Details.....
The details were the most inspirational for me, they're simple but they add a really nice touch and finish to the tailored jackets. I like the flap pockets, trimming and paneling details.
Friday, 13 May 2011
Aquascutum
The company I am designing for is Aquascutum, with its extremely long and rich British heritage, it is an amazing company which initially did amazing things for fashion, in particular tailoring. It was one of the first company's to develop the trench coat, and then went on to create suits for men, and eventually for women. It is still an extremely successful and international fashion brand today, with a classic, timeless approach to soft tailoring, however they have updated their look to keep up with the times.
Details.....
The details were the most inspirational for me, they're simple but they add a really nice touch and finish to the tailored jackets. I like the flap pockets, trimming and paneling details.
Details.....
The details were the most inspirational for me, they're simple but they add a really nice touch and finish to the tailored jackets. I like the flap pockets, trimming and paneling details.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Back to Basics
I was a little clueless about a tailored jacket and its components, so I looked at magazines for help, the mens mags were most helpful with suit jackets on most of the pages....
The simplicity of Stella McCartney, with the extremely clean and simple tailored jacket. I love the perfect rounded edges, and narrow, straight look. Also the top stitching is a nice detail.
This editorial from Bon magazine shows some stunning jackets, the way they are cut away really caught my eye, they're very sexy, but I guess it would be interesting to apply this to some more oversized jackets too.
The jackets above are so unusual, they are very minimal, but the details make them so different and fresh.
This jacket looked really unusual to me, its very sleek and fitted, but it has patch pockets which don't usually look formal. Its also double breasted with a fairly high breakpoint, but it all works really well.
All of these images from Bon, Arena Homme + and Indie magazine, and loads more really helped to point out the different details and components of a jacket, especially the more simple ones. I'm learning to appreciate a beautifully tailored jacket!
The simplicity of Stella McCartney, with the extremely clean and simple tailored jacket. I love the perfect rounded edges, and narrow, straight look. Also the top stitching is a nice detail.
This editorial from Bon magazine shows some stunning jackets, the way they are cut away really caught my eye, they're very sexy, but I guess it would be interesting to apply this to some more oversized jackets too.
The jackets above are so unusual, they are very minimal, but the details make them so different and fresh.
This jacket looked really unusual to me, its very sleek and fitted, but it has patch pockets which don't usually look formal. Its also double breasted with a fairly high breakpoint, but it all works really well.
All of these images from Bon, Arena Homme + and Indie magazine, and loads more really helped to point out the different details and components of a jacket, especially the more simple ones. I'm learning to appreciate a beautifully tailored jacket!
Monday, 9 May 2011
Concepts II
MINIMAL
The lifestyles of the Amish are very simplistic, they have no contact with the outside world and they only have possessions that they need, and nothing more. They have no luxuries and nothing for pleasure, they live with the bare minimum. So the designs I do, I would like to keep simple, and I want to focus on the detail rather than the overall design and silhouette, keep them minimal, with no fuss.
Clavin Klein 2011 Pre-fall
Stella McCartney Fall 2010
Phillip Lim 3.1 Fall 2011
All of these minimal looks are really simple in shape and silhouette, and that is what makes them stand out to me. They make a statement in their simplicity. The details are very minimal, but I like Dries Van Noten's collection, where he has taken traditional tailored jacket details and altered them on one side, so the jackets are not symmetrical. So whilst keeping it simple, the jackets are also fun and interesting. The Phillip Lim collection has lots of concealed jackets which match well with Amish clothes, as they have concealed jackets, and long, straight silhouettes. The Stella McCartney pre fall collection is amazing, with huge, completely oversized jackets, but they are very simple, so the focus is on the overall shape of the jacket. The smaller details are key here, with pockets and collars making up the detail.
Clavin Klein 2011 Pre-fall
Stella McCartney Fall 2010
Phillip Lim 3.1 Fall 2011
Stella McCartney Pre fall 2011
All of these minimal looks are really simple in shape and silhouette, and that is what makes them stand out to me. They make a statement in their simplicity. The details are very minimal, but I like Dries Van Noten's collection, where he has taken traditional tailored jacket details and altered them on one side, so the jackets are not symmetrical. So whilst keeping it simple, the jackets are also fun and interesting. The Phillip Lim collection has lots of concealed jackets which match well with Amish clothes, as they have concealed jackets, and long, straight silhouettes. The Stella McCartney pre fall collection is amazing, with huge, completely oversized jackets, but they are very simple, so the focus is on the overall shape of the jacket. The smaller details are key here, with pockets and collars making up the detail.
MASCULINE
I found the Amish menswear really inspirational, however, as I mentioned before, it was really difficult to find imagery of the Amish, so I didn't manage to find any detailed images of the garments, I have only got their written descriptions, such as straight cut coats with hooks and eyes and broadfall trousers. I also looked to the catwalk and editorials for inspiration.....
Proenza Schouler Pre-fall 2011
Alexander Wang
The Row
Paul Smith editorial, French Vogue
Bon Fall 2010
For me, masculine is all about a silhouette that covers up the curves of the female figure. So most of the images here show looks that are oversized or straight and slouchy. I guess its all about the attitude aswell, I love the Paul Smith shoot, the clothes, the pose, the slouch...it completes a very masculine look. The editorial above possesses similar qualitites, but this one has a really oversized look with simple colours and a bold silhouette which really stands out. The Proenza Schouler pre-fall collection is stunning. Its simple clothes are brought to life by colour and print, and the silhouette is refreshing after a phase of figure hugging, body con clothes.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Concepts I
Following on from the initial Amish inspiration, I have picked out some key words and concepts to inspire my designs further:
There are a range of uniforms here, which are all slightly similar, they are not very form fitting, especially the first two or three, and are all fairly simple in shape and colour, so I guess its the minor details that count, such as the different coloured hems and collars. Also the pleats, hidden pockets, hem lengths etc, are really important when creating simple designs, these can be altered easily to create something new.
PROPORTION PLAY
The reason why I have chosen this is to represent dwarfism which is a common genetic disorder in the Amish communities. It is one of the first things that came to mind when I initially saw the word Amish in the list of topics at the start of the project.
Coincidentally, this concept also relates to the Amish theme because Amish menswear is oversized and very loose fitting, so the clothes are bigger than they should be. I will be incorporating this into my designs by lengthening hems and loosening the fit.
UNIFORM
The Amish have a very uniform lifestyle, as well as the way they dress, so I thought I would look at other uniforms, simple ones, such as cleaners, nurses etc....
There are a range of uniforms here, which are all slightly similar, they are not very form fitting, especially the first two or three, and are all fairly simple in shape and colour, so I guess its the minor details that count, such as the different coloured hems and collars. Also the pleats, hidden pockets, hem lengths etc, are really important when creating simple designs, these can be altered easily to create something new.
PROPORTION PLAY
The reason why I have chosen this is to represent dwarfism which is a common genetic disorder in the Amish communities. It is one of the first things that came to mind when I initially saw the word Amish in the list of topics at the start of the project.
Coincidentally, this concept also relates to the Amish theme because Amish menswear is oversized and very loose fitting, so the clothes are bigger than they should be. I will be incorporating this into my designs by lengthening hems and loosening the fit.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
The Amish Way Of Life
Lifestyle
The Amish lead very simple lives due to their religious beliefs and their commitment to God. There are so many things that they do not possess, that we take for granted, such as electricity and cars. These are all connections to the outside world, and a temptation to give in to the restrictions of the modern world.They are a very close knit community who have their own land with farms, crops etc, producing everything they need for themselves. They rely on each other to run the community, therefore require no connection with the outside world, only if it is necessary, such as medical help.
They are not allowed to marry outside their faith, so marry within the community, leading to genetic diseases such as dwarfism.
Another restriction that they have is that they are not allowed to take photographs or have any taken of them, which is the reason why I do not have much imagery.
Restriction and simplicity will be very important to my designs, possibly dwarfism could inspire a play on proportion and silhouette.
Clothing
Amish clothing is really important in deciding what my designs will look like because it is very particular. It is very simple just like the rest of their lives are, very uniform.
Women wear dresses with long sleeves and full length skirts of a block colour, which are covered with a cape or apron.
Men wear dark coloured suits, straight cut coats without lapels and vests both with hooks and eyes. They also wear solid coloured shirts and broadfall trousers. Also black or straw broad-brimmed hats.
As I am focussing on tailoring for this project, the Amish menswear is much more inspirational. It definitely inspires: simple, bold and oversized, and also a masculine silhouette. The fabrics are completely plain, which is something I may decide to incorporate into my designs. Aquascutum on the other hand is known for its prints, so I will have to consider both!
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Tailoring Design Project: Aquascutum
I have finally reached the last project of the year! This is a tailoring project, therefore I will be making a tailored suit jacket and possibly a pair of trousers. We are going back to basics and back to British for this project, as I will be designing for Aquascutum, a S/S 2012 collection. The colour scheme we have been given is either black, blue or grey.
To inspire some initial research and to get the project going, we were given some keywords: Amish, Missing, Incognito, Hero and Bewitched. Lifestyle and culture is always interesting to me and very inspirational, so the obvious choice was Amish. It was really interesting as I knew very little about the Amish and how restricted and confined their lives are compared to ours.
To inspire some initial research and to get the project going, we were given some keywords: Amish, Missing, Incognito, Hero and Bewitched. Lifestyle and culture is always interesting to me and very inspirational, so the obvious choice was Amish. It was really interesting as I knew very little about the Amish and how restricted and confined their lives are compared to ours.
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