Table of content
Materials, processes and techniques
Introduction
The fashion industries obtain a level of ability to produce ideas that are modern and which excel in order for the industry to survive (Howard, 2017). As a result of this I have decided to focus my negotiated studies module on the fashion designing process as this is an area which I feel most confident and driven by. I have chosen this specialist skill as there are multiple ways that this can be done therefore allowing me to show my individuality and passion.
Throughout this module I will start to develop my skills in order for me to get the best possible outcome to a state that I am proud of and portray my capabilities in this particular area. Fashion designing has a process which is required in order to reach the outcome, this then can be achieved in multiple ways which I enjoy as it allows me to find my own style and be as expressive as possible. Fashion designing is a very competitive industry ‘every year, approximately 3000 new designers enter the London fashion scene’ according to the Victoria and Albert Museum (No date). As a result of this you have to be innovative to partake in this industry; being fashion forward and thinking of the ‘trends’ to come; I have chosen this area as this best suit me; I am able to gain different skills from every part of the process which I will be translating throughout my educational and professional career. In this module I would like to develop my CAD skills which include Cad spec sheets and flats, Photoshoots of my garment collections as well as mood boards. I also want to develop my knowledge in the garment constructions by means of pushing myself to create something I have not yet created before; this will order further my skills and I will then know much I am capable of.
Topic
I have chosen sustainability as my topic as this is a movement I am passionate about; therefore I get the most out of my research as I find it intriguing. Throughout this module I am going to challenge myself to look further in to this specific topic as last semester I only explored a small section, as a result I want to look into a different aspect to see if I can reinvent the way we design and to see if there is more to sustainable fashion as I once thought. Sustainability is becoming a hot topic as consumers and designers have started to realise the impact which we have on the world. The fashion industry is one of the world’s largest industries which are dependent on nature for its resources more than numerous other industries, fashion designers are rising to the challenge to produce stylish garments that do not cost the word (Simone Schroeter, no date).
Throughout my research I have not found a vast amount of designers who specialise in high end – sustainable fashion; therefore I will be focusing my research to target this area as I think it is a niche market. Focusing on high end fashion as consumers will be willing to pay more as they know that the garment will be good quality, therefore they ‘get what they pay for’, when then paired with the sustainably aspect consumers know they aren’t buying into cruelty behind the label. According to Simone Schroeter (no date) consumers no longer feel the need to have a vast amount of garments which meet the trends as now they demand a company to show what they are investing in and what ‘price’ the company is willing to pay in order to be sustainable. Consumers are more willing to buy into a brand if they have a set ethical and moral values as they would rather pay more money for a brands identity. There are multiple ways in which you can be classed as sustainable in fashion. Pienaar (2016) stated that there are multiple ways in which you can be classed as sustainable in fashion by choosing clothing that has been manufactured locally, the use of natural fibres, and buying quality over quantity and finally only buying when needed rather than want therefore recycling and reusing. I personally want to focus on the natural side of sustainable fashion as there is a lot more to research and I find it the most interesting. Teather (2018) pointed out that the aim of fashion sustainability is to make certain that the manufacturing process is produced in a way which minimises any harmful environmental effects. As a result of this I will ensure that I lay my patterns out strategically therefore resulting in less waste and use materials that are local as this would eliminate unwanted packaging and delivery expense throughout the development of my work, as I want to include multiple sustainable methods in my work.
I will be using a range of both primary and secondary research to explore my concept as they are equally as important, I want to ensure that my findings are clear and reliable as I will be using these to relate too throughout my work, to guarantee that this is present I will be using a range of methodologies.
I will be using a lot of secondary research as my topic is about sustainability; therefore I need to know what is happening in this area at the moment, to do this I will be using resources off the internet such as WGSN as the findings are recent and reliable. According to WGSN (2019) ‘we create tomorrow coupling qualitative research with quantitative insights and custom advisory services’. As a result of this I can gather research that would not be possible for me to gather on myself; therefore I will achieve a much better as all the information is concise and relevant. Looking in to other forms of secondary research through articles and additional websites as this allows me to gage where I want my findings to go giving me the correct information at a faster speed and more in depth.
Another main area of secondary research that I will be looking into is the very first sustainable fashion museum for this particular information I will be looking online as the museum is in Amsterdam; however I have chosen this particular museum as it has historical and contemporary resources. ‘Displaying brief history of the fashion industry and how the Fashion for good movement started’ stated van Elven (2018) as well as influencing a more pioneering future for sustainable fashion. I believe that gathering this particular information will give my research a unique aspect as I have a lot of information to gather in this area.
Furthermore I will be conducting a comp report for my secondary research as they are important; according to kexin (2018) The aim of a comp report is to understand other brands which are similar to you and to look at what they are marketing, this is important as you know how high to set your prices, what types of products sell in this particular area and allowing you to gather impactful assets. This will benefit me as I want to look into high end sustainable fashion as I have not seen many designers out there doing this, therefore I will be looking at this particular area in order for me to gain knowledge and insight, as a result of this I can then have an idea of material, trims, fastenings and finishes in order to obtain an high end look.
Primary research allows you to gather a substance of distinctive data which will make you more informed as you can use other means to control your outcome and statistics (Crowder, 2015) this allows me to use physical research such sampling as I think it is Important to have examples of what you are researching about, this benefits me as I am able to focus my attention and see the process a lot clearer which is vital with primary research. Relating back to last semesters work I had started to develop my sampling skills which was very beneficial, therefore I will be focusing a lot on sampling methods as I believe this gives you a deeper understanding of the overall work.
Initial ideas cannot go any further without the combination of secondary and primary reasrch as both are need in order for the development process to begin stated Howard (2017). This process lets designers Ideas come together and allows new ones to develop, I will be doing this using mood boards to construct my findings from museums as this utilises my research as my findings will be mostly picture based, however I will be adding important information onto this as this will be crucial in order to progress my concept. At this stage I will be broadening my final outcome plans as each step will spark new inspiration which then would allow me to further my research and get the most out of each area.
Another way that I will be evaluating my research is through sampling, according to Fibre2Fashion (no date) sampling is a very important methodology as it allows you to first hand experience how the fabric feels, how it is going to dye, how it is going to print and the stitch cost. This is an essential stage as this step will decide what material works best. I want to have multiple samples as I will then be able to work out how the fabric is going to act when sewing or dyeing therefore I can allow myself time for each step and calculate the price of materials I will be needing.
Correspondingly as I will be using WGSN this allows me focus my aim on what the trend will be for my chosen season which is S/S 20, I have chosen this season as then I will be designing for a year in advance allowing me to develop my ideas to the best possible standard. ‘Trend Reports helping to give you clear direction, inspiration to create leading edge and market-right designs’ this is important as you need to know what the up and coming trends are and understand how they are going to impact society and influence peoples lifestyles (Make it in design, 2015). Therefore I will be taking ideas from this and translating into my concept which will allow me to gain a profounder understanding of my research.
Materials, processes and techniques
To ensure that I have covered all the research I have wanted to cover I will be using a range of materials, process and techniques; this will be done by interpreting each aspect of my research and translating it in multiple ways in order to know what works for me and what sections I want to focus on.
Choosing the correct form of material and processes is one of the most important choices in a project; if you use the correct programs everything will follow and be consistent (New Process Fibre, 2017). Therefore I have selected the materials that I think will be beneficial to me and my concept, the resources that I will be using will be a range of fabrics samples as I think it is important to gain knowledge of each fabric therefore I will understand how each one responds; such as how the fabric drapes, looks and feels. I would also like to look into the dyeing process as this is an area I enjoy; I have researched multiple ways in which I can develop in order to get the correct pattern I want, therefore swatches come hand in hand as I will then know how to dye reacts on the samples.
Furthermore I will be using mannequins as the play a vital role in the manufacturing of garments. Mannequin mall (2016) reported that the use of a mannequin is very important as it allows you to use the human form as a reference therefore you can see how that particular garment looks, it also allows you to maintain the correct measurements and shape of the garment as you work along the process. Therefore I will make sure that my mannequin is the correct size with what I am working with and that I use it as a reference for my garments.
In addition to this I will also be using software programmes such as Photoshop and illustrator. Programs such as these are used for multiple purposes such as CAD flats, spec sheets, Fashion illustrations and mood boards. I work best with an online sketchbook as a result I use these programs a lot as this is where I think my work excels and looks professional as all my pages are consistent. Furthermore they are efficient and are more sustainable. According to Hamstech (2017) ‘a good flair in Illustrator is a must needed skill to benefit the project’.
Conclusion
From Negotiated Studies module I would like to achieve a high level of deep understating with my sustainability topic as this is a topic which is becoming very popular and is starting to be apparent with in the fashion industry. According to Farra (2017) an editor of vogue stated that up until a few years ago the topic of sustainability was rarely anyone’s first thought, but in 2017 designers started to get more involved with the fashion industries actions and now some high end designers have started replacing real fur to faux and reducing their carbon footprint and it will only start to increase at the times go on. Looking on WGSN sustainability has become a recent issue that has become more apparent, as consumers and designers have begun to realise how important this topic is. As a result of this I have chosen this as my specialist pathway and possible future career theme as I am passionate and I believe it is a fashion forward way of thinking. We as a consumers and designers need to be the change that we would like to see in the world and start to make a difference.
Furthermore I would like to take from this module a deeper understanding of Photoshop and illustrator as these are very important with in the fashion industry, these skills will also help me to be above other potential candidates as this industry is very competitive.
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