Origami and Organdy

I apologise to my poetry readers for the fashion related posts, I will get back to that later. But this is my imagination and I believe creativity should never be limited and I am all for thinking outside of the box! I would also like to say a huge hello to everyone new and who checked out my last post, welcome to my imagination, make yourself at home!

I wanted to share my college work with you. In particular the previous ‘Secret Garden’ post as well this. I’ve always loved making things and the more complex the better. This is my scarf project and complex would be an understatement!

The brief was ‘Opposites’, to make neckwear – experimenting with print, shape and/or colour. I should explain the way my imagination works is if there is a box with the obvious inside I’m jumping on top of it like a deranged rebel punk, the obvious doesn’t appeal to me at all, and so the cogs started turning.

During researching how I could manipulate fabric I came across an artist called Rowan Mersh, an artist who uses matchstick and Vinyl records with black and white stretch fabric. He’s totally unique. I focused on his work with spheres for this project but if you have a minute, totally check him out!

Origami! Somehow my mind took me to how could I make a ball? after a little bit of research I began experimenting with kusudamas. These are a kind of paper decoration ball made up of flowers. 1 square of paper folds to make 1 petal, 5 petals make a flower, I’m unsure how many flowers make 1 Kusudama, but I tell you it felt like 100’s!

Now it’s one thing making it out of paper, fabric is a different story – organdy was the only thing that worked. To the left are the results, both balls are complete Kusudamas, don’t try this at home… can cause iron burns and dreaming of origami!

Givenchy’s collection at the time (spring/summer 2008) had featured some Elizabethan ruffs, so I experimented making these too, it all had to be hand stitched and the amount of fabric you need is never-ending!

So this is the result, my creation. It took a great deal of work and it looks a little obscure but it is only a concept piece. If you would like to see how to make a kusudama I have include an image of instructions, courtesy of google images!

The Secret Garden

I remember, growing up reading The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett. This classic novel left such an impression on me, the book was beautifully illustrated and lets admit, who wouldn’t have loved to find their very own Secret garden?

In 2009 during my college fashion design course we were set the brief of ‘A Midnight Picnic’, to design an outfit suitable for such an event. Of course the obvious came to mind… the bold brash colours and eccentricity of Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. But It just didn’t feel right, I didn’t feel passionate about it. Then a surge of excitement took over me… The Secret Garden, that was to be my theme.

  I was excited and enthusiastic, out came the old book and it was the perfect excuse to get re-aquainted with the movie. It was one of the best Sundays I’ve ever had!

I’ve got  a strange fascination for old keys, they’re something so rustically beautiful about them, you may be able to see, I have used these as an
embellishment, how could I not? this is the secret garden after all!

I should point out that I love historical costume, anything from the 1910’s and earlier amazes me, the intricate seamwork and decoration turn me into a fashion geek, so you can understand my excitement as I began researching the costumes of this time. It was all about the puff-ball shoulders and empire lines for me!

The colour was obvious to me, midnight blue!! and the satin worked with the gold embroidery making me one happy designer!

When it was finished, we set off into the woods and I roped in my photographer friend and pretty model and we took these photo’s that I wanted to share with you today.

I was overjoyed with the results, it’s not perfect, but it’s mine!

Hope you like! 🙂