I've just set up a new Depop account which I'd love you all to go and check out! If you want to give me a follow or just have a look at the things I'm selling my username's almostoverdressed. There's a few things up at the moment but lots more to come over the next week so keep your eyes peeled!

22nd March '16

Today I want to Manchester for a second time to take photos of any interesting buildings. I really enjoyed walking round purposely looking at the buildings and photo opportunities because although I've walked down the same streets many times before I'd never noticed the variety of architecture. It was a more overcast day so the photos have turned out better with less contrast to the previous ones. I think the photos will be a great source of primary research to sketch from and look at smaller details and shapes.

25th march '16

I decided to explore the shapes of the buildings in a more abstract way through wire sculptures; taking shapes in the architecture I twisted the wire then hung the mini sculpture up allowing them to hang and twirl around. The direct light on the sculptures created contrast where the wire and shadows overlapped making more new shapes. These sculptures have made me consider taking a more sculptural approach towards my final garment.


 

1st April '16

Today I went out with my camera to take photos of interesting urban surfaces. I didn't have to go far and found surfaces of peeling paint, mould, rust, rotting and moss with lots of texture and detail in them. From these photos I created four fabric samples exploring different techniques including rusting fabric as well as using fabric manipulated by a heat gun. I think if I continue to use new techniques I could create some really intricate samples showing off the urban surfaces.
 

 

4th April '16

Both these pages on abandoned buildings are my favourite pages so far because I think I've made the background and photos all link with the pressed flowers and 'cobwebs'. I found it really interesting looking at the photos and researching the building and places they were taken, although some of the stories are a bit spooky! I find the idea of 'abandoned' really interesting and the story behind the place. What happened there? What were the people who lived there like? Why was it abandoned? I also like the idea of nature taking over a man-made place and in the photos you can see leaves and moss lining the walls giving me more inspiration for fabric samples.

 

 

 

Yohji Yamamoto became an influential designer in the 80s changing the direction of fashion and challenging traditional norms through his designs since then. His name is respected in not only  the fashion world of the high couture brands but also the high street names through his many collaborations.

 

 

 

 He is known ,similarly to Rei Kawakubo, as a designer who shows his ethnicity through his designs, his key looks being big oversized avant-garde silhouettes with Japanese shapes creating the huge drapes and shapes we see on the catwalks. His designs are mainly black so as not to take away attention from the proportion and cuts of the clothes. His collections show off voluminous, deconstructed tailoring and his unusual pattern cutting techniques. 

 

 

 

 

 

The inspiration behind these big cuts and shilouettes comes from the idea he had of woman hood from his early life. He believes that women's bodies should be shown off through enveloping shilouettes rather than skimpy dresses and when starting out his brand he knew he wanted to make clothes for women that looked like mens clothing. From this he designed a collection inspired on Japanese mens work wear making a social statement with his first collection.

 

 

In every design he holds a high importance on the fabric and makes all his textiles using traditional Japanese techniques such as the dyeing technique, Shibori, to dye cloth by binding small areas with  silk  threads. Another traditional Japanese dying method he often uses in his collections is Yuzen an old dyeing technique which originated from Kyoto in the 1700s and is traditionally used for Kimonos and to make motifs. Although he uses ancient methods he uses them through his designs in a non traditional way, for example using them on garments for modern motifs.  His interest in art history is also a big inspiration for many of his designs.

 

 

Since his first collection, when he show cased his designs of misshapen coats worn with huge brimmed hats, he's created shock through the fashion industry with his new silhouettes and unfinished look of his out of trend clothes. However throughout the years as more people have come to understand his ideas and radical designs he's influenced innovative new ideas throughout fashion.
Lots of Love Polly x

 

 

This visual mind map was done at the very start of my research showing the areas  I want to explore in my sketch book. The images show a selection of buildings in Manchester and their old architecture, urban surfaces and textures as well as two pieces of sue Hotchkis' work. Each of these photos have inspired me in my own research.