Where next?

In order to get my concept across to my audience I decided I would need to photograph a different range of clothing, one that had specifically been designed to show elements of shape. I decided to look through BCU graduate fashion Look Book to see if any of the designers work would be suitable for my style.

I came across quite a few designs which I thought would be relevant as they were quite structured, I began emailing the designers to explain my concept and arrange potential photo shoots. 
I was also advised to work along side other creatives including hair and make up artists, stylists and professional models. 

Amsterdam Exhibitions

While in Amsterdam we got to visit many different galleries and exhibitions including the Banksy Exhibition, The Foam Photography Museum, The Stedelijk Museum, Rijksmuseum, and the Eye Film Institute. 

Seeing such a wide variety of work gave me so much to think about when planning for our Grad Show and Free Range exhibitions. (including the layout and different options of framing/hanging prints)

BECKY SWITHENBANK PHOTO

When searching for some more sculptural based garments I came cross this design on Instagram which was created by a second year fashion student. The concept behind the design was focused on the idea of feeling vulnerable and lonely.

Outcome from the shoot:

Seeing as my main focus was on the clothing I decided to crop the model out of the frame. This made the viewer straight away recognise the concept I was trying to portray. Technically I think I could have shot the garment better as there is quite a lot of shadow in the left image. If I were to reshoot this design I would place another light behind the model so that this shadow would not occur.

In terms of how well my concept was showed, I felt that this garment was not overly structured and therefore did not provide me with enough shape. I think I would be able to find more suitable garments. Also, these images are not totally suitable for my target audience because there is no element of fashion in them.

MYLES

When researching for my dissertation I interviewed an architecture student who created a fashion brand inspired by architecture. Seeing as this was extremely relevant to my work we decided to shoot together. 

The garments he had created were specifically designed to represent fashion as well as providing a sense of structure i.e. one garment had ballooned sleeves to show structure and another had lines to represent bridges. 

Myles was inspired by a number of fashion designers including Craig Dean and Liam Hodges.

"We were tasked to design a garment or material which incorporated architectural design processes and technologies. I designed a pull over nylon windbreaker that had manually retractable sleeves using elasticated cord."

For the shoot I was particularly interested in the windbreaker Myles had designed as a lot of shape could be created with this garment. 
Below is another outfit designed by Myles which shows great amount of texture.

The shoot was successful in terms of being able to see shape of the garments however I feel that I could have experimented more with the lighting and also had captured a wider range of poses to portray the clothing in a different way.

Target Audience

Target audience: millennials, as they are the people who are keeping up date date with the latest trends. They are likely to have disposable income and follow popular culture.

My work would be suitable for an audience that are fashion orientated but also have an interest in architecture. They may read magazines like Vogue and Elle but also architectural digest. My work is suited for an audience who can appreciate the relationship between art and fashion.

Age: 18-35
Gender: Both

I could see my work in more independent galleries than contemporary ones because it has quite a specific concept. An example of a suitable gallery would be The Ikon. 

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

For FMP I decided to develop my concept from Negotiated Study which looked at the relationship between Fashion and Architecture.

I wanted to explore different avenues for this project but before doing that I created a mind map to highlight the similarities between the two practices. 

What are the elements of design in fashion?

• Color: Most exciting element of design.
• Shape: Overall outline of a garment, it is the form or silhouette.
• Line: Distinct, elongated mark as if drawn by a pencil or pen.
• Texture: The surface quality of goods

Having explored numerous similarities between the two practices I decided my concept would be mainly focused on the clothing that shows shape and structure within its design. 

I therefore began searching for relevant garments that could show these elements. 

Inspired by geometric shapes and symmetry 

Issey Miyake are two fashion designers who refer to their garments as being sculptural, and throughout the years, the language used in design has advanced. ‘Vocabulary derived from architecture has been applied to garments (“architectonic,” “constructed,” “sculptural,” etc.) And architects have also borrowed and adapted sartorial strategies and vocabulary from the fashion world, draping, wrapping, weaving, folding, printing, and pleating surfaces and materials.’ (Hodge et al., 2006) Thus, emphasizing how similar both design practices are not only in their techniques but also in their dialogue. 

Additionally, fashion designer Michiko Koshino’s uses techniques of pleating and folding, which mirror the structures and surfaces of modern architecture. Many of her designs are based on architectonic principles that highlight traditional garment construction with an architectural element. Both areas of design have taken methods which weren’t originally their own and adapted them appropriately to make them fit. Pleated garments inspire many architects as the technique is used to produce texture and volume. Architects have adopted the textile technique of weaving as it creates complex interior spaces. 


Other artists I looked at for inspiration include the duo German artists Bernd and Hilla Becher. They were best known for their work of photographic images that focused on industrial buildings and structures. They collaborated their ideas and began photographing the disappearing German industrial landscape which included the steel and mining industries. Something that fascinated them was the shapes and structures of buildings. A variety of angles were used when photographing these structures. 

I think that the work done by Bernd and Hilla Becher was very successful as they had their own distinctive style that can be recognised easily. I like their style because they present the images in a way that make them look alike from a far, but up close one can see the individual differences. I am not sure if I will use this style in my own work but I will learn from them, and i will experiment with a variety of viewpoints just like they did. 

I feel that I have tried to take on board what I have learnt from the Bechers work by creating my own unique style where only minimal human elements can be seen. My work is all about the form and shape of the clothing with minimal amount of human figures. 

Charles Sheeler was an American painter and commercial photographer. He was known for being one of the founders of American modernism, and a master of photography of the 20^th century.

His images focus on architectural subjects in a simplistic cubism form. Extreme contrast between light and shadow can be seen in his photos and the warm colours used create a soft tone.

Although these images are more of a painting style than a photographic one, I still find them useful as Sheeler has clearly thought about form line and shadow and these are some key elements which stand out to me. I feel that I can use this research to benefit me and ensure I am thinking about these factors when shooting.

Although my work does not contain much contrast between light and shadow, I still admire Sheeler's strong use of line and repetition. 

When in Amsterdam I photographed the famous "Cube Houses". They reminded me a lot of Sheeler's art works as there were repetitive elements of line and a lot of geometric shapes. The design of the houses makes the images appear very abstract.