Just found an interesting video on collaborating fashion designers and architects here. It includes Iris Van Herpens water pieces that she showed recently at Amsterdam Fashion Week, that’s how she did it…

This weekend I’m concentrating on the exhibition layout and getting my proposal ready for Friday. I’m really enjoying planning the ‘communication’ side of my work because it’s allowing me to think about how I present my work. Not trying to be funny, but I’ve been really surprised at how far I can stretch my knit concept. It’s easily slipped into the exhibition format and the idea has kept evolving the more I’ve pushed it. This week I’ve been trying to play with the paper knit images a bit more. I used a Vogue Australia photo shoot from the March issue and cut and knitted them together to play around with some effects. The photo shoot had a lot of colour, and when you compare it to the image of the mannequin which was black and white it makes much more of an impact. This made me think about the styling of the photo shoot and how important it will be to get all the elements right. What will the model’s (the lovely emily!) make up and hair be? What will I put under the garment? Because the images are abstracted, little indications like a bright lip or the pink hair give you a little perspective that brings it back to the body.

Even though I won’t have Abbey Lee modelling, and Abbey if you are free give me a call, this was a great way of testing what I want in the advertising image and at the exhibition. I have done a few mockups of the image with my name. I came up with this font for the fashion promotion elective a couple of years ago and it’s something I always liked since. The letters even give the impression that they are linking together!

This is just a mock up but I like where it’s heading. I was playing around in photoshop changing a few colours, it needs work but I think it’s a good start.

On Thursday I laser cut the patterns from the first prototype. Over the weekend I had a go at constructing the garment. It was tricky to work with something so small and delicate but I was happy with the outcome. I had thought that I would use white paper for my wallpaper in the exhibition but there are problems with the laser leaving a burn mark, similar problems I was having with the fabric. Working in such a small scale proved difficult, but hopefully when it’s bigger and I have the correct seam allowance there will be a better way to construct the garment.

I’ve started to think about the ‘campaign’ image that will be handed out at the exhibition. At the start of the semester I wanted to try and create one image that captures my concept in one image. Since I’m incorporating the paper knit in the exhibition, I’ve started to play around with a couple of ideas for the photo shoot. Instead of just having an image of a model wearing the dress, I was thinking I could print out the image and then cut it out like I did with the paper knits, then retake the shot. I trialled the idea with a basic photo of the garment I took a while back. It reminded me of a primary school activity when you cut out strips from magazines and then layered them to create one image. Two of the same photos were printed, then the rows of knit loops were printed on the back of them. It’s hard to explain, but because the knit’s shrink when they’re put together you can’t just use one photo, a second photo with alternating rows is needed. Complicated and I’m probably the only person who understands what I mean, but it works! The end result is shown below, creating a paper knit that you can still see the original image of. Hopefully this still gets across my concept instead of just having a regular photo shoot.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders since I’ve made the decision to focus on the exhibition. I know I’ve made the right decision because I’ve got back the excitement I had for my project and I can’t stop thinking about the endless possibilities of it! I’ve got back control and now I’ve gone back to my original proposal at the semester review. Instead of lying awake freaking out about 50 problems, I’m going back to last semester, with sketch book next to me writing exhibition and communication ideas down. Since I’ve focused so much on the runway I basically forgot my original intentions for communication.

When I spoke to Adele she asked about my website and advertising image I was going to have. I feel like I’ve made the decision with enough time to realise my original intentions that I pushed to the side. I wasn’t keeping up with my 2d folio (which has been the centre of my work) because of deadlines and I think that would have been a big mistake to miss a chunk out of my development. When I was showing my folio to Karen and Adele, who both had fresh eyes, I was really happy at how it summed up every single step of my development. It was as detailed and clear as I intended, because I kept it up to date. Even though I was talking them through the process they could see the timeline and progression of the semester. Documenting is a huge part of my work, and I’ll be happy to get back into that.

Getting back to the website and advertising image, the idea is to have a simple A5 cardboard advertising image with my details and the website. I always take away look books and campaign cards from boutiques, galleries, department stores etc. and when I find that in my bag I always go and look up the website to get more info. Adele suggested that it didn’t even have to be up and running it could just have a simple image (I’m thinking one that is different from the advertising image) with a ‘coming soon’ sign, plus I would have my blog address so if they wanted more info that would be an easy way to keep their interest until the website goes live. I’ve started reaching out for the photo shoot asking my friend to model for the shoot, and hopefully I’ll sort out a photographer and web help in the next week. So far the collaboration with Caz has worked out really well but it will get even more challenging reaching out further to people I haven’t worked with before.

This is a big learning curve, even just being able to communicate with collaborators is a skill that you need. Now I’ve made the decision there’s no more indecision and I’m genuinely looking forward to the next few months rather than being anxious.

This past week has been really tense at uni waiting to find out what we were chosen for. At the start of the semester when we were told about the two options at Spring Fashion Week, I thought that we had to choose between the catwalk or the exhibition. I decided on the exhibition because I wanted to push my concept further with a collaboration. At that time I didn’t entertain the idea of doing the catwalk as well. I thought that participating in both would result in each effort being done with half the effort because of the time frame. Then we were told we could go for both and I thought why not, if I don’t get both hopefully I’ll still get one and then it will be decided.

Listening to Denise and Karen talk at the end of the week I started to seriously think about the reality of trying to complete both at the same time and it made me re-evaluate my decision. It’s a really tough decision to make because now I have designed a capsule collection I would love to see on the catwalk, if for nothing else, so that I can be apart of that atmosphere and have that experience under my belt. Since first year MSFW has been a light at the end of the uni tunnel, I must admit that not participating in it would be disappointing, especially because…wait for it… I actually like collection! Ha, who would have thought?! However this isn’t the only part of fourth year and I need to think beyond September. My portfolio is the most important part of this year, and I need to think which will separate my work from other students, not even at RMIT, but also the whole world! If I focus my effort on the exhibition then I’ll essentially have more control over it and more likely that it will become an impressive part of my portfolio.

There is still a concern that this is completely unchartered territory, I don’t know what will come of it and that’s a big bet to be taking. It’s a unique opportunity, yet also a risk being the first year. There are five containers all around Melbourne and the work isn’t in the one place so there’s a chance some containers will get more traffic than others, it’s more of an effort for people to go. People get really excited by a fashion show, and I’m not sure if a container in Carlton has as much appeal. You can’t replace the runway images of the MSFW but you can still have a fantastic photo shoot that shows the outfits just as well. It’s a really tough decision, and I need to talk with Caz and the teachers going forward with a decision. Either way I still plan to stay on target for the deadline in August, I’m excited about constructing the pieces and even though they’re not in my plans for the exhibition I have to hope that they will see the light of day somehow, someday :)