WW1 Project Update

Well, its been a good few weeks since we started this project now and its safe to say it has been a bit more difficult that i originally thought. I has been tricky to get back in to things after two years of spreadsheets!

The ND course was completely different compared to this BA, the lay out of the project is totally different, how you are to produce your sketchbook and just generally how much freedom you are give to carry out your work.

I have visited a few places now and feel like I really have a good understanding of the War and as much of an idea as I can about what these men went through. 

I have tried to focus on the front like, what kind of materials and colours would have been present etc.

I have taken these and produced some different samples that could be used for surface detailing.

Scraps of chosen fabric sewn on to dissolvable material

Hessian fabric gives a really good volume that would look good as a coat/cape

Layered chosen fabrics sewn and scored down to different layers make good patches but is very thick and heavy weight.

Here i tried to replicate injury with a cut and dripping blood

using different sizes red beads works really well to give depth and texture

I am starting to look at doing these techniques in different colours and fabrics focusing on my theme of ordinary men doing doing extraordinary things. Lending its inspiration to simple silhouettes and simple garments finished in beautiful intricate ways. 

I am going to start doing some sketches and looking at design developments this week, still got to think of a name for my collection too....

Making changes and new starts.

It has been a long time since I last posted, and with moving out of the Reading flat with Adam and Liv,a moving everything we own 200 miles north back to York and starting a new course I have been thinking it is high time I started up again.

I haven't really had the time to make any lookbook posts and being on my own a lot I don't have the equipment to take my pictures. 

I have so many new things starting at the moment and one of the most important is my new course. I finished my foundation degree at the London college of fashion in buying and merchandising and have gone back to York college where I did my design ND to do my third year in design also. It was quite a last minute decision but something I am very happy I did. Being so excited about doing design again I guess I feel a bit like I have been thrown back in at the deep end with it! 

Our first project is being done along side the castle museum in york. They are launching a new exhibition in June next year, on world war 1. We have to create a garment to go along side the exhibit. 

By looking in to the history of the war and investigating certain elements we are supposed to be able to go on a journey with our destination being our final piece.

I have had a few ideas floating around but nothing I am complete besotted with. I want to perhaps look at injuries sustained in the Great War, wether it be caused by gas attacks, bombs or artillery fire, looking in to the horrors that these men had to endure. 

It got me thinking about how as a country, we have been brought up to make the best of every situation, a sort of get up and get on with it kind of attitude. When I think about the war I think of how great our country is and how we all pulled together to fight for what we believed in. Then I look at the images from these times, and can't help but feel nothing less than devastated at the pure unimaginable horror these poor men had to endure. The fact is millions of men from all sides were sent marching straight to their deaths. The front line was nothing more than cannon fodder and the horrific terror these men must of had to endure is so so sad. I came across this picture of a whole group of men blinded by mustard gas,

 

I can't help but feel this could not sum up the war (war in general) enough. Being led blind to their possible deaths based on nothing but propaganda and pride. It is clear that images like these stir up a lot of emotion but I just don't know how to inject this in to my work and convert these images and thoughts in to a garment fit for a museum exhibition. 

I am trying very hard to think outside the box and look at how I can develop ideas and put them down in to a sketch book, but I still feel like I can't think of anything that isn't ridiculously obvious! 

I want to do the subject justice and I am determined to investigate every avenue I can as thoroughly as possible to do as well as i used too. 

In other news I have had a pretty exciting offer from a stylist on twitter looking for a custom made flower crown, just in conversation about it at the moment but if something comes of it I will be doing a post on it soon as the deadline is to be delivered to them on the 12th October, wish me luck!