EARLIEST CONTEXT: THEORY

THE BODY IN CLOTH

Keywords

As above, I identified my concept of 'The Body in Cloth' as having several key words or themes to work within:

• The Body in Craft

A representation of craft techniques I'll include: textile printing, needlework, metalwork, quality sewing construction...

• The Body in Nature

A representation of the sustainability based approaches which I intend to make, most notably being Zero Waste and Upcycling Materials, as well as a full use of entirely natural materials.

• The Body in History

A representation of the use of historically inspired shapes and silhouettes, techniques and historical craft based approached. Such history also applies to the zero waste techniques I will be modernising and applying in this work.

I've also developed a more aesthetic based set of key words, as above:

beauty ● confinement ● comfort

This encompasses the range of garments I hope to be making: I wish to make a particular emphasis on making undergarments, so confinement applies, as well as beauty and comfort, as the relationship between the clothing and the body is explored and challenged, and 'beauty' techniques are applied to these, such as printing practices, craft, metalwork and accessories.

In my primary (main garments), comfort should apply most especially as flowing natural fabrics are used, and size flexibility in garments is challenged in a measure to make the clothing functional, more universally wearable, and sustainable.

Other keywords can more simplistically be listed:

● Sustainability ● Zero Waste ● Waste Management ●

Artwork & The Feminine Form 'The Body Laid Bare' ● Detail ● Handcraft ●. Metalwork ● Undergarments/Lingerie

CONCEPT

Contexts

In my work, I intend to develop a collection following sustainability principles, most particularly being Zero Waste and material Upcycling design and craft approaches. The materials used within the collection should aim to be entirely natural based.

I intend to develop a collection containing both primary and secondary garments. The Primary garments should be main womenswear clothing, which should be entirely zero waste in its patternmaking. The Secondary garments will be lingerie and other undergarments. These will be constructed using entirely upcycled/reused materials, taken from the final toiles for my primary garments.

I intend to develop the collection to be visually inspired by the 2017 Auckland Art Gallery exhibition 'The Body Laid Bare', or more specifically the image of the nude feminine form. This should be conveyed thematically, through mood within the collection. This may also be conveyed through craft techniques, such as printmaking applications, to show more literal imagery in printwork and similar applications throughout the collection.

Methods

Being a creator and an artisan, with strong interest in handcraft, I intend to apply a very wide range of design and handcraft methods within my collection.

Often these techniques have been featured in my past work and are redeveloped to be recurring and reflect my personal ethos as a crafter and designer.

These methods include metalwork, printwork, (photographic print processes. These most specifically include cyanotype and van dyke printing.) needlework, zero waste patternmaking, lingerie and undergarment construction, needlework, painting/artistic skills to develop printing material...

Bibliography and References

Chambers, E. & Patron, J. (2017). Nude: Art From The Tate Collection. Art Gallery of New South Wales.

The Flesh and Form essay within this book, as well as images of the artworks themselves, is particularly good at suggesting differest perspectives which have bolstered the development and generation of my concept.

Hale, S. J. B. (1838). The Workwoman's Guide. Simpkin, Marshall and Co, London.

https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/workwomansguide00hale

The Workwoman's Guide provides reference to the most modular approach of historical patternmaking and craft techniques, whilst being almost entirely zero waste. This is one of the best references I have which is so deeply historical in relation to my themes.

Jolkkonen, S. (n.d.). Collar Shirt/Kauluspaita. ZWW. https://www.zww.fi/kauluspaita

The ZWW website provides more contemporary views on contemporary zero waste patternmkaing approaches.

McQuillan, H. (n.d.). A modular system for zero-waste fashion. make/use. https://makeuse.nz/

The open source collection from Holly McQuillan, Make/Use, is like a digital look-book with patterns and methods to creating zero waste garments in several varied styles. Redefining my working style to work within waste management and zero waste means that I must also study new methods of zero waste pattern application, similar to if I were to be using blocks in conventional patternmaking and thus I'm examining the zero waste patterns in this website as well as many others.

McQuillan, H. (2020) Zero Waste Systems Thinking: Multimorphic Textile-forms. PhD Thesis. Edited by L. Hallnäs. University of Borås. http://hb.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1478307&dswid=-429

The greatest piece of academic writing which I will be taking reference from in this essay. McQUillan's PHD not only examines her own abstracted working styles in response to zero waste fashion, but also analyses the causes and reasons for such a working style and is critical of the relevance and importance of the work direction within an industry landscape.

Waern, L. (n.d.). Hereafter Studio. https://www.hereafterstudio.co.uk/

Hereafter Studio, another reference to visuals of zero waste patternmaking approaches.

https://www.academia.edu/4949661/Yield_Making_fashion_without_making_waste

https://www.academia.edu/3762020/From_15_to_0_Investigating_the_creation_of_fashion_without_the_creation_of_fabric_waste

https://underpinningsmuseum.com/exhibition-lift-separate-technology-and-the-bra-chapter-2/