DST64404 Fashion Project 2
Week 01:
LESSON OF THE WEEK
Part 1: Mr. Daniel started the class by briefing us about this module and the assignments we will be working on this semester. This semester, we are collaborating with Converse. We will be receiving thrift Converse shoes, which must first be cleaned properly since hygiene is very important. After that, we will deconstruct the shoes and transform them into our designed fashion looks.
However, not everyone will get the chance to showcase their designs at the fashion show, only those selected by the lecturers and Converse will be chosen. Mr. Daniel also emphasized several times that he does not want us to use shiny fabrics, such as satin, for this project. Instead, we will be sewing with thrifted clothes or pants, as the project emphasizes sustainability. Therefore, we are encouraged to hunt for suitable fabrics at thrift shops.
Part 3: Before ending the class, Mr. Daniel brought out five big boxes of thrift shoes and some clothes for us to take home. As mentioned earlier, we will use these materials to deconstruct and create two fashion looks. He also taught us how to properly wash the shoes to ensure everything is clean and ready to be sewn and worn.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
This week, we are starting with Assignment 1: Research and Proposal. We need to explore aspects of American culture to develop our design inspiration. Mr. Daniel advised us to complete the proposal this week so that we can begin fabric research or draping on the mannequin by next week. Since we must create two full looks, we will need plenty of time to complete them.
For my concept, I chose cheerleading as my theme. Converse was originally designed for basketball, and cheerleaders often perform during breaks at basketball games to cheer for their teams. Beyond that, cheerleaders are an iconic part of American sports culture, which makes this subject matter even more exciting for me. I plan to design cheerleading-inspired outfits in a youthful and sustainable way, using thrifted fabrics.
I also began researching local thrift shops to source fabrics for my design. At home, I looked through unwanted clothes and pants to see if any could be repurposed for my looks. At least this way, I already have some thrifted materials on hand, which is better than starting with nothing.
Overall, I feel both excited and nervous. This is our second time receiving sponsorship for an event, which makes everything feel much more serious and fast-paced. Since we need to complete two full looks which is my very first time doing, so I expect it to be a challenge. Still, I’m looking forward to the process, as using thrifted clothes allows us to experiment with mix-and-match styles and create something unique.
Week 02:
LESSON OF THE WEEK
In this week’s class, Mr. Daniel began with one-on-one consultations, as usual, to discuss our subject matter and presentation slides. This allowed us to immediately add any missing research information in order to speed up our progress, so we could focus more on making the garments. While waiting for our turn in the consultation session, we were asked to start draping using thrifted clothes or pants, with the goal of completing 10 draping sets this week.
Before the class ended, Sir showed us Jane’s work as an example of a well-prepared presentation, highlighting the important information she included. Her topic was about art, which I found quite interesting, as she was able to interpret artistic elements into her fashion looks. In addition, Sir demonstrated how to drape ideas onto a mannequin, since many of us were struggling and didn’t know where to start. He created both a top and a bottom using just Converse shoes, reminding us not to worry about the outcome, since this was only an initial stage that we would improve on later.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
We need to complete all of our presentation slides as soon as possible. I need to redo mine, as my slides were too plain and lacked decoration or personal style, which made them a bit boring. I also have to add more information to my proposal because the current version feels incomplete which I skipped several important points, which made it unclear how my subject matter suddenly shifted to “Cheerleading.” To fix this, I will add some background on the history of cheerleading, along with a picture of the very first cheerleading costume, since many people only know what the current version looks like.
Final outcome:
Additionally, we must drape 10 sets of initial ideas this week and print them out in A3 size. The process has been tough for me, as this is my first time draping a garment without having a fixed design in mind. I need to be creative and learn how to reinterpret clothes such as sweaters, jackets, and pants into more fashion-forward looks. However, after Sir’s demonstration, I started to gain more ideas for my draping. Initially, I was too worried to even start because I thought we were working with the actual fabrics or garments, but now I understand this stage is just experimental.
This week, I felt a bit stressed since it was my first time draping before moving on to the garment design development stage. At first, I felt clueless, but after doing more online research, the process became clearer. Draping menswear was especially challenging for me because I am not very familiar with menswear fashion. Still, I will try my best by researching more about menswear draping and design in order to gain inspiration and ideas for my project.
Week 03:
LESSON OF THE WEEK
This week’s class began with Sir briefing us on what to do. For those who haven’t completed their draping yet, we were reminded to finish it as soon as possible since it serves as the initial drawing for our assignment. Meanwhile, those who had already completed their work last week could start having consultation sessions with Sir to get feedback. If there were any unnecessary or excessive draping parts, we would erase them before applying the picture onto the croquis.
During the second part of the class, right before it ended, Sir asked Faya and me to print out our croquis with the draping applied so that he could demonstrate to everyone how to do design development using our draping designs. He explained how to apply our subject matter onto the designs, and also reminded us that the more we draw, the more we should reflect on each design by identifying what works well and what needs improvement for the next look.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
This week, our task was to complete the design development stage since our progress has been slightly behind according to the assignment brief. It would be ideal to complete all 60 design developments by the end of the week so that we can move on to finalizing our designs and continue with the next assignment, which is textile manipulation.The process of creating design developments was both challenging and clear at the same time. My mindset was clear because I already understood how to approach this stage, as we learned about it during Semester 1. However, it became quite difficult to come up with new ideas for the later looks since I had already used most of my best ideas for the earlier ones. To gain more inspiration, I did additional research online on how cheerleading costumes can be transformed into fashion runway looks.
In addition, Mr. Farid brought in more Converse shoes for us, and luckily, I managed to grab quite a few pairs. After reviewing my designs, I felt it would be best to have as many as possible since we are creating two looks with front and back and the shoes will help emphasize the Converse theme while allowing me to be more experimental with the styling.
Overall, this week was quite stressful because we had to complete all 60 drawings in just one week. It was my first time producing such a large number of design developments. However, it was also an interesting and rewarding experience because I got to explore how to translate my subject matter into a fashion runway look. I believe the more we draw, the better our designs become. I hope my designs will be approved or even impress Sir, as that would show how much I’ve improved during this degree. Since this is my first time designing fashion looks at a degree level, I truly hope to keep improving with each completed assignment
Week 04:LESSON OF THE WEEK
There was no lecture session this week, as we used the time for sketching sessions and design development for Assignment 1. Those who had completed their sketches had consultation sessions with sir, who asked us to come up with four words related to our theme and concept. From our sketches, we were required to select two designs from each page, resulting in a total of twenty chosen designs. Then, sir selected the best three designs from our collection for either female or male, for further development. That became our main task for this week.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
This week, our goal was to complete the final stage of design development. Since sir recommended that I focus only on womenswear, I developed fifteen sketches based on my previous three designs. Overall, I feel that my drawings have improved as I’ve gained a clearer understanding of the concept and design direction I want to pursue. I’m quite satisfied with the results so far.
Final outcome:
In terms of my overall experience, I felt a little disappointed at first because sir didn’t recommend me to do menswear for my collection. I’ve always wanted to try menswear since we’ve been focusing on womenswear from Semester 1 until now, and I hoped to make a change this time. However, even though I’m only doing womenswear, I’ll still put in my best effort and aim to do better than before. Moreover, I’m excited for next week because after completing this stage, sir will choose two designs from our sketches as our final ones. I can’t wait to see which design will be selected, will it be the one I like?
Week 05:
LESSON OF THE WEEK
Before allowing us to continue with our own tasks in class, Sir briefed us on what needed to be completed this week, such as the submission for our assignment, which includes the proposal and drawings. However, we don’t need to hand in the technical drawings yet since we might make some changes after completing our textile manipulation. Moreover, we will begin textile manipulation next week, so all of us should start sourcing the fabric materials we’ll need.
During the consultation session, I showed Sir the 15 drawings I did for last week’s task. He asked me to select two designs from each page and add more feminine details to them since they weren’t detailed enough to express a feminine vibe. He then chose two final designs for my collection looks and asked me to start coloring or making collages to explore the color schemes I intend to use for my collection.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
Our task for this week is to complete the color development for our designs by creating different color versions of the final looks. Having multiple options allows us to choose the best combination that fits our concept the most.
After completing the color development, we also need to draw the final front and back views of our designs. Since our previous sketches only included the front view, the back view will help the audience better understand our full design and the details we plan to include.
Overall, I feel excited because we have finally completed Assignment 1, which involved research and sketching. Next week, we’ll move on to textile manipulation which is something I’m really interested in, as it helps visualize how our ideas will be interpreted into fabric and texture. I can’t wait for next week, as we’re getting closer to the pattern-making process and starting our test fits. I’m really looking forward to seeing how my design will look in real life.
Week 06:
LESSON OF THE WEEK
Part 1: To start the class, Sir briefed us on what we need to complete and submit this week, as usual. The most important thing to be submitted on Thursday is Assignment 1. Other than that, he informed us that we will also be doing a final portfolio this semester, which requires us to draw two looks on A3 paper as usual. These drawings will be used for our presentation to let the lecturers visualize how the outfits would look when worn by a model.
Moreover, we also need to complete our technical drawings for both looks, as we will need to show them to the pattern-making lecturer during the Pattern Technology class. Last but not least, we will start working on fabric manipulation, which is part of Assignment 2. We will have around two weeks to complete and submit it.
After the briefing, Sir conducted consultation sessions for students who needed guidance on their fabric choices, final drawings, and technical drawings.
Part 2: Sir also reminded us that, since we are already in Semester 3, our technical drawings should include detailed elements such as stitches, buttons, and other garment features. This is to ensure our drawings look more professional and realistic.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
Our main task this week is to submit assignment 1 and complete the technical drawings, as we will need to show them to our pattern lecturer on Friday to explain our fashion looks.
Final outcome for assignment 1:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-la_fptm71ntHxdSW6V1lKWg33GLto4M/view?usp=drive_link
On Tuesday, I showed Sir my new color development outcomes. However, both of us felt that the final design wasn’t attractive or eye-catching enough for a fashion show. With Sir’s guidance, I created another final design, which I feel is much better than the previous one.
For this new design, I plan to deconstruct basketball jerseys and transform them into a brand-new fashion runway look. To achieve this, I ordered jerseys online, as buying imitation ones is more affordable. Since the materials are from Taobao, I’ll need to wait about a week before I can start my fabric manipulation.
While waiting for the materials to arrive, I’ll work on my final portfolio drawings for the presentation. By completing them early, I can avoid feeling stressed about coloring or drawing later and focus fully on the sewing stage at the end of the semester.
At first, I felt a bit sad because my design had to be changed at the last minute, which delayed my fabric manipulation progress. This made me worry that I might have to rush before the submission deadline. However, looking on the bright side, I’m happy that my design has improved and looks much better than before. Additionally, I’m glad to be coloring and drawing again, which is one of my favorite stages of the process. It allows me to imagine how my fashion looks will appear on a model. I also enjoy coloring more than drawing, as it brings the design to life and helps me visualize the final outcome better.
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