume designs from
the show United States of
Tara are a part of a n exhibit
of nom i nees for a 2009
Emmy Award i n the category
of Outstanding Te levision
Costume Design at the
Fashion I nstitute of Design
and Merchand ising ( F I D M )
Museum & G a l l eries. The
title character suffers from
dissociative identity d isorder
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and each costume represents �
one of her personalities.
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155
ARTI STRY
75
Myths and Archetypes
Accord i n g to American mythologist Joseph
C a m pbell. exploring myths i s about m o re t h a n
the q u est f o r m ea n i ng. It is fou nded i n the d e s i re
to a l ign ou rse lves with experi ences that resonate
most with our true selve s .
Fa s h i o n p l ays a major ro l e i n the d efi n ition o f a n y
u n iversal a rc h etype. W h e n rom a nt i c i z i n g the
girl next door, what types of c h a racteristics a re
att r i b uted to h e r? How do virtue, wholesome
n ess, a n d pu r ity tran slate i nto the design deta i l s
a n d m a ke h e r i m m ed iately recognizable? H e r
identity m ight be s u m med u p b y modest s i l h o u
ettes t h a t s u p p ress h e r sex u a l ity, c o m b i ned with
fres h , b r ight, h a ppy col ors a n d sweet deta i l s s u c h
as buttons a nd bows. S n a p judgments m a y be
ti m esave rs, but t h e re is a downside. You're l eft
with gen e r i c, prefa b r i cated l a be l s with l ittle o r
no d e p t h . W h o wants t o r u n off c a rbon copies of
someone else's ideal? The trick to u s i n g type
casting in fa s h i o n design is to do it creatively, to
m i x it up. W h at k i n d of fas h i o n do you get when
you s h u ff l e the t raits of t h e Earth mother and
fem m e fata le? Or the d a m s e l i n d ist ress a n d the
trickster? In fa s h i o n , t h e re a re ce rta i n ly many
shades of style.
Tough
=
Leather
Soft
=
Ruffled Florals
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ARTI STRY
76
Wit
C a n f u n ny be fa s h i o n a b l e? I t i s safe to a s s u m e
t h a t J e a n - C h a rles d e C a stel bajac h a s a s e n se
of h u m or. M a king c l o t h i n g comical i s at the
h e a rt of much of his work. Elsa S c h i a p a re l l i and
Fra nco M os c h i n o certa i n l y had an a p p reciation
for w h i msy and the ridicu lous. These i m pish
designers end eavored to a m use a n d d i d not take
fa s h i o n too serious ly. W h e re i s it said that a fa s h
ion designer c a n n ot p ro d u ce beautiful work t h at
is a l s o w itty?
Fa s h ion with a sense of h u m o r can a l s o m a ke
a state m e n t . L i ke a n y good editor i a l c a rtoo n ,
fa s h i o n can become a veh i c l e for del ive r i ng
social or political messages. A coat m a d e o u t of
teddy bears m ight be t a k i ng a satirical stab at t h e
eth ics o f u s i ng f u r i n fas h i o n . The conscientious
fa s h i o n designer m a kes a personal choice a bout
which a bs u rd ities and a b uses s h e m ight wish to
poke f u n at.
H u m o r does n 't a l ways h ave to be c h a rged with
m ea n i ng. Sometimes the only motivation beh i n d
injecting couture with a l ittle comedy i s t h e
p ro m i s e o f a good l a u g h .
Above: A model wears a
Lego-inspired design by
French designer Jean-Charles
de Castelbajac, 2008.
Right: Sebastian Errazuriz's
teddy bear jacket
159
ARTI STRY
77
Blackouts and Ful l Immersion
I n t h i s age of i nfo rmation overload, sched u l i ng
blocks of t i m e w h e n every c h a n n e l h a s been
turned off i s essenti a l to a designer's process-a
self- i m posed b l a c kout. D own t i m e provides the
t i m e and space needed to edit and d iscard the ir
re l evant, m a ki ng room for the next i n f l u x of d ata.
T h i s doesn't m e a n that a designer should c l oister
h i m s e l f c o m p l ete ly. Periods of rest can i n c l ud e
b re a k i n g w i t h t h e ro utine a n d f i n d i n g a lternative
sti m u lation in u n re l ated a n d u n fa m i l i a r s u bjects.
Rec h a rging is we l l served when the creative m i nd
is c h a l l enged i n u n c h a rted territory.
W h e n a designer i s ready to step back i nto the
current, he can sta nd s t i l l a n d let it c ra s h aga i nst
h i m or h e can ride the wave. The fi rst i s a "see
what stic ks" k i n d of a pproach- looking for
creative triggers in t re n d s that a re relevant to h i s
work. A d e s igner w h o i s looking t o ride t h e wave
m u st be ready to i m m e rse h i m se lf.
A fas h i o n designer a l so needs to find a p l a ce
to test the waters, respect the e nviron m e n t of
the i n d u st ry, and stay in h i s league u n t i l he is
p repa red to p l ay with t h e big boys. A designer
who i s ded icated w i l l keep paddling u n t i l he fee ls
the swe l l, and knows it's t i m e to pop u p a n d ride
the wave.
Full fashion immersion
Va
1111 .
161
ARTI STRY
78
Representation and Abstraction
Extra ! Extra ! Read a l l a bout it! The written word
wraps itself a ro u n d fa s h ion, l itera l ly. The d i rect
a p plication of text to text i l e a l l ows fas h i o n to be
an i nstru m e n t that conveys t h oughts, p h rases,
and powerf u l messages. Designers select
content to expl icitly represent what they w i s h
to express o n t h e i r ga rments. Pages borrowed
from books o r n ewspapers, fragments of s heet
m u s ic, maga z i n e covers, or the h a n dwritten word
w i l l speak vol u m es when it a d o r n s what w i l l be
worn . The rep rod uction of a rt a nd p hotogra p h s
as texti les f o r fas h i o n is a m ed i u m t h a t gets bet
ter with t e c h n ological advan ces. N ew methods
a l low designers to capture the m i n utest deta i l s .
With i n seve ra l co l lections, designer R a l p h R u c c i
h a s a rtfu l ly transferred both pai nti ngs of h i s
o w n a n d ph otogra phs to fa bric. D e s i g n i n g with
i m ages is at its best when the translation is not
obvious. Figu res that exceed the b o u n d a ries of
the garmen t, becom ing a bstracted by t h e i r sheer
scale and position, set the scene for d iscovery
a m o m e n t w h e n the o bserver real izes there i s
m o re t h e re t h a n m eets t h e eye.
Jessica Lee designs featuring
a newspaper print fabric
A model wearing a gown
featuring a photo print fabric
by Chado Ra lph Rucci, 2010
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ARTI STRY
79
Symbols
The most co m m o n use of symbols i n fas h i o n to
day is the gra p h i c T-s h i rt. B eyond those that a re
a bo u t blatant m a rketi ng, t h e re is a t re m e n d o u s
m a rket for garments i n t h i s category, w h i c h a l low
the wea re r to express h e rself. N i ke's "J ust do
it." was at the forefro nt of big name b ra n d s that
created a lternat ives to the conve n t i o n a l wisdom
of t h e day- s l a p your logo on every conceivable
s u rface. Tag l i n es, m e a n i ngfu l m essages, c l ever
qu otes, provocative i m ages, and e ndearing mas
cots can speak to the m essage b e h i n d the brand
better than just a l ogo ever c o u l d .
These caref u l l y c rafted gra ph ics a re the con
tem pora ry eq u ivalent of a fa m i l y c rest, a coat
of a rm s , or t h e J a panese fa m i ly badges cal led
kaman. Alt hough they a re a l l now a p p reciated
for t h e i r beauty, each part of the d e s ign actua l ly means somet h i ng. A customer who adopts
a d e s igner's motto or sym b o l i s m is m a k i ng a
fa r greater contribution to the growth of the
b ra n d than simply m a k i n g a s a l e . He i s flying the
b ra n d's flag every time h e wears it. A custo m e r
often a l igns h i mself with these pictogra ms o r
ideogra m s beca use they a re u n i q u e; th ere is
i n stant recognition; t h ey accurately represent the
b ra n d; and they often become an a lternate m a rk
or signature t h at em bodies the m essage of t h e
company as strongly as its logo does.
Phrase T: " N o autographs"
Business T: Zaftigs Del icatessen
Political T: Barack Obama's presidential campaign
Destination T: Beet lebung of Martha's Vineyard
Band T: Rol l i ng Stones
Museum T: Cooper-Hewitt National Design
School T: U niversity of Kansas mascot
Museum 'Fashion in Colors' exhibit
the Jayhawk
C harity T: Marc Jacobs' for skin cancer awareness
Memorial T: Dropkick M u rphys' tribute
to Greg "Chicken man" Riley
Concert T: Pearl Jam To u r
Nostalgia T: Woodstock
Cause T: Yoko Ono for Fashion
Aga inst A I DS at H&M
165
ARTI STRY
80
Dynamics
W h e n it comes to d a n ce, the spa ce t h at co nta i n s
it can be considered a bla n k ca nvas, w h i l e the
da ncer who moves t h rough it i s l i ke a brush. Each
move m e n t is s i m i l a r to a brush stroke of e n e rgy
a cross it. Kee p i ng that in m i n d , a designer can
v i rt u a l ly p a i n t move m e nt if h e consid ers h ow
h i s garments w i l l become a n exte n s i o n of each
gest u re the wea rer w i l l m a ke.
The s i l h o u ette of a s k i rt w i l l c h a nge d ra m a t i c a l l y
o n c e t h e weare r begi ns to move. W i l l t h a t s h a pe
restrict m ovement? H ow flexible i s t h e fa b ric,
and does it respon d to the exte n s i o n and con
traction of m uscle gro u ps? Does a l o ng h a nging
sleeve create the i l l usion of l o nger a r m s? When
the h i ps suddenly twist, d o the yards of fa bric i n
a c i rc u l a r s k i rt w h i p a ro u n d the body? H a s the
sheer vol u m e of that s k i rt become an extension
of t h e c h o reogra phy? Through modern d a n ce,
c h o reogra p h e r M a rtha G ra h a m uses the body
of the d a n ce r to p u l l the fa bric of a ga rment i nto
bold, expressive s h a pes.
Color i s a vital p a rt of how d y n a m i c a m ove m e n t
is perceived to be. T h e same gest u re a n d t h e
s a m e ga rment m ight suggest co m p letely differ
ent t h i ngs in different colors. A v i b ra n t red m ight
push the perce ption of power. Rendered in wh ite
it might be described in softer, gen t l e r terms.
Texture plays a b ig part i n how s h a r p o r soft the
movem ent of a ga rment ca n be. The trad itional
tutu i s constructed to reta i n its rigid form w h i l e
t h e l onger " ro m a n t i c tutu" is meant t o be f l u i d .
T h e s a m e d a n ce i s expressed d iffe rently depend
i n g on which form i s chosen.
D a n ce, l i ke fas h i o n , often reflects a cert a i n
period, c u l t u re, a n d t rad ition. The designer w h o
u n d e rsta n d s t h i s a n d a l s o recog n i zes that both
a re n o nverba l fo rms of com m u n i cation is a b l e
t o a nt i c i pate a n d i ncorporate m ove m e n t into
his works. The designer m ust a l so take steps to
u n d e rsta n d how m u c h stress a ga r m e nt must
e n d u re based on how people w i l l move i n it, to
be s u re t h a t the mater i a l s a n d construct i o n a re
u p to t h e job.
Above: Classica l ballet tutu
at the Boston Ballet
Right: Romantic bal let tutu at
the Boston Ballet
Martha G raham Dance
Company performance in
Berlin, 2008
167
ARTI STRY
81
Trompe L'Oei l
I n some ways, fas h i o n has a lways been sm oke
a n d m i rrors. Every d et a i l of fa s h i o n can be
m a n i p u l ated to fa bricate a bel ieva b l e fa <;:ade.
With a h i story of m i s d i rection, it's not s u rp ri s i n g
t h a t fas h i o n designers a l so play w i t h perception
and rea l ity to create optical tricks for c o m p l etely
aesthetic rea sons. Many of those i l l usions can be
a p pl ied to the s u rface or woven i n to a text i l e .
Atmosphere
Aerial o r atmospheric perspective i s the place
ment and size of objects, the va l u e of color, or
the use of h ig h l ights a n d shadows to p roduce the
i l l us i o n of t h ree d i m e n s i o n s on a flat s u rface.
Convergence
Co nverging l i nes create the i l l u s i o n of a s h a p e
t h a t i s d i m i n i s h i ng i nto the d i st a n ce.
Distortion
Someti m es c a l led the "Cafe Wa l l " i l l usion, paral
lei l i nes can be d i sto rted by out l i n ing offset rows
of b lack and wh ite s q u a res in gray.
Ouchi Illusion
A c i rcle with a pattern on the c ross-gra i n, w i t h i n
a s q u a re t h a t p l a ces t h e s a m e pattern on t h e
lengthwise gra i n , creates the i l l us i o n that each
i s float i n g independently of the ot h e r. I t i s n a med
after the J a p a n ese op a rt ist H aj i me O u c h i .
Penrose Triangle
The i m pos s i b l e tri angle, or the t r i b a r, is a s h a pe
that co u l d not exist i n t h e rea l world a n d was
i n s p i red by the work of a rtist Escher.
Pointillism
Use of points of d ifferent col ors that a re set side
by s i d e to gene rate the i l l usion of a nother color
was a tec h n ique used by a rt ist G eorges S e u rat.
Stroop
The Stroop effect i s a cognitive v i s u a l i l l u si o n
t h at c reates a conflict i n t h e bra i n w h e n the
words used to i d e ntify pigments a re re n d e red in
d i ffe rent colors.
Face
H u m a n b e i ngs a re h a rd - w i red for fa ce recogn i
t i o n , so a ny configu ration t h a t closely resembles
the p lacement of facial featu res seems to be
sta ring back at u s .
Illusory Contour
O bjects that a re configured i n s u c h a way that
their bord ers create the i l l u s i o n of a n oth e r s h a pe
trick the b ra i n i nto i m posing the perception of a n
object onto what i s a ct u a l l y negative space.
Stroop effect bag
Co nvergence
Distortion
Stroop effect
I l lusory contou r
Ouchi il lusion
Face
Atmosphere
Pointi l l ism
Penrose triangle
169
ARTI STRY
82
Space and Sculpture
Clothing can be sc u l pted to co nform to t h e shape
of the body o r b u i lt to c reate a bstract spaces
between the garment and the wearer. When the
designer scu l pts to reflect the natural s h a pe of
the body it speaks to t rad itional E u ropean t a i l o r
i ng, a n a rt form i n itse lf when done we l l . This
discipline re l ies o n tec h n iques t h at subdue t h e
texti le, i n o rder to m a ke it fit.
Less common is the expl oration of how d iffe rent
sha pes relate to the h u m a n fo r m . This p rocess is
both conceptual and orga n i c . The c h a racteristics
of each sha pe, as we l l as the materials, i n form
the designer a s to how it m ight be m a n i p u lated
i n d ependent of the body.
I t can be done with every conceiva b l e s h a pe.
One exa m p l e would be the use of c i rc l es or
r i ngs. W h e n t h ey a re applied h o rizon t a l l y to a
design they c a n e m u late the re lati o n s h i p t h a t
the r i n g s o f S a t u r n h ave to the p l a net itself.
They comp letely surro u n d the o bject at its cen
ter, b u t re m a i n independent of the same fo r m .
I ssey M iya ke takes i t a step fu rt h e r, c reating a
kind of ki netic s c u l pt u re. I n o n e of h i s creations,
a lternating s i zes of those ri ngs a re conn ected to
m i m ic h o rizontal acco rd i o n p leati ng. The natu re
of struct u re i n t roduces m ove m e n t i nto the gar
m e n t that seems to a l most fl oat, at t i m es eve n
b o u n ce, as it s k i m s a body i n moti o n . C i rcles can
a lso be used to create a u n i q u e t h ree-d i m e n
s i o n a l su rface treatment. a s i n Va l e n t i no's p i n k
b u b b l e s c u l pt u re.
Model wearing dress from
Issey M iyake's Ready-to
Wear Collection, 1 994
Model wearing a pink
ensemble by haute couture
designer Va lentino, 2007
ARTI STRY
83
Matters of Size: Addressing Curves
The term i n o logy t h at is used to describe a wom
an with ge n e ro u s c u rves constitutes a reflect i o n
o f h o w t h e o bserver perceives t h ose p roportions.
By today's fas h i o n sta n d a rds, someone with a fu l l
figu re, l i ke M a r i l y n M o n roe, would b e consid e red
fat, but wo u l d a nyone rea l l y use t h at term to
describe h e r? A designer m ight even find i n s p i ra
t i o n i n the descriptors. Vo l u pt u o u s m ight i m p l y
s e n s u a l i ty. R u be n esq u e cou ld s uggest a l eve l of
rom a nticism, w h i l e zaftig captures a s e n se of
pers o n a l ity as wel l as size.
T h roughout h i story, society has both condem ned
a n d celebrated a body of gen e ro u s p roporti o n s .
Theories suggest that cu l t u re, politics, a n d
econom ics a l l play a part i n what is acce pted to
be beautiful a n d i n fas h i o n . I n the West African
cou ntry of M a u ritania, a p l u m p figu re i s p referred.
Gavage, or fatte n i ng, w h i c h still ta kes p l a ce in t h i s
region, i s j u st as da ngerous a s a n o re x i a . H i story
s hows that d u ring t i m e s when women e njoyed
greater freedoms, s u c h as the 1 920s a n d 1 960s,
fem i n i ne attri butes such as the b u st l i n e and the
h i ps were d e e m p h asized. Eco n o m i c prospe rity i s
a lso thought to i n f l u e n ce fas h ion norms, with t h i n
b e i n g i n d u ri ng good t i m e s a n d bigger fra m e s be
ing m o re p reva lent d u ring c h a l l e ng i ng t i m e s .
H ig h - p rofi le, c u rvace o u s celeb rities continue
to m a ke strides in b u i l d i ng an a p p reciation for
beauty in a l l sizes. Q ueen Latifah ( D a n a Owens)
is not o n l y a h ig h - p rofi l e enterta i n e r in the m u s i c
a n d fi l m i n d u stries, s h e is a lso a spokesperson for
Cover G i r l . E m m e, wh ose rea l n a m e is M e l i ssa
Aronson, m a d e a n a m e for h e rself as a p l u s s ize m o d e l . H e r s u ccess h a s a d i rect corre l a tion to co n s u m e rs' d e s i re to s e e a reflection of
themselves on t h e ru nway, i n pri nt, and over t h e
a i rwaves.
T h e re a re u n i q u e c h a l lenges when designing for
fu l l e r-fi g u re women, beca use the struct u re of the
clothing m u st fit a n d flow properly for comfo rt
a n d movem ent. Fou n dation garme nts can be
built i nto a garment to p rovide su pport while a l so
strea m l i n i ng t h e s h a pe of the wearer. L i n i ngs
a l low t h e fas h i o n fa b r i c to s k i m t h e figure and
move freely without c l i nging u nattractively to the
body. Design deta i l s can also be sca l ed to keep in
p roportion to the overa l l s i l h o u ette.
Model Emme unveils the
ful l-figured Emme Doll at
FAO Schwarz in New Yo rk
City, 2002.
Actress Queen Latifah arrives
at the 81st Annual Academy
Awards, 2009.
ARTI STRY
84
Dressing for Bowie
I s the goa l of the designer to d raw t h e observer
i n gently a n d q u ietly? S h o u l d the s o u n d of fas h
i o n b e somewh ere i n t h e m idd le, n e i t h e r h ere
n o r t h e re, just ba ckgro u n d n oi se? O r does the
occasion c a l l for t u r n i n g up the vo l u m e i n order
to attract k i n d red s p i rits?
W h i le fa sh ion m a kers s h o u l d be at t h e controls
when deve l o p i ng the clothes, it i s t h e consum
e rs who will decide h ow loud they d a re to be.
Design ers a re advised to keep in m i n d t h at
psychology is a lways i n play when p u s h i ng t h e
e nvelo pe, so t h ey s h o u l d be ready to a d d ress a n y
issues with the c l ient. I n a story a b o u t her love
of fa s h i o n a n d m us ic, sty l ist a n d a rt i st N a n cy
H a rt passes on words of wisdom t h at a friend
once s h a red with h e r about b e i ng true to your
voice and yo u r fas h ion sense. The essence of the
m essage came in the form of a q u est i o n . " W h o
a re y o u d ressing for-y o u r b a n k t e l l e r o r David
Bowie?" The a n swer for her was clear: " I a m
d ressi ng for Bow i e ! "
David Bowie i s a great exa m ple o f t h e strength
of t h e con nection between fa s h i o n a n d m us ic.
Through many fas h ion i n c a rnations, from Z iggy
Stard ust to present day, h e h a s influenced style,
a long t h e way i n s p i r i ng others to express t h e m
selves. Everyo n e s e e m s to h ave a pictu re i n her
head of who s h e bel ieves she is a n d what s h e
w i s h e s to l o o k l i ke . Fa s h i o n provides t h e t o o l s t o
a ct on c rea t i ng t h a t vision, w h i l e m u s i c i a n s and
oth e r h ig h - p rofile figures who e m brace their per
s o n a l sty l e sta n d as exa m ples of how rewa rd i n g
i t is to do j u st t h a t . A d e s igner m ust a s k h i m self,
"Who a nd h ow a m I looking to i n f l u e n ce?" a n d
"Who does m y c u st o m e r identify with?"
David Bowie i n Wem b ley,
Lo ndon
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175
ARTI STRY
85
Objects of Art
Very few a rtists w h o work with fa bric compare
with C h ri sto a n d J e a n n e - C l aude. The G ates
a n d other p rojects l i ke it set the sta n d a rd w h e n
i t co mes to a rt for a rt's sake. I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e
ratio n a l e b e h i n d these a cts o f a rt the d a u nt i n g
scale a n d the f i n ite period o f t i m e i n w h i c h t hey
exist m a ke t h e m both o n e of a k i n d a n d o n ce i n
a l ifet i m e . W h at c a n t h e fas h i o n d e s ig n e r take
from t h i s?
M ost designers would be h a rd - p ressed to m a ke
t h i s a way of l ife, but e ngagi ng i n t h e a rt of fas h
i o n w i t h p u re intentions c a n beco m e t h e cata lyst
for a host of va l ua b l e resu lts, i n c l u d i n g aesthetic
explorations and sta rt ing d i a l ogues with ot her
designers.
W h a t a re the criteria fo r judging somet h i ng
a work of a rt? Does it e l icit a n emoti o n a l re
sponse? Does it c h a l le nge the observer to look at
the world in a d i ffere nt way? Is it s i m p l y bea uti
f u l ? When it comes to the a rt of fas h i on, the o n l y
confl ict with t h e t ra d i t i o n a l defi n it i o n o f f i n e a rt
is t h a t a ga rment no matter h ow extra o rd i n a ry,
does se rve a p u rpose beyond just being a rt .
The Gates by C h risto and
Jeanne-Claude (1979-2005)
177
N AVIGATION
86
A Designer's Inheritance
I t's n ever too early to be t h i n k i ng a bout the
fut u re, specifi ca l ly the passing o n of a c reative
m a n tle-a fa s h i o n designer's last w i l l and testa
ment. The motivation b e h i n d such an exercise
m ight be based in the desire to q u a ntify the va l u e
o f t h e b ra n d beyond d o l l a rs a n d cents. I t a lso
h e l p s to e n s u re that the vision w i l l cont i n u e i n
the eve nt of a t ra n sfer of powe r. M a n y compa
n i es rea ch a point when it becomes m o re l u cra
tive to the designer to m a ke a sale a n d move o n ,
rat h e r t h a n re m a i n ing i n c h a rge.
Records, press c l i p pi ngs, and refe re n ce resou rces
s h o u l d be col l ected a n d stored by a l i bra r i a n .
Cata l ogs se rve t o d o c u m ent a designer's h istory
of col lections a n d spec i a l p rojects. Arch ives ben
efit from the c u rato r's perspective regard i n g t h e
preservat i o n a n d storage o f h e i rloom ga rments
based on their c u lt u ra l and h istorical sign ifi
c a n ce. A b ra n d b i b l e w i l l e n s u re con s i stency
and p reserve the i ntegrity of the brand. The o n l y
oth e r t h i ng t o co n s i d e r is a n h e i r a p parent w h o
wou l d b e a b l e t o take the reign s .
Designers who a re n o t yet i n a position t o b e
t h i n king a bout t h i s f o r themse lves can begin
to study the lega c i e s of oth e r des ign ers as a
source of g u i d a n ce .
From Coco to Ka rl: The
history behind the House
of Chanel i s one of the best
examples of a successful long
term legacy of fashion.
,
\
\ . .
"
.
N AV IGATION
87
Luxury Washing
The concept of l u x u ry p rovides t h ree rewa rds,
however fl eet i n g t h ey may be:
•
•
•
A s e n se of power: c l ass-d riven prod ucts or
encou nters that b u i l d b o u n d a r ies betwee n u s
and them
A s e n se o f co m m u n ity: ite m s a n d events t h a t
a l l ow us t o b e l o ng to a partic u l a r social gro u p
A s e n se o f p l e a s u re : goods a n d experiences
that sti m u l ate, i n d u lge, a n d comfort
The word luxury is i n d a nger of l o s i ng a l l m ea n i ng
if you b e l i eve t h a t every company t h a t c a l l s itself
a l u x u ry brand rea l l y is o n e . At f i rst g l a n ce, it
seems l i ke a n abuse of the term, but the defi n i
t i o n o f l u x u ry is a lways s u bject ive, especi a l l y as
it perta i n s to fas h i o n . Si nce l u x u ry is ulti m ately
i n the eye of the beholder, m a ny th ings i n f l u ence
our c h a racte rization of it: sta n d a rd of l iving, sup
ply a n d demand, o r exceptiona l l y d isti nctive.
C o m peting in a m a rket satu rated with cla i m s of
l u x u rious ness, a designer h a s a great adva ntage
if she h a s a rea l istic u n dersta n d i n g of w h e re i n
t h e spect r u m o f l u x u ry h e r p roduct o r service
sta nds. This a l so a p p l ies to her customers. A re
they a s p i ratio n a l ? O r i s l u x u ry a basel i n e sta n
d a rd for her c l ient? Fur, for exa m p le, is both a
coveted a n d controve rsi a l c o m m od ity. W h e n and
how i s it a necessity? I s it a symbol of a s u m p
t u o us l i festyle or of a n excessive o ne? A c l e a r
defi n it i o n of w h at m e rits the l u xe l a b e l p rovides
a kind of p rotect ion for a design e r. H e r c l a i m s
a re less at risk of being c h a l l e nged if they a re
p resented i n the a p p ropriate context.
Luxe warni ng: The l u x u ry trap comes in t h e form
of "the e m peror's new c l ot h es": b l i n d accep
t a n ce. The natu re of the fas h i o n b u si n ess i s to
intentio n a l l y perpetuate a cyc l e in which t h i ngs
come i n a n d out of favor, a rbitra r i l y i n c reasing o r
decrea s i n g t h e desi re for t h e m . W i l l t h e con
s u m e r, a nd i n some cases the designer, defer to
the u n s po ke n contract between t h e i n d u st ry, t h e
m e d i a , a n d the p u b l ic t o agree on w h at l u x u ry is
at a n y given t i m e? If it i s ge n e ra l ly a ccepted to
be t h e sta n d a rd , who will t h e l e a d e rs be, who w i l l
fo l l ow, and who w i l l rebel?
Luxe costume jewelry
Viktor & Rolf fur coat, 2006
N AVIG ATION
88
Copies Degrade
The M u see de l a Contrefac;:on i n Paris i s replete
with d i sp l ays of counterfeit coutu re a n d every
oth e r type of fa u x l u x u ry item worthy of coveting.
The e x h i b its a re c u ra ted to clearly compare t h e
origi n a l s w i t h t h e forge r i es, a n d t h e re is no short
age to choose from in the m a rket p l a ce . At fi rst
glance, the novelty of a knockoff a n d t h e consid
erably lower price tag may be entic i n g, b u t these
crude facs i m i l es d o n 't l ive u p to expectations.
There a re a few t h i ngs that c o n s u m e rs s h o u l d
consider w h e n buying a l u x u ry item:
•
Point of s a l e : Is the p u rchase t h rough a re pu
table department store or o n a street corner?
•
Packagi ng: Is it consistent w it h the pro m i s e of
the b ra n d ?
•
Price: Are you gett ing what you pay for?
I m itations a re m i s re presenting the brand, a n d
therefore a re i l lega l . A n y product t h a t assumes
the identity of a b ra n d i s a l s o deva l u i ng the
origi n a l work. Big c o m p a n ies have reco u rse, but
the l ive l i hood of s m a l l e r operations is t h reat
e n ed w h e n thei r ideas a re m i sa p p ropriated.
Cities a round the world a re cracking down on
the pu rveyors of fa lse fa s h i o n s, confiscating and
destroyi ng them. Reflecting o n w h i c h materi a l s,
tec h n i q ues, and fi n i s h i ng touches a re i n corpo
rated into a design w i l l h e l p to m a ke the design
h a rder to d u p l icate, resu lt i ng in a product that is
not profit a b l e to d u p l i cate.
Genuine and cou nterfeit
bags are disp layed at the
Musee de la Co ntrefa<;:on in
Paris. The museum serves
to highlight the impact that
fake items have both on
the producers of authentic
products in regard to
consumers and the wider
econo my, and on general
health and safety issues.
183
N AV IGATION
89
Platforms
To be prepared when opportun ity knocks, a de
signer s h o u l d a l ways be b u i l d i n g a pl atform with
and a ro u n d his work. Authentic experiences a n d
va l u a b l e excha nges a re a b i g part of cu ltivating a
loyal fa n base. H ig h - ca l i b e r co n n ections put the
designer i n a position to e n e rgize a n d activate
that a ud ie n ce when needed.
Before e m b a rking on the d eve lopment of a com
pl icated com m u n i cation n etwork, c h oices need
to be made regard ing w h i c h o u t l ets best a l ign
with the goa ls of the designer: a webs ite, social
media, project partners h i ps, b l ogs, l ive events,
television a ppeara nces, releva nt produ cts, w rit
i n g books, a ut h ored m agaz i n e articles, speaking
e ngage m en ts, work expe r i e n ce, and tea c h i ng
opport u n ities. The designer s h o u l d a l so esta b
l i s h a n d prioritize h i s va l ues, because s h a red
ideals forge strong bonds between h i m a nd h i s
constitue nts. These syste ms a l low t h e fas h i o n
designer t o a d d v a l u e b y e n co u raging i ntera ctiv
ity; i nvolving h i s a ud ience t h rough reg u l a r u p
dates, m o b i l izing t h e masses with c a l l s to action,
reward i n g loya lty, and ext e n d i ng the perso n a l ity
of t h e bra n d .
Isaac M izrahi presents
The Adventures of Sandee
the Supermodel. 1997 S&S
Editions Comic Book Series.
Artwork by William Frawley
.: .
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rn i z r a h i
-Isaac Mizrahi uses a segment
How to Have Style
ca lled "Sketches & Answers" to
Unzipped DVD of
by Isaac Mizrahi, 2008
sketch out answers to aud ience
1995 documentary
questions about style.
by Douglas Keeve
�
Business Week magazine
d u bbed Isaac M izrahi a "one
man brand," which describes
his exceptional talent for
translating his vision and
style across a wide variety
of platforms. I n addition to
a documentary, a series of
comic books, and a book on
personal style, he designed
a diffusion col lection for
Target; served as creative
d i rector for Liz Claiborne;
designs products for QVC;
hosts reality show, The
Fashion Show, on Bravo TV;
communicates with fans via
a daily video-blog, Facebook,
and Twitter; hosts the web
show, WATC H I SAAC.com;
and was among the first
generation of designers to
livestream his fashion runway
shows online. He was also
the costume designer for
stage revivals of The Women
(2001), Barefoot in the Park
(2006), the operetta, Three
Penny Opera (2006), and
the Metropolitan Opera's
production of Orfeo ed
Euridice (2008).
N AV IGATION
90
Label Maker
Pa rt of the fas h i o n design process i nvolves how
information about t h e ga rments you c reate w i l l
b e s h a red with you r c u stomer. T h e re a re laws
regard i ng how clothing m u st be l a b e l e d . In the
U n ited States, the Federal Trad e C o m m ission
req u i res that most text i l e a n d wool p roducts
c l ea rly identify fiber content, co u n t ry of origin, a n d brand o r m a n ufact u re r, a n d that those
labels be securely fastened. They can be sewn
i n or i roned on. A label pri n ted d i rectly onto the
ga rment ca n end u p as part of the design. The
perce ntages of fiber co ntent for each component
of the garme nt- body, l i n i n g, i nterl i n i ng, a n d/or
decoration-m ust a lso be i nc l uded. Kee p i ng tabs
on i n formation is the designe r's respo n s i b i l ity.
C a re l a be l s for a pparel s h o u ld p rovide comp lete
i n st r u ctions rega r d i ng c a re a n d a n y warning spe
cific to that ga rment to e n s u re t h at the q u a l ity
is not com p rom ised. Wa r n i ngs s h o u l d use c l e a r
ter m i n o logy, s u c h as " D o n o t i ron," " N o bleac h,"
a n d " D ry c l e a n o n l y." A system of u n iversa l
symbols for v i rtu a l l y every conti ngency is a l so
ava i l a b l e .
Designer n a m e l a b e l s, h a n g tags, a n d price
t i c kets a re u s u a l l y designed to be exte n s i o n s of
t h e brand.
U n ive rsa l G a r m e n t- C a re Sym bo l s
Machine Wash Cycles
N o rmal
Permanent
Press
Delicate
Gentle
Hand Wash
Do Not Wash
Water Temperature
WASHING
• •
•
Cold
(86°F [30°C])
Warm
(104°F [40°C])
Any Bleach When Needed
BLEACHING
Only Non-Chlorine
Bleach When N eeded
• •
•
Hot
(122°F [SO°C])
Do Not Ring
Do Not Bleach
Tumble Dry Cycles
[Q] [Q] [Q]
Normal
Permanent
Press
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D RY CLEANING
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Master and Apprentice
M a ster, a p p rentice; i n stru ctor, student; me ntor,
p rotege: The semantics h e re a re not as i m por
tant as the a cts of giving and receiving that take
place when the i n experienced be nefit from those
who have come before. D o n n a Karan started
work i n g u n der A n n e K l e i n in 1970. I n 1 974, when
Klei n passed away, Karan j o i ned forces with
Lou i s D e l l ' O l i o to cont i n ue to build on t h e A n n e
Klei n l egacy. T h i s part n e rs h i p c o n t i n u ed u n t i l
1 984, w h e n Karan l eft t o begi n h e r s o l o career.
After the u nt i m e l y death of her broth e r, G i a n n i
Ve rsace, i n 1 997, Donate l l a Versace was a b l e
to step i n a n d m ove forwa rd w i t h h i s v i s i o n for
Ve rsace. H e r experience a n d respect for the
b ra n d a l l owed her to honor the position the com
pany had e a rned i n the fa s h i o n world, and sti l l
p roj ect h e r vision for the fut u re of the l a b e l .
Yohji Ya m a m oto's da ughter, L i m i Ya m a moto, was
exposed to fas h i o n early in l ife. She carries on her
father's passion for design t h rough her work, a
l a b e l cal led L i m i Feu . S h e had s h own i n To kyo for
seve ra l years before a successfu l Pa ris debut i n
20 07. H e r fath er's aesthetic c a n ce rta i n ly b e felt
t h roughout her work, but t h e second-generation
Ya m a m oto has an independent perspective on
fa s h i o n a l l h e r ow n .
N ot o n l y have these relat i o n s h i p s be n efited the
" m aste r's" brand, i n that the a p p rentice can
m a i n ta i n the design e r's vision of the brand, but
they a l so a l l ow the a p p rentice the cha nce to
i n sti l l her own se n s i b i l it i es i n the fa s h i o n . It's
a w i n - w i n situation.
Fashion designe rs/sibli ngs
Gianni and Donatella
Versace, 1990
A model wearing a n
ensemble from t h e Limi Feu
fashion show, 2010
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Designing the Job
" C reate a job you love, a n d you w i l l n ever have
to work a day i n your l i fe": I t's a sl ightly mod ified
vers i o n of the wisdom of Confu c i u s . Designing
your own job may sound l i ke a l u x u ry, o r perhaps
is t h e very defi n it i o n of a fa nta sy, but i n s p ite of
how u n re a l i st i c it s o u n d s, t h e re a re some pretty
s i m p l e steps you can take to get a l ittle bit closer
to that ideal work experience. The good n ews is
that a fa s h i o n designer i s a l ready o n the a rti st's
path, so m a k i ng a n emotion a l i nvest m e nt i n h e r
work i s par for the course.
Fi rst, no one wants to h e a r, "That's not my job."
If somet h i ng needs to be done, someone who
s i n cerely c a res a bo u t the end res u l t also c a res
a bo u t how to get there, so s h e assigns h e rself
tasks t h at seem petty. This m e a n s there a re no
s m a l l jobs.
Seco nd, "I was o n l y fol l owi n g o rders" i s just as
bad. H ave a point of vi ew, a nd let your voice be
h e a rd . Risk and sacrifice come with the te rritory
if i n novation i s goi ng to take p l ace. Every t i m e
y o u s u p press y o u rself a n d avo id u ncomforta b l e
situations y o u d eva l u e you rse l f a n d your work.
Fi n a l ly, t h i s is n ot the d o m a i n of a select few.
H aving pu rposefu l p u rs u its, a n d lett i n g y o u r
work e t h i c class ify you a s i n d i spensable, is t h e
curre n cy you need t o rem a i n com petitive. G o i n g
the extra m i l e w i l l pay off i n the e n d .
,
The top ten things to
consider when designing
you r u ltimate job: Ask
yourself how does this job
meet you r expectations with
regard to: 1 ) creativity; 2)
financial compensation; 3)
recognition; 4) commu nity
involvement; 5) productive
teamwork; 6) strong
leadership; 7) opportunity
for advancement; 8) ski l l
development a n d continu ing
education; 9) environmental
impact; 10) intel lectual
integrity.
10
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External Influences
I nd iv i d u a l s a n d orga n i zations t h a t h ave the
a ut h o rity to m a ke their views known to a broad
a u d ience can h ave a profo u n d effect on p u b l ic
o p i n i o n , and ulti m ately t h e comm erc i a l success
of a designer. A nod of a p p rova l from a respected
i n d u st ry p rofessional can fuel the fire w h i l e a
n egative gesture may have the power to ext i n
g u i s h it.
C h ristian B e ra rd, kn own as Bebe, was a n a rtist i n
Paris w h o had great i nf l u e n ce i n the 1 93 0 s a n d
1 940s. H e w a s sought after b y c l i e nts o f h a ute
couturiers because his fa s h i o n assessments held
a lot of weight. In many ways, he was a p rede
cessor to the stylist. Sty l i sts p rovide a va l u a b le
service because they p rocess fas h i o n i n formation
i n a way that t a kes into consideration t h e needs
of the c l ient, the vision of the designer, and the
enviro n m e n t i n which the wo rk w i l l be see n .
A s l o ng a s there a re c reat ive i n d i v i d u a l s who
a re b rave e n ough to s h a re t h e i r work with the
rest of the world, t h e re will be critics. Anyone
who i s p u rs u i n g a career in fa s h i o n i s fa m i l i a r
w i t h Vogue's editor- i n -c h i ef, A n n a Wi ntour. It i s
i m porta nt t o rem e m be r t h a t s h e h a d esta b l ished
her reputat ion l o ng before movies and books
m a d e her a household n a m e . Yea rs of experience
a re respo n s i b l e for her i m m e a s u ra b l e i m pact o n
t h e careers o f designers a n d t h e fas h ion i n d u stry
as a w h o l e .
W h ether the s o u rce o f i nfluence i s i n t e r n a
t i o n a l , n a t i o n a l , reg i o n a l , or l o c a l , t h e re w i l l b e
j o u r n a l i sts, editors, a n d sty l i sts who h e l p guide
the d i rection for fa s h i o n under thei r watc h . On
the g l o b a l stage, G race C o d d i ngton, H a m i s h
Bowles, a n d A n d re Leon Ta l l ey a re j u st a h a ndful
of fa s h i o n ed itors who a re held i n h igh regard for
how wel l t h ey a re a b l e to inte rpret fash io n . These
a rbiters of taste enjoy a broader u n d e rstand i ng
of the fa s h i o n l a ndscape and, as a result, a re i n a
position to s h a re inva l ua b l e feed back. Although
designers s h o u l d a lways trust their i n st i n cts,
they wou ld be well advised to l i sten when the
criticism i s co nstruct ive.
G race Coddington and
Hamish Bowles attend a
Marc by Marc Jacobs fashion
show, 2010.
Andre Leon Ta lley
N AV IGATION
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Lifestyle: A Rosetta Stone
The designer d iscovers or creates h i s u n i q u e
Rosetta stone, a p r i m e r that h e l p s h i m t o decode
a n d t ra n s l ate the i ntricacies of other fields.
Armed with a key, h e a p p roaches his design
c h a l lenge as an i nterpreter. Although h e needs to
work w i t h i n t h e natural bounda ries of h i s c raft,
he can introduce h i s a u d i e n ces to n ew t h i ngs,
e d u ca t i ng t h e m as to how v i a b l e a n d va l u a b l e
they a re w i t h i n t h e fra m ework o f fa s h i o n .
W h ether it's p o p c u l t u re o r s c i e n ce a n d tec h n o l
ogy, ga i n i n g i n sights into other areas sti m u l ates
the d e s ign p rocess and spawns n ew ideas.
The a rts have a lways sti m u l ated the c reative
m i nd, but dedi cated p ractice of another a rt
fo rm-whether it is p a i n t i n g o r perfo r m a n ce
ga i n s a d m ission into a n ew d i m e n s ion of that
a rtistic outlet. A n a lyz i ng hortic u lture and the c u
l i n a ry a rts provides i n s ight i n t o h o w t o c u ltivate
plant l ife and prepare foo d . A n i m a l , i n sect, a n d
s e a l ife a l so broaden t h e scope o f u n dersta n d i n g
of h o w t h ings work. Even if i n -depth comprehen
sion is not the goa l, a casual a c q u a intance with
the s u bject can be e n o ugh to t rigge r a n idea if
the d e s igner is open to it.
Fashion and art:
preschool masterpiece by
Zak Atkinson as inspiration
Fashion and tec hno logy:
Fashion and architecture:
Fashion and food:
c i rcuit board surface as decoration
reflecting patterns in man-made structures
produce provides a source of sil houette and color
Fashion and transportation:
Fashion and nature:
Fashion and lifestyle:
emu lating the finish and flair of automobi les
identifying layers of texture in landscapes
beach toys provide common reference points
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Fashion Portals
There i s l ittle point to a l l t h e h a rd work i nvolved
in fas h ion design if t h e fi n a l product doesn't go
a nyw here . Designers m u st a lso design syste m s
that d istribute t h e i r work t o m a ny d i fferent des
ti nations, u ti l iz i n g lots of c h a n n e l s-with each
c h a n n e l having a d ist i n ct m essage.
I n -store, it is a l l a bo u t ha nger a p pea l . Reta i l ers
ex pect the prod uct to be pa ckaged in a way that
m a i n ta i n s the i ntegrity of the design.
Screen a ppeal ru l es o n l i n e, a n d that means
beautiful, clear i m a ges. The e-co m m erce experi
e n ce falls sh ort in m a ny ways beca use t h ere is
no way to touch t h e fa bric or try o n t h e garment.
A pict u re m u st provide a great deal of v i s u a l
i n formation a n d be stro ng e nough t o e n gage
the custom er.
It's i m portant to com part m enta l i ze d i fferent
needs for the press a n d w h at t hey u lt i mately
need to d e l i ver to their a u d iences, as wel l : A
b l ogger is looking to express h i s o p i n ion; the
j o u r n a l ist needs to present the facts; an editor
needs to place the designer's work within t h e
context o f the c u rre nt v i s i o n for t h e m a rket. How
can you h e l p each of them reach t h e i r goa l s?
Last, a n d most i m port a n t, p u b l ic o p i n ion a n d
word o f m o u t h a re para m o u n t . P u b l i c o p i n io n , i n
partic u l a r, i s a powe rfu l conveyor o f m essages.
It a l s o va l idates a n d perpetuates a design er's
reputatio n .
A s howroom i s a bridge betwee n d e s igner a n d
bu yer. The s a l e s re presentative m u st b e i n formed
and invested in the prod uct because she i s e d u
cating a n d sti m u l at i n g t h e c l ient i n order to m a ke
the s a l e .
Cele brity association is o n e of the easiest ways
to scale u p perceived i m po rta nce w h e n the d e l iv
ery c h a n n e l is through i m agery-either motion or
still shots. H a v i ng a we l l - known perso n a repre
senting the prod u ct i s an a sset.
Pop - u p stores, taking a co l l ection on tour, tru n k
s hows, a nd private s h o p p i n g experiences a re j u st
a few of t h e g u e r i l l a tactics that can be e m ployed
to s u rprise a n d seduce t h e s h o pper.
Fa s h i o n s hows a n d s h o p p i n g events put the
c l othes o n d i s p l ay with i n the co ntext of enter
ta i n ment. The ru nway presentation i s t ra n s
formed w it h theatrical m o d e l s, h a i r, m a ke u p,
a n d sty l i ng.
The fashion show: Girls Rule!
Runway fashion show at
Bryant Park during New Yo rk
Fashion Week
The pop-up store: Puma
transformed shipping
containers into prefabricated
retail stores that can litera l l y
p o p u p a nywhere.
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Diversification and Specialization
Find o n e t h i ng you d o we l l , a n d do j u st that.
W h ether the niche is brida lwear o r skiwea r,
the path to spec i a l ization i s o n e w h i c h req u i res
that a designer focus exclus ively on a part i c u l a r
m a rket and m a ster the design i ntrica c i es u n i q ue
to t h at field.
Right: Bridal gown
Below: Skiwear ensemble by
M . M i l ler
Find o n e t h i ng you do we l l, a n d tra n s late what
was s u ccessful a bout it into many d ifferent p rod
ucts. D u r i n g the late 1 8 00s, B u rberry estab l i shed
itself by foc u s i n g o n outdoor att i re . The com pa ny
is a l s o c redited with the i nve ntion of ga b a rd i ne,
a d u ra b l e , breath a b l e, water-resistant fa bric. At
the sta rt of Wo rld Wa r I, the co m pa ny was com
m issio ned to d eve lop what e n d ed u p being the
tre n c h coat. Its signature tartan was i ntroduced
d u ri n g the 1 920s as a l i n i ng for the coat.
The symbols of the b ra n d a re i nterpreted a n d
a d a pted t o the needs a n d desires o f today's
c o n s u m e r. Outerwea r i s s t i l l at t h e h ea rt of the
b ra n d , but items s u c h as the i c o n i c trench coat
a re re i m agined each season. The classic b l a c k,
tan, a n d red B u rberry patte rn, n ow a registered
tradema rk, is no l o nger re l egated to l i n i ngs. I t
can b e found o n a p parel, fragra n ces, accessories,
l u ggage, and even swimwea r.
There i s a n a rg u m e n t to be made for both sides,
but d iversification defin itely benefits from t h e
p restige o f having d o n e o n e t h i ng wel l for a l o ng
t i m e . Good fo u ndations provide a n exce l lent
enviro n m e n t for experi mentation and expa n s i o n .
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A model displays a swimsuit
ensemble by Bu rbe rry, 2005.
N AV IGATION
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Crowdsourcing Style
Too many cooks i n t h e kitc hen spoil t h e s o u p,
a n d too m a ny o p i n i o n s d u ri n g the design process
can t u rn out d i l uted or i n co h e rent work. H erd
behavior often strives to a ppeal to t h e l owest
c o m m o n d e n o m i nator. Bei ng well awa re of the
downs ide of design by co m m ittee i s a good
reason for c reating a filter for feed back a n d criti
cism, construct ive o r otherwise.
The fl i p side of t h i s i s the positive power of t h e
peo ple. C rowd s o u rc i n g i s rea c h i ng o u t t o b road
a u d iences-m ost c o m m o n l y ove r the I nternet
to h e l p d evelop d e s igns, ra ise m o n ey, a n d
m o b i lize people. Services s u c h as K i c kstarter
.com h e l p vo l u nteer o rga n i zations, cha rities,
startups, designers, a n d b a n d s l evel the p l aying
field between a m ateurs a nd profe s s i o n a l s . They
remove the m i d d l e m a n , a l lowing a designer to
go d i rectly to t h e custo m e r for content, fund ing,
a n d d ist r i b u t i o n . The goa ls of c rowd s o u rc i ng
i n c l u d e f i n d i n g reso u rces, outso u rc i ng p rojects,
f i n d i n g fund i ng, co u rt i ng i n s p i ration, ga i n i ng a
dem ocratic conse n s u s, m i n i m izing costs, a n d
t a k i ng ad va ntage o f t h e wisdom o f t h e masses.
When it is m a n aged we l l , mass c o l l a borati o n
can b e leveraged t o take advantage o f having
m u lti ple designers participating i n problem solv
ing, m u lt i p l e s o u rces contributing com po n ents of
the d e s ign, a n d finding scores of patro ns who w i l l
support a designer's vision.
M a ki n g a good pitch o n l i ne is not much d i ffer
ent from t h e process of d rafting a b u s i n ess p l a n
t o i m press a b a n ker. A compe l l i ng case m u st be
m a d e, beca use i n vestors of any kind a re loo k
i n g for sound ideas a s wel l as a spa rk- not to
mention a reward for gett ing i nvolved. Ta k i n g
adva ntage of t h i s platform rai ses awareness a n d
h e l p s t o ga uge w h a t people actua l ly want, a n d
poten t i a l l y e m powers partic i pa nts to become a
co m m u n ity of brand citizens.
Above: Designer Valerie
Mayen of Project Runway
fame, used Kickstarter.com
successfu lly to raise funds for
a startup venture. The project
is a fashion design incubator
ca lled Buzz & Growl, based in
Clevela nd, Ohio.
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Labors of Love: DIY
I t's easy to say " I c o u l d h ave d o n e t hat." As a ny
design e r knows, sett i ng aside the t i me, getting
o rga n i zed, and figu ri ng o u t exactly how to do
that i s a n other t h i ng a ltogeth e r. Sati sfa cti on is
cited as the p r i m a ry motivation for d o i n g it your
self, w h i c h expla i n s why so many i nvest t i m e and
m o n ey i n c l asses, workshops, books, maga z i nes,
and kits that a l l ow t h e m to l itera l ly t a ke m atters
into thei r own h a n d s .
Writing off h o m e s p u n atte m pts at fas h i o n as
m e re l y crafts and h okey hobbies i s a m istake.
Altho ugh the res u lts may d is p l ay an obvi o u s l a c k
o f tra i n i ng, great i n ge n u ity and a wea lth of ro ugh
con ce pts often can be pol ished in the h a n d s of
a tra i ned designer. Many t h i ngs p roduced in t h i s
enviro n m e n t cater t o u n identified n i che m a rkets
that m ight h ave otherwise gone u n noticed by
design e rs. The i nf l u ence of these m icroma rkets
s h o u l d not be u nderest i mated. Natural tale nts
with the potential to t ra nsform a pastime into a
career now h ave d i stribution c h a n n e l s s u c h as
Etsy.com a n d p u b l ic m a rkets i n which artisa ns
and a s p i ri n g designers can show and s e l l their
work. Pay atte ntion to trends i n these ma rkets.
Etsy success story: Moop, a
Pittsburgh-based company
that designs and man ufac
t u res handmade bags, was
able to use the website to
build their business. Owner/
designer Wendy Downs
describes Etsy.com as a
place she could experiment
with and learn how to run
a business.
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Rapid Prototyping: Twenty- Four- Hour Fashion
Real ity s h ows s u c h a s Project Run way a n d proj
ects s u c h as t h e 24- H o u r F i l m m a k i n g Festival
a re good exa m ples of popu l a r " s i n k or sw i m "
enterprises. B e warned, however, t h at con d e n s
i n g the t i m e a l l owed f o r a project to be executed
can p ro d u ce both b r i l l i a n t a n d d i sast ro u s res u lts.
As enterta i n ment, it m ight be f u n to observe
the praise a n d t h e pitfa l l s , b u t in t h e real world,
t h i s co u l d correlate to the begi n n i ng or end of a
career. Wo r k i ng i n the fas h i o n i n d u stry doesn't
a lways mean r u n n i ng at breakneck speeds, but
it does demand that c reatives be able to m a ke
s m a rt decisions i n c r i s i s mode.
(uni)forms are designer/
artist Ying Gao's response
to the phrase "Speed kills
creativity." By using morphing
software, she was able
to generate new u n iform
designs based on the origi na I
within seconds.
N ot everyon e i s cut out for it, so it's i m portant
to i m pose t i m e-sensit ive c h a l l e nges to test for
v u l n e ra b i l ities. These a re great opportu n i ties to
l e a rn h ow to a n t i cipate a n d avoid the k i n d s of
t h i ngs t h a t h ave t h e pote n t i a l to dera i l the design
process. Situations in w h i c h speed i m pedes the
p rocess and t h reatens to thwart c reativity a re
ideal occ a s i o n s i n w h i c h to consider the s k i l l s
t h a t st i l l n eed t o b e honed; i m m ed iate situation
asses s m e nt, q u i c k decision m a k i ng, effi cient
a p plication of tec h n i q ues, fa st problem solvi ng,
a n d/o r c reative reso u rcef u l ness.
Some designers t h rive o n the stress of tight,
and sometimes u n re a l i stic, dead l i nes. Rapid-f i re
fa s h i o n design re l i es heavily on i n st i n ct a n d ex
perience . B eyond cross ing the f i n i s h l i ne, s u ccess
u n d e r these con d i t i o n s s h o u l d a l s o be m e a s u red
by how we l l executed the work is, a n d how
c l ea rly the designer's vision is perceived. S peed
as a cata lyst for good d e s ign is a d iffi c u l t t h i n g to
susta i n . The r u s h of these p ressu re-cooker p roj
ects may p rovide a n add ictive r u s h of a d re n a l i ne,
but that i s h a rd to rely o n .
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203
N AVIG ATION
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What Is Good Fashion?
Assig n i n g va lue to someth i ng t h at ste ms fro m i n
dividual c reativity i s a very su bjective t h i ng w h e n
the o n l y criteria a re the sta n d a rds o f the day. I n
addition to being j u dged for its aesthetic va l u e,
fa s h ion is a lso c h a rged with being f u n ct i o n a l . I n
h i n d sight, it i s easy to a ssess why some h o uses
e n d u re, some m a ke a b r ief but sign ificant m a rk
at a s i n g u l a r point i n t i me, a n d some fade from
m e m o ry. The t h i rd gro u p, a lthough it d e m a n d s
greater effort, h a s t h e pote n t i a l to reward us
with exciting d iscove ries. For i n stance, not m a ny
peo p l e know that a rc h itect Fra n k L l oyd Wright
designed d resses for h i s wife a n d for a sel ect few
of t h e lad ies h e c reated h o m es for. So, what type
of designer produces good, if not great, fa sh ion?
The i nvento rs, who intro d u ce u n p recedented
ideas- n ecessity often fuels these design e rs, a s
they a p p roach a design c h a l l enge u s i ng a lter
n ative m ethods. The a rc h itects, who design
the b u i l d ings we i n h a b it-t h ey w i l l a l s o look to
create a l ifestyle a round t h e i r vision to a c h i eve
a com pre h e n sive u n ity. The s c h o l a rs, who a re
the sta n d a rd - beare rs, serving a n d p rotect ing t h e
a rt a n d c raft o f fa s h i o n-they i m m e rse t h e m
selves i n the m i n ut i a o f h ow o t h e r s t h roughout
h i story h ave done it, and as a resu lt, they keep
those p ractices a l ive. Without t h ese stewa rds of
fa s h ion, every generation of d e s igners wou l d be
sta rti n g from scratc h . And fi n a l ly, the re bels
whether we und e rsta nd them or not we a p preci
ate t h e i conoc l a sts because they have an i m pact
on o u r l ives. Thei r i m agi nation and passion for
the work is f u e l ed by an u ny i e l d i n g need to pro
voke a n d c h a l l enge us. A l exa n d e r McQueen was
one of t h ose bad boys of fas h i o n who was known
for being t ru e to h i s v i s i o n . H e w i l l be rem e m
be red for the power a n d p u rity o f h i s work. I n t h e
e n d , o n e word defines good fa s h i o n . I n tegrity.
A model wearing a gown
from Alexander McQueen's
last col lection during the
2010 CFDA Fashion Awards
at Alice Tu l l y H a l l at Lincoln
Center, 2010
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205
C O NT R I B UT O R I NDEX
1.
Alyce Santoro
17.
www.a lycesa ntoro.com
2.
Berber Soepboer & Michiel Schuurman
m .evetre m b l ay@hotmail .com
18.
www. berbe rsoepboer. n l
3.
Blauer Uniforms
19.
Moop
www. moopshop.com
www.etsy.com/shop/moop
Bob Packert
www. packertphotogra p hy.com
5.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
www. massart.edu
www. b l a u e r.com
4.
Marie-Eve Tremblay
20.
Oscar Correcher
www.osca rco rrecherphotogra phy
. b logspot.com
Boston Ballet
www. bosto n b a l let.org
21.
6.
www.design . p h i l i ps.com/p robes/projects
/d resses/ i n d ex . page
Cory Stierley
www.csph otogra ph ic.com
7.
Daniel Faucher Couture
22.
Dominique Lafond
23.
Fine Art by T
24.
Goods of Conscience
25.
26.
Isaac Mizrahi
Jessica Weiser
.
.
27.
.
Joel Benjamin
28.
Karolina Zmarlak
www.ka ro l i n a z m a rl a k.com
15.
Kevin Day
29.
Lucy Orta
www.stud io-orta.com
Victoria Dominguez-Bagu
m a riavictoriadesigns@gm a i l . com
www.kevi ndayphotogra p hy.com
16.
Valerie Mayen Buzz & Growl
www. buzzandgrowl .com
www. ki ckstarter.co m/p rojects/ye l lowca ke/
buzz-and-grow l - c l evelands-new-fa s h i o n i n c u bator
www.joel benja m i n .com
14.
Uniform Project
www.t h e u n i fo r m p roject.com
www.Jess lcawe lser.com
13.
Tracy Aiguier
www.tracya iguier.com
www. isaacmizra h i ny.com
12.
Simplynate Photography
www. s i m plynate.com
www.goodsofconscience.com
11.
Sebastian Errazuriz
www. m eetse bastia n .com
finea rtbyt@ya hoo.com
10.
School of Fashion Design, Boston
www. schoo loffa s h iondesign .org
www.dom i n iq u e l afo n d .com
9.
Poor Little Rich Girl
www.shoppoorl itt l e richgirl .com
www. d a n ie l fa u chercouture.com
8.
Philips Design, SKIN Probe Project
30.
Ying Gao
www.cava a l l e r. b logspot.com
AC KNOW LEDG M EN T S
Special thanks to
Ro b e rt Frye, Viola Gonzalez, Ti na C a l d e r i n , J a ke & Ena C a l d e r i n ,
Pat r i c i a & Wa l l ace Frye, K i l sy C u r i e l , Rafa e l V i l l a l o n a , Kathy P i l a rski,
R i c h a rd B rooks, M a ry G a rthe, J a cobo & Edith C a l d e rin,
Fructuoso & G l oria G o nz a lez, C a r m e n Rita G onza lez, Rebecca G o nz a l ez,
J e n n ifer H u dson, J aycey Wetheri ngton, J a c lyn M c G e e h a n, J a m ie M e n d oza,
D oreen M e n d ez, A l icia Ke n n edy, Betsy G a m m o n s, Roytel Montero, Ros i n a Rucci,
C h e ry l Rich a rdson, James H a n n o n , S o n d ra G ra ce, R i c h a rd Bath, Joel Benj a m i n ,
Bob Packe rt, Victoria Dom iguez- Bagu, M a r i e - Eve Trem b lay, Lisa Baker,
Tra cy A igu ier, J a n e Conway-Caspe, J a y n e Ave ry, D a n a M oscard e l l i , Terri M a h n ,
D a n i e l Fa u c h e r, Lisa Ta ra nto, E l a i n a Ba risa no, Lisa M icheels, P h y l l i s M i site
Lou i s Selvite l l a , M ered ith Bya m - M i l l e r, N a ncy H a rt, M a ri c l a i re H es s i o n - L a n d m a n ,
Laura , H a r rison & A m a n d a Soelter, Betha ny Va n D e lft, M u njeet G eyer,
A l ex, Cynthia & Zak At kinson, M a r k B a i l ey, To ny H a lston, D o n n a Rice,
C h u c k Lacombe, Wendy D owns, Va lerie Mayen, Rachel Kacenj a r,
M a r i e G a l v i n , S h a u n t S a r i a n , J e n nifer Lu rie, Erika Sta i r, S a ra h C a rn a b uci,
Amie B e l o b row, S h i n roku O h a s h i , Lisa Ko p l ow N ogler,
Joe C a r l , S h a n n o n G lasheen, Jeff Lahens, S h e lley C h h a b ra,
M a ri e l M a c N a ughton, C h a rl e s H e ightchew,
Ying G ao, Fat her A n d rew O'Connor, a n d Lisa Koenigsberg
T h a n k you to facu l ty, a d m i n istration, a n d students past a n d present
at the School of Fas h i o n Design in Bosto n .
A BOUT THE AUTHOR
Jay Calderin was born a n d raised i n N ew York
C ity. The Los A ngeles Times c a l l e d h i s fi rst book,
Form, Fit, and Fashion, "a new fas h ion b i b l e for
designers, a s p i re rs, a n d t h e j ust p l a i n c u r i o u s;
t h i s tome co nta i n s a l l the secrets." After m ovi n g to Boston a n d d i scover i ng t h e great wea lth
of local fas h i o n t a l e n t, he adopted the city as h i s
n ew h o m e, where h e fou n ded a n d became the
executive d i rector of Boston Fa s h i o n Week.
He is an i n structor a nd the d i rector of creative
m a rket ing at the School of Fa s h i o n Design i n
Boston, a position that a l lows h i m to be i nvolved
in p rogra m m i ng development a nd com m u n ity
outreach, w h i l e also functi o n i n g as an i n d u st ry
l ia i s o n . I n addition to the wide va riety of fa s h ion a n d p rofes s i o n a l d eve lopment courses h e
teaches a t S F D, h e h a s a lso served as a n i n struc
tor at t h e Massach usetts Col lege of Art a n d
Design, B u rd ett Col lege, a n d La se l l C o l l ege. H i s
p u rs u its a s a professio n a l coach a n d motiva t i o n a l
speaker have afforded h i m opport u n ities t o s h a re
h i s ideas about t h e a rt a n d i n d u st ry of fa s h i o n at
i n stitutions i n c l u d i ng H a rva rd U n iversity, We l l es
ley Col lege, Tufts U n ivers ity, Les l ey U n iversity,
Babson C o l l ege, M u s e u m of F i n e A rts Bosto n ,
Pea body Essex M u s e u m , Boston P u b l i c L i b ra ry,
a n d the Hatch Festiva l i n Boze m a n , M o n t a n a .
I n h i s capacity as a fas h i o n designer h i s work
has graced the pages of Vogue, £lIe, the Boston
Globe a n d t h e Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. H e
h a s a u t h o red n u m e ro u s a rt i c l es a n d col u m ns for
n ewspapers, magazines, a n d the I nternet. He h a s
worked as a n a ccred ited fas h i o n editor, ph otog
ra pher, a n d as a fas h i o n com mentator for televi
s i o n . He c redits his s o l i d fo u n dation in fa s h i o n to
h i s t ra i n i n g at the H igh School of Fas h i o n I nd u s
t r i e s i n N ew Yo rk C ity. The school c u ltivated a
work eth ic a n d a l legiance to exce l le n ce that h a s
served h i m we l l eve r si nce. Th roughout h i s career
he has m a i nt a i ned a passion ate d e d i cation to the
i m porta nce of giving back to the com m u n ity. As
an exte nsion of that c o m m itme nt, h e works with
local c h a rities a s we l l as grassroots e ndeavors to
n u rt u re a n d develop new tal ent-a d riving force
be h i n d h i s work with the Fa s h i o n G ro u p I nterna
t i o n a l as a reg i o n a l d i rector in Bosto n .
See h i s website a t www.ca l d e r i n 3 .com.