Change of plan...

I have been reflecting on my practice this past week, and I feel that I have not been working in the area about which I am passionate.
I thought again about my reasons behind this course of study (specifically, MA Fashion) and what I wanted to achieve through it, and go on to achieve afterwards.
It occurred to me that my passion is to promote the concerns and welfare of women. Notably, women oppressed. This oppression may take the form of violence, mental illness, addiction, marginalisation or a general loss of identity or sense of self.
While my previous area of study held a great deal of interest for me, I could not see how it would serve me beyond my current course of study, whereas delving into areas of thinking which resonate deeply with me, and building a practice that explores these ideas seemed much more logical, and likely to evoke a more meaningful response.

The catalyst for my new ideas was the reading of Vagina: A New Biography, by Naomi Wolf.

I found myself responding to the ideas in her work, and wish to explore them further. The chapter in her book which produced an almost visceral response was her chapter 'the traumatized vagina', where Wolf details the use of rape as a tactical weapon of war. The book itself postulates a new understanding of the link between a womans vagina and its treatment with her own sense of creativity, will, and assertiveness. To traumatize the vagina through rape is to disconnect women from their vital sense of self, making women easier to subjugate. Their voice is silenced.

This frightened me greatly: the idea that a woman can be cut off from her own voice, controlled and oppressed, not by mere violence (i am aware that on the whole, women are physically weaker than men, and thus vulnerable to control via violence) but via her sexuality. In fact, without any violent treatment of any other part of the body, the feminine voice may be silenced via mistreatment of her sexuality.

This is an area I think I want to explore further, and am exploring various literature which deals with the feminine identity.

I wish to apply my research to a fashion context, so the next step in my research is to explore feminine identity expressed through fashion, and see what I discover.

'Techno Textile' producers/manufacturers

Information taken from
The Future Of Fabics and Fibres Sarah E. Braddock Clarke, (2005)
in Braddock Clarke, Sarah E. and O'Mahony, Marie. (2005),   Techno Textiles: revolutionary fabrics for fashion and design, Thames&Hudson.

- Nuno Corporation- Japan
- Dupont- leading worldwide manufacturers of polyamide fibre
- Schoeller
- Outlast
- Nylstar
- Akzo Nobel
- Meadowbrook Inventions Inc
- Courtaulds- company sold to Hong Kong firm, developers of tencel/lyocell 



Need to investigate also companies such as
- Goretex
- Rab
- Spartan
- SKINS
- Speedo
- Karrimor

There will be many more possibilities.

Ideally I would be able to glean a direct insight into the practice of one of these companies, so I will contact each of them.
The type of fabrics produced by these companies are the types of fabrics I will require for my garment prototype. I will need to acquire and experiment with a range of these fabrics.

More information to follow after I look into each of these websites.

Project Proposal

Current practice and research in a relevant field of study.

Give a brief description of your proposed project

To create an multi-functional, transformable garment with multiple aesthetics, portable when deconstructed; effectively a ‘capsule wardrobe’ in capsule form. The garment will provide an attractive, safe, comfortable and useful space that responds to the needs of the body, which vary according to behaviour or external environment.

List at least 5 current practitioners/ or examples of practice whose concerns, ideas or interests relate to your own.

-       Lucy Orta- urban nomads, blurs lines between fashion and architecture

-       Christopher Raeburn

-       Vexed Generation

-       Isabel Toledo

-       Performance textiles/microfibre manufacturers- Goretex, DuPont, Courtaulds, Schoeller, etc.

-       Sportswear design incorporating smart/performance enhancing textiles- speedo, Skins, Spartan etc.

-       Urban street style

-       Hussain Chalayan

-       Ecological concerns- potential for biodegradable fabrics, processes using non-harmful chemicals etc, potential upcycling pre/post-consumer waste at a chemical level.

What form might the proposed work take? Analysis of proposal

-       Need to create functioning prototype to use to approach materials producers.

-       Prototype comprises three elements: a base-layer which functions as a ‘skin’, a harness or ‘exo-skeleton’ which controls shape and volume and forms the structure of the capsule carrier, and a lightweight voluminous piece based on geometric shapes which can create multiple aesthetics around the body.

-       To create a series of photographs or film is desirable to communicate to an observer the nature and capabilities of the garment.

-       If this is not realised a portfolio/series of storyboards alone will be used to communicate the nature of the garment.

List the main research methods you will employ to inform your practice.

-       Interview with Lucy Orta

-       Intensive materials research.

-       I will need to define manufacturers working in relevant areas and investigate potential leads for sponsorship/collaboration, this may well steer the direction of the garment design.

-       The main thrust of the project will involve creating a functioning prototype. It is through the practice of designing and making according to requirements that I will discover design and construction problems thus innovate solutions.

-       Design-led-research means than as problems arise I can approach specific parties for particular solutions.

-       Working in areas such as videography or photography may necessitate collaboration, thus I shall have to investigate avenues for this.

Briefly describe how these methods will communicate your ideas/ concepts to an audience or client?

-       Presenting a prototype provides space for collaboration with interested parties who may wish to play a part in its realisation.

-       Presenting visual information such as photographs or storyboards to accompany the prototype will instantly communicate an array of the garment’s capabilities, and images can also be replicated and transported, while the prototype itself is a singular entity.

How will you plan the project and what difficulties might there be in achieving your aims?

-       Without access to the ‘smart’ materials and technologies I require my garment will be limited in its capacity to meet the needs of the body in all environments, thus not function adequately. However, there will still be potential for future investigation if I succeed in creating a marketable prototype.