Overall, my time in this semester has been well spent learning and developing my knowledge of not only how to construct garments but also having the opportunity to design for a particular fashion designer has enabled me to understand much more about the fashion world. I was lucky to be able to design for the designer Roland Mouret. On first appearance of looking at his work I wasn’t too sure I liked his designs, I felt his designs were very simple. However, researching and looking more into his work I saw how he had constructed the garments, he designs garments that look simple and beautiful but they are very carefully conceived. I learnt to make garments fit the body well. Talking through my ideas to the tutors enabled me to achieve the look I wanted to achieve for my garments, the new tutor Alexis has enable me to understand how to make and finish garments to a very good standard, he helped me understand how the construction worked and why to construct in that way.

Attending the Tailoring class at university enabled me to understand how a tailored garment is constructed. Using my knowledge from this class I was then able to carry through the methods in my jacket for this module.



Over the past month I have been developing my designs to identify the garments I want to make. Over the last month or 2 I have been dedicated to my work, working every hour of the day that I could to complete and learn as much as I could. I have learnt that also working in fashion you do have to be totally dedicated and live and breathe it like I do, and things took a lot longer than I expected.

Illustration...

I have developed my ideas and produced a Diffusion range for Roland Mouret, this includes 2 cotton printed dresses, 3 silk printed scarves, 1 belt with a rustic gold buckle saying RM and a velvet box bag.

I developed my print designs creating a final print. I visited Fab Pad to decide what fabric would be used for my garment.

Wrong decision!

On previous fabric shops I had found some fabric that I really liked for my jacket and garments, the fabric was corduroy, however I slowly realised that this fabric wasn’t suitable for my jacket, I wanted my jacket to hang and fall in a wave naturally, Corduroy is a hard tough fabric, unable to hang in a natural way.





Final range plan...









I have developed my design ideas further, experimenting with new colour and fabric....

12 march

After a week of researching the following;

Trousers
Coats/ Jackets
Dresses

We once again utilised “design exercises” to pool as many ideas as we could, spending the customary 30 minutes on each garment. Jackets proved particularly successful and I was pleased to be able to produce 6 sheets of these. Trousers however, were very difficult for me, so I’ve focussed on practising my drawing skills over the past couple of days in order to overcome this slight issue.

I’ve now been able to implement my research and design development in creating a mini-collection for my designer. I balanced my considerations of his ethos and my own design skills to develop a print design for the garments, which consist presently of;

· 3 leggings/trousers
· 2 coats
· 2 jacket,

.1 dress.

5th march

5th march

During the lesson, we were set 30 minute exercises. From our previous research on skirts, shirts and sleeves we developed design ideas. (30mins skirts, 30mins shirts and 30mins sleeves). I managed to do 5 sheets of shirts, which I was very happy with, considering the previous week during the same exercise I found it difficult to pool my ideas. I think that practising these quick exercises is improving my performance significantly and will hopefully continue to do so.

Later on in the week I continued to research my theme, and found several new images. Taking a trip to London Central proved to be a successful day of research. I was lucky enough to spot a window display at Selfridges, presented with an Alice in Wonderland theme (contributing to the newly released film), in which the scene with the long tea party table and the mad hatter was created. This all fitted brilliantly with my theme, with vintage looking ornaments and objects stacked on the tables along with antiquated books, rugs and wooden chairs. On my way to the fabric shops, I came across a small shop crammed full of antique chandeliers and light fittings with gold details and crystals, I found the shop amazing and took many photos.

collars.cuffs and sillouttes...

During the lesson today we were given 30 mins to sketch as many collars as possible, then the same for cuffs ands silhouttes...

Fabric and colour board

Fabric and colour board....

Your source for all things wicked and awesome: In the mood for goth pt. I: Vogue Beauty October 08

Your source for all things wicked and awesome: In the mood for goth pt. I: Vogue Beauty October 08

Roland Mouret Ready-To-Wear - Catwalk report - Paris Autumn/Winter 2009-10 (Vogue.com UK)

Roland Mouret Ready-To-Wear - Catwalk report - Paris Autumn/Winter 2009-10 (Vogue.com UK)

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/catwalk-report/id,7673

I have been looking through Roland Mouret' s past collections to look in to his use of collars and cuffs. I have pulled out pictures of these and put them on two boards to help me. He doesnt often use collars in his designs, but I can see he uses the silhouette of collars to try create the illusion of a collared jacket or coat, this creates a femenine look by shaping or draping around the kneck then having, triple, detailed or draped lapels to create a focul point.
I can see that Roland doesn't particulary use cuffs on his design, I think this is because he likes his designs to be as femeine as possible and the use of a cuff would defeat this look, so he finishes his garments with a plain, but simple turn up with no stitching details seen. Sometimes on his blouses/shirts he has rolled up the sleeves, this also creates a simple femenine look.

However, some collars that have appeared in his work are either very simple and small, or some begin thin at one side of the kneck then gradually become very wide and drape over the kneck and shoulders at the other side. Some of his knecklines are draped and using pintucks has tacked the fabric in a simple look, this creates delicousy and again simplicity, yet precisely shaped and styled.

Quote "I aim to make clothes that look effortless-thats my signature".

Fashion Now Book, Taschen, 2005