Locating Evaluation

The aim for this self directed brief was to create a series of digital prints both on fabric and paper, and for these prints to be translated onto a range of high quality and high end designer T-shirts. From this project I feel my technical knowledge has been developed, working in both photoshop and illustrator I feel my work is a lot more technically accurate but also more professionally presented. 

It took me a while to get into the project and getting my colour palette right was a challenge, but after a lot of trial and error I finally had a colour palette that worked well with my motifs to create a range of interesting prints. This was my first project where I included flats to visualise my work, I found this challenging due to not having any previous experience of placing  prints onto flats. I am usually used to illustrating garments on figures and styling them to create looks rather than only using one technical drawing. This daunted me as I felt the placement had to be perfect to show off the print.

I researched into fashion designers working in the same way as me but also designers and brands like Topshop that had previously achieved what I was trying to achieve now. 

A main inspiration to me during this project was fashion designer Vanesa Krongold, her work helped me resolve the problem I was having with my flats. I introduced colour blocking into my work after looking at some of her collections.

I attended the photoshop and illustrator workshops throughout this project, the illustrator workshops were very helpful, I feel I have become a lot more confident on this software, a strategy which has enabled my work to develop further.

I originally stated that I was going to go into the print room and create some hand prints using techniques such as foiling, but after going into the print room, I decided against this. I feel that my work was being held back by limitations in the print room. My digital prints were very detailed and  full of information, I was finding it hard to translate this in the print room using screen printing.  

In this project I was looking at the concept of religion, looking at three features within it; religious figures, architectural features and typography. Transferring these into 2D images using drawing and photography. I then looked at working  on top of these images using the idea of defacing. I looked at the trend of defacing but also graphic montages and so I combined all of these to create a series of prints to be placed onto graphic Tshirts. 

The prints work well when the have been placed onto the flats and illustrations rather than on their own. Throughout the project I was drawing and creating prints for design, and so when these prints were visualized onto garments, that was when I felt they worked best as a collection.

If I had to change anything I would concentrate on the colour palette a bit more, concentrating on getting the colour balance exactly right. Rather than letting one or two colours become dominant. 

For my next project I want to concentrate more on styling and trends, these are two factors that are always prominent in my work. I enjoy researching and gathering primary research to feed into my new theme and concept, and so creating my own trend book or look book would be a great way to take this further. 

I feel this project further established that the context of my work is for fashion, I enjoyed setting my own brief but I feel that I would thrive most working for a fashion company where I work to set briefs, showing what I can come up with in a limited time and designing for a certain audience.

Live Brief Board

These are my final two illustration and prints I have chosen to send off to the Bradford Textiles Competition. These are my two favourite prints of the collection and the two prints that I feel translate the best onto the illustrated garments.  

Final Illustration Boards

I have put my boards together, trying to even out the colour and get the best range of prints but also making sure the illustrations work well together as a collection . I have struggled through out this project to create a series of prints I really like, but after placing them onto illustrations and garments I can visualise them on garments, seeing what I designed them for. I originally started drawing illustrations for my live brief, I only needed one but I felt the illustrations worked together with my prints, so I created a series, one for each print.

Clover Canyon A/W 2014-15

Clover Canyon are one of my favourite designers and always feature in each project of mine as I feel my work relates to them. I always revert back to Clover Canyon when I'm deciding on how to place my prints on garments. Canyon's collection heavily feature placement prints which are cleverly placed on garments. This collection featured faces and so it was good to see how they had included this feature into their own work.  The position of the figure and what it was put with really fed into my own work. This collection was based on their Irish heritage using icons such as Oscar wild and features such as tartan and stained glass windows, because the prints were so dizzying the styling needed to be simplistic. It is good to balance this, I feel styling is a big part of my work and helps the final collection work together if I think about this aspect greatly.

Final Flats

After doing my original flats and speaking to Teresa in my tutorial I realised something had to change. The flats were too busy and the placement of the prints weren't working very well. After doing some more research on designer T-shirts but also looking at Vanesa Krongold's collections I decided to bring colour blocking into my work. I started to play around with colour blocking different sections of the T-shirts, I really liked the idea and I think the flats look good. I tried hard to colour balance the board so you could see the whole palette.

Digitally Printed Fabric

I am happy with the outcome of my fabric. I feel some have worked better than others such as the lighter coloured ones. The darker prints detail seem to have gotten a bit lost, I do like the contrast between the dark and the light. I do know for next time to tone down the darkness a bit otherwise information and motifs go unseen.

                                                 

Professional | Employability

Over this project I have been concentrating on the Professional and Employability unit. I have done two weeks of work experience , but as well as that I have been working on my CV and applying to companies for work experience. I am currently in conversation with JW ANDERSON to intern with them in London for a month in summer. 

Vanesa Krongold

A/W '13

A/W '13

S/S '12

S/S '12

Vanesa Krongold is a designer and stylist from Argentina, I have only recently come across her work and I have been extremely inspired by the contrast of vibrant prints and colour blocking. She uses panels of colour blocking against her digital and graphic prints. I am currently working on translating my prints onto tshirt flats, I have been using this idea of colour blocking on some parts such as sleeves or panels to break up the busy print.

Printed Fashion Illustrations

I have been placing my prints onto fashion illustrations, this is for my live brief part of the project. I am going to continue playing with the illustrations, playing around with scale and the various garments. Also using various colour combinations from my colour palette to make the collection work better together as a whole.

Libertine A/W 2014-15

Libertine have used typography in their work this season , words taken from the poem ' Sorrow of Love'. They have used them as a graphic prints on overcoats. They have also screen printed their garments and used hints of bright colours such as acid orange. There isn't a standout colour in any of the collection but subtle hints of a range of vibrant colours.

Print Placement

Topshop

I have been placing my prints on silk t-shirts. I like how the graphic prints work on the fabric, I am going to further this by placing prints on more t-shirts, but playing around with scale. I want to mix it up a bit, blocking the prints in certain areas of the garment. i.e. only printing on the sleeves or the back of the t-shirt.

Customer Profile | Concept Board

I have used Poppy Delevigne as my muse, she is a 27 year socialite and model from London. She is the perfect age for what I am aiming for (25-35). She is a young professional who can afford to spend a bit more on quality she is into fashion and follows new trends but also sets her own trends, constantly featuring in style magazines. She isn't afraid to make bold choices with print but styles it well so it is not over bearing, she is simplistic and sophisticated but yet cool and effortless.  

Prints

I have been working on some new prints this week concentrating on toning down the colours, just working with a few of the colours from the palette. Bringing in and replacing certain colours, I was finding that some of my prints were too busy and weren't working well together.

Typography/Slogans Trend . S/S 2014

Alexander Wang

Missoni

Kenzo

"Wear your thoughts on your sleeve," says Vogue contributing editor Calgary Avansino. "Not since the logo-laden Eighties have we seen so much typography."

2014 has been the year for typography, it as been featured in numerous collections. I have been researching to see how designers have used font or scale and also the placement of the text.

Printed Flats

I have placed my prints onto my flats. I think some of these work better than others i.e. bottom right. I think this is due to the scale and placement of the print. After putting these flats together , I feel the prints are a bit too busy and vibrant as a collection. I am going to work on some new prints, toning down the colours.

Live Brief

I have chosen to do The Bradford Textiles project. Below is the brief.

As a part of my live project I am going to write a report on my work experience as well as doing the bradford textile competition. I am going to send of one of my prints from my personal brief along with a fashion illustration of it on a garment. Thus meaning I can incorporate styling into this project as well. I have drawn a few illustrations with a range of garments on, so I can play around with my prints and various scales. 

Flats

I have been drawing flats to place my prints on. I'm producing a range of high end silk designer t-shirts, I want the flats to show the quality of the fabric.