nikolinaboldero

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 11- No tutorials, individual reflection. Evaluative report.

Knowledge: Knowledge and Critical Understanding of key subject concepts and debates and of the way in which these concepts and debates have developed.

 Conclusively, I enjoyed doing this project because it gave me an insight into future design work which involves and requires good teamwork. I believe I now know the importance of critical understanding and thinking with relation to key subject concepts and debates. Group discussions allowed us all to voice our own opinions on parts of the design process, therefore we were able to construct a voting system which allowed us to put forward the right idea and carry it out. Through this method concepts were developed, and it allowed us to produce a souvenir which was strong and coherent. I made sure that I was contributing to the group and also challenging other people’s ideas. Researching was essential because it allowed subject concepts to develop, and it informed our debates which made the design process more straight forward.

Enquiry / Communication: An ability to explore this specific field of enquiry in order to progress your emerging research methodology.

 Enquiry and communication were things we had to consider throughout the project, coming up with ideas and sharing ideas allowed each of us to communicate within the group. Researching was consistent throughout the project because I wanted to make sure the product we were making would suit the consumer needs and be appropriate as well as practical for the general public. I personally believe that the researching techniques we used were useful in developing methodologies; this is because we used the internet but most importantly we visited real life examples of souvenirs (felt the objects to explore its form), we collected rubbings which informed the basis of our design.  I have had the ability to use reflection and self-evaluation to make my own decisions and take responsibility for my learning.

Process / Realisation: An ability to use reflection and self-evaluation to make decisions and take responsibility for your own learning.

 The weekly blog updates allowed me to review the work I had done and ideas I had come up with, to then be able to improve for next week and be clear on set tasks I had to complete. I found it helpful because after the meet ups with my group I was able to write down all my opinions and ideas which then I could refer back to. Looking at the completed blog all the elements of this design process came together and showed a clear image of our team development and product design process. Realisation of elements which went wrong within the project only helped to create a stronger final outcome because we were able to distinguish and challenge what makes a successful product.

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 10- Collaboration Wheel Template. Group tutorials.

Within this group I believe I collaborated a lot, I made sure that I wasn’t just doing work for one part of the process; such as the making of the fans which was my main responsibility. I wanted to be involved in the packaging and display part of the product, therefore I told my group any ideas I came up with. For me the main responsibilities were;

A-    Ensuring that everyone was on the same page. (mutual understanding).

B-    Time keeping, checking that parts of the product were completed on time.

C-    Meet ups- as a team everyone should be there to support one another with the design process.

D-    Customer awareness- making something which people will actually want to use.

E-     Practicality- what materials would be most practical for the souvenir, survive in different environments.

F-     Responsible for making sure I was alerted on all parts of the design process.

G-    Responsible for making sure there was a good team dynamic, we were all supporting one another.

H-    Responsible for completing our own self-evaluation throughout the design project; this allowed us to review the work we had done and see how we could improve for the following week. It was essential for design thinking.

 I would personally score myself a 5 on my own actions. This is because I completed everything I had to do on time, and I was good at involving my group in the process. For example, I would send images over to our group chats so that the others could see what I was doing and give me some feedback. I wouldn’t score myself a 6 because I know that sometimes when we would meet up with the group I would forget a few pieces of research which I had printed out and there were a few issues associated with a lack of organisation.

 On Friday, we had group tutorials with our project leader who was Nick. In the meeting Nick gave us some really positive feedback he said that he loved the souvenir and that it was very successful. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get through to the next round of show casing our souvenir, however we were told to be proud of the work we had produced. The product was good because it was very cohesive, all elements came together making it easy to communicate with the target audience and general public. Coming away from the group meeting all of us were pleased with the outcome.

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 9- Dialogue with UAL Not Just a Shop. Respond to feedback and reflect on overall project journey.

On Friday morning, everyone was told to meet in the Banqueting Hall at 10am with our products. My group was running a little late because of transport and also, we needed to just set up the fans properly with the labels all in the right places. Then we headed over to the banqueting Hall where we then laid out our souvenirs alongside a piece of paper which had the souvenir name, description and price. After we listened to a presentation by Nick and then we were told to vote for our favourite London souvenir. Walking around the room I was really impressed by everyone’s work, there was so much thought and consideration which had gone into their designs. Every souvenir was also very different which made it a lot more interesting. My favourite souvenir was the collection of soaps, these soaps all had different smells of which people would associate with London. There was a soap smelling of earl grey tea, another one of dry roasted peanuts and then one of smoke ash. The packaging of their products was really professional with each soap having its own bag with a print on (roasted peanuts, cigarette buds). The impression they were trying to leave was very clear, it helped with them having a label and product description. The last part of the day was the product photoshoot. I really liked doing the photoshoot because our fans looked really professional under the lighting, and the colours from the tube designs were really strong and eye catching. Overall the day was really successful and I came away feeling very satisfied with the products we had made.

Image from the photoshoot- 

Exhibition day- This is an image of the souvenir I decided to vote for- soaps. 

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 8- No tutorials- developing souvenir for the Week 9 exhibition.

The final week was quite stressful because we had to put everything together. I definitely noticed that every team member in the group was slightly panicked towards the end because we were all unsure that we were going to get everything done. Our time management was not the best, we should have allowed more time for each part of the making process. In the final week, Laura and I were making the weaves for the fans, we decided upon doing three different prints (textile prints on the tube seating) representative of the different tube lines. It was a slow process because we had to be careful that we were bending and moulding the materials in the right places. What I liked about the group dynamic was that towards the end you could see how much everyone cared about the project. For example, when Laura and I were making the fans and were aware of how long it was going to take us we sent a message to the group and then Else came straight away to come and help with the cutting of the papers. Else and Lola had designed the labels for the fans which were simply attached with a piece of string onto the handle of the fan. On the label, it described what the fan was made of so that the customer would be able to see that we made from recycled magazines left on the tube. On Thursday, most of us met to look at the products and analyse what last minute tweaks would need to be done. This meet up was useful for me because it reassured me that everyone was happy with the product and that we were confident to show it the following day.

Collaging and weaving materials-  taking pages out of magazines and papers left on the tubes. Looking for colours which match the prints on the tube seats. 

Here is another image of the fan designs- prints inspired by the different tube lines. Recycling old newspapers and magazines of which have been left on the tube. 

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 7- testing the project. Set up tables/display Marquette/prototype. Discussion with UAL Not Just a Shop.

On Friday, we had to do a group presentation where we had to present our souvenir to the other groups and a lady who had joined us from UAL Not Just a Shop. I found it a very useful activity because we received feedback from the tutors, therefore we were able to come away from the presentation knowing what we had to work on. Nick said that our concept was very strong and the fan design which Laura had made was very good. However, he said that we needed to consider the size and scale of it. Also, the tutors mentioned that we need to re-design the sticks because it isn’t practical nor safe to have the sticks poking out. After the presentation and receiving the feedback we decided that we should make 3 small fans, forming a collection, all of which had the prints from the tube on them. The colours would be slightly different for each fan. To make the design sustainable we are having the fan made out of recycled paper, all of which we have collected from the tube (leftovers). And we thought that to stop the sticks from poking out we will cover them in materials/yarns. 

I was happy with the presenting of our prototype, I think that Laura, Lola and I were able to explain our souvenir well and it was generally well received by everyone. We can now work from the constructive criticism we received. I was slightly disappointed that not all team members were there because it was an essential part to the design making process. And I think that they would have strongly benefited from hearing the feedback for their own self reflection. 

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 6- Group Tutorials, how are you reflecting?

My experimentation of the fan design. 

An image from another member in my group- Else’s experimentation with the fan design. 

 Week 6 was all about exploring the fan design, coming up with solutions for how we were going to make it, which materials would be effective. 

Here is a mock up design I did of a fan, it is made out of paper. So many tube tickets are used and wasted every day, therefore our group came up with the idea that we could re-use these paper tickets and make them into a material to create the fan design. I think that the pattern would be quite effective on the design because there aren’t too many colours, therefore If we were to write a text across- or a message (cockney slang) then it would still be bold enough to stand out. One of the main things I have taken from making this mock up design; is the need to have a strong base material because otherwise the fan is very flimsy. Also, it needs to be portable, therefore can be opened and closed.

-        Weave pieces together.

-        Stuff (waste) left on tube.

-        (newspapers). 

As a group we thought about the shape of the fan and we decided that we should make a more circular flat fan, similar to the shaping of antique Japanese fans. This is because we want our souvenir to stand out, we don't want it to look like any other fan you can buy cheaply. I felt satisfied after having played around with a few ideas for the fans because it made the group finalise decisions, allowing us to move forward. 

These images below show a few designs which Lola came up with. Lola was working on the slogan for the fan design. ‘Peas in the pot’ is cockney slang for it being ‘too bloody hot’. Therefore it is relatable to the conditions in the tube, highlighting how the fan would be useful to the average Londoner. I like the idea of having the tube seating prints in the background because it makes it particularly relevant to London. 

Conclusively I think we achieved a lot in week 6 because we were working on the feedback we had from our previous tutorial with Nick. Now we have a lot more ideas to show for next week. 

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 5-  Group tutorials. How are you reflecting?

On week 5 we had our tutorials with Nick. One of the team members was unable to make it to the session. At the end of the meeting I felt very positive about our idea and felt confident on what I had to do for next week. As we spoke in the group I became aware that there were a few elements which needed to be more carefully considered and Nick highlighted this point too. For example, we thought about the colour scheme, but we were only basing it off secondary sources of inspiration, all of which were very graphic colours. However, what we needed to consider was how the material strongly influences the colour. As we mentioned to Nick- we want to make the fan out of recycled waste, however waste will naturally have its own colour and therefore the colours of the waste will determine the message and construction of the whole piece. Nick also came up with a very good idea about proposing a voting system within our groups. Each of us comes up with an idea for the fan, for example the shape of the fan, then we all draw a design and then we vote for which one we think is best, the one with the majority vote is put forward. Therefore, we are progressively moving forward and creating something which we mutually decide on.

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 4- Museum of London Group Entry. Museum of London trip. De-coding the city? What is the story of your sustainable souvenir for London? Material/Spatial Visual Language.

Our story- my personal response. (idea for the fan). 

Even if it is winter time in London, the one place which stays hot is the tube. The tube is that place where millions of us; commuters, tourists are crammed into confined spaces. The issue is, it’s hard to avoid the tube because it takes us everywhere around London. Our idea is to create a portable fan which can be used by the everyday Londoner, making their experience on the tube just that one bit easier and bearable. This fan will be sustainable because it will be made out of old train tickets and newspapers which have been left on the tube. We will make a collection of fans, all which have different cockney slang on it. For example, ‘peas in the pot’ which translate to it being so ‘bloody hot’. 

On the Friday of week 4 in our groups we went to the Museum of London. We had to go around the gift shop and source information which will help us to come up with our own souvenir idea. Some of the common souvenirs I found were a keyring with the London bus on, this was 6 pounds 50. Then there were printed bags with a sketch of London, around 20 pounds. I noticed that they had done a whole toy collection of pigeons, pigeons are a bird which many tourists stereotypically think of when they are in London. ‘London’s Trafalgar Square, where pigeons are tolerated because of their tourist pulling-power, costs an estimated £75,000 a year to clean up’’.  

Visual language is very important because it is a system of communication. The souvenir we make needs to relate to the buyer in some way.

 This could be through the message it displays. On the fan, we need it to have a message of some sort. Initially we thought about having it explain the real issue about climate change. 

However then when my group and I met up we thought that it doesn’t have to be related to climate change because we want to make the fan out of sustainable materials. This idea about using waste and rubbish and up-cycling. One of the group members put forward an idea about having a typical cockney real London phrase on it. English people are known for their sarcasm, therefore we thought it would be quite humorous to manipulate and play around with this idea. Visual language involves considering the use of colour. As a group at this stage we had not considered colour and therefore we set a new target that for next week we all draw some designs of the fan and have some ideas about a colour scheme and message. 

I think this trip pushed my group in the right direction, before I was slightly worried because I did think that none of us were really understanding what we were doing, we were just coming up with lots of ideas which weren't piecing together. Now we are aware of all aspects in how to make a successful souvenir  I am directed and motivated to continue in the design making process. 

Images of the Museum of London- 

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 3- UAL NOT Just a Shop, feasibility, and manufacturing. What is your London? London souvenirs-

As part of my research and contribution to the group I decided to go to the V&A museum. When I visited the V&A museum, in the store shop most of the souvenirs were very unique, majority of the products would have an artist design on which came from one of the exhibitions in the museum. The pricing of these types of handmade souvenirs were more expensive. A lot of people were buying the 3-pound bookmark which had a design from the exhibition on. Also, the 15-25 pound posters were popular.

I work in the Nordic Bakery. It is a Scandinavian cafe- known for its pastries and cinnamon buns. Many people come into the cafe I work in and buy a Nordic bakery recipe book or a keep cup. These types of souvenirs are very different to the ones mentioned above, they are more practical. London is very diverse and multi-cultural, therefore it is important that with the souvenir there is a mention/involvement of these different cultures, because this is what makes London the place that it is. 

In our group, we then discussed the idea of doing the fan. All of us shared our initial thoughts and I was quite surprised with how similar we were all thinking. Our response/initial idea is the fan, the fan is practical to the everyday Londoner. So far, we have not thought any further into what materials we are going to use, we just know that we need to use sustainable materials. We want to consider all aspects before jumping into a final design. 

Image of the Nordic Bakery- Golden Square. 

[nikolinaboldero]

Week 2- UAL Not Just a Shop overview and what is Market research?

During the lecture, the tutors shared some methods of gathering research. They said that rubbings, capturing textures and smells can be a good way in informing you of an area. When considering the souvenir, we need to be thinking about the brand, who’s its target audience going to be, because this will direct the tone of voice. After the lecture, I met up with my group in the Tate Britain Café. The tutors wanted us to meet up in social spaces where we are surrounded by the general public. We discussed what the usual Londoner will do in the day, they use public transport (tubes and buses), might go to cafes and restaurants as well as go and do some site seeing. As a group, we thought that the souvenir we make should be practical. One of the team members proposed the idea of making a fan. London tubes are always hot because people are crammed into these tight confined spaces, therefore if they had this portable sustainable fan then they could cool themselves.

 Overall, I think that the group dynamics were strong, we worked really efficiently together. I was at first quite apprehensive about working in a group because I am quite an independent worker, therefore having to be in an environment where I need to listen to others and understand their reasoning behind what they think we should do was quite difficult. As soon as we were all communicating with each other the ideas were flowing and we were successful in coming up with the idea of a fan. 

[nikolinaboldero]

Unit 5-  Week 1, Introduction and Unit Briefing. Visit to UAL Not Just a Shop.

Week 1 was the introduction to the Sustainable Souvenir for London Project. The aim of this project is to decode the identity and value of London and design a new product (souvenir) which can be sold in UAL Not Just a Shop. A souvenir is  something we buy to help us remember a holiday or specific place. For some people they might buy a fridge magnet with a printed picture of the place they visit, however for others they may get a little individual piece which has been made by local people from that area (a little craft). I prefer more handcrafted souvenirs because they are more special to me; create a deeper meaning. This project is a collaborative project. After the introduction talk I felt quite excited because I think it will be really interesting to see how we all design a product which represents the city we live in. I have done a few group projects before therefore I am aware on what makes successful team work.

Following on from the talk I visited UAL Not Just a Shop. This shop was really interesting because it had lots of unique products. There was great variation in the shop and the layout was striking because all the products together created this strong image of what London is and what it means to different people. Each mini stall had different objects on, I was drawn to the one with the Frida Karlo socks. This was because of the bright bold prints behind and the contrasting simplicity of the navy shoe. The products sold in this shop were not the usual products you see in other stores; they all told their own story. I took a lot of inspiration from the store and the different handcrafted objects. I want my group to come up with something which unusually relates to the city we live in. 

Here are some images of the UAL Not Just a Shop.

[nikolinaboldero]

Evaluative Statement.

29/01/19

When I was first told that I was going to have to write a blog I felt slightly nervous. This is because I have never really shared my thought processes and development of ideas with others. Nearly everyone in my class has done a foundation, but I came straight from A levels, where only one of my subjects was related to fashion textiles, the other two were academic subjects. In foundation, you develop skills through crits and presentations, I was the only one doing fashion textiles in my year therefore I kept my ideas to myself and worked independently. 

 Although despite feeling anxious about doing the blog, I also saw the blog as a very exciting method of reflecting on my progress, demonstrating my engagement with the course in general and my design thinking. I wanted to use the blog to help me progress as a designer, constantly reviewing my work will enable me to see the strengths and weaknesses as well as what I could possibly do in the future to improve. The blog involved evaluation on units 1, 2 and 4. 

 The first project we were introduced to was the Rough Guide Project. This was a collaborative project, with the aim of being able to make our own pages for the Rough Guide to London. I liked this task because we were split into groups, allowing us to make friendships with the new people on our course. I was given the location of Notting Hill and Portobello Road and I focused my particular page on this idea of ‘One person’s junk is another person’s treasure’. I found visiting the area and researching really useful because it developed my skills with visual analysis. I completed a whole sketchbook, experimenting, developing samples inspired by my visual analysis. To improve next time, I would spend more time exploring the area, going to unfamiliar locations, not following the stereotypes of what Notting Hill and Portobello Road is known for. 

 Unit two was all about introducing us to the different technical blocks: stitch, print, knit and weave. This Unit was in conjunction with my Box Clever project based on Homesickness. Before the blocks I had some drawing workshops, in these I was selecting objects from my Box clever collection. The drawing workshops were not my strongest area, I think that this is because I am used to drawing fashion illustrations which I feel comfortable doing because I am allowed to interpret them in any way, I can make them realistic or more abstract. Instead when it came to drawing the objects, I had to closely analyse their shape, texture and form, portraying it all in one drawing. These drawings were important because I needed to evaluate and interpret them, to then inform my design work, translating my drawings into textile samples. 

 My first technical block was stitch, I really liked this block because I do a lot of stitch work, especially using sewing machines, therefore I was able to confidently develop samples based on my drawings. Knowing the processes involved in stitch I was able to fully engage and commit to my samples, the tutor also gave me very positive feedback which made me even happier within the technical block. The second technical block was print, I found this block a lot more challenging. This is because I have never done screen printing before, nor have I used a lot of Photoshop. The knit block was really exciting because I managed to explore using the domestic machines and extend my skills with hand knitting. I didn’t do the weave block because unfortunately I was ill and in hospital for 2 weeks, therefore instead I made some hand weaves inspired by my drawings and progression in the unit blocks. I think that I am most likely going to pick stitch as my chosen pathway, but I am still not completely sure. I think that all my blog posts and reflections which highlight my strengths and weaknesses throughout the technical blocks will help me to make a final decision.

 I found the blog particularly useful when I visited the exhibitions, I was able to use it as a way of expressing my opinions and thoughts behind the exhibited work. With the exhibitions, I was able to collect primary and secondary research, which in many cases helped to inform my samples. For all of the independent study visits I went with my friends from college which encouraged collaborative thinking. The lists of questions we were given helped me to engage deeper in the visual material, understand the deeper meaning, following this process; interpretation, reflection and contextualisation. The theory tasks were useful in giving us an overview of the chosen topic; varying from modernity and globalisation to the impact of the ‘male gaze’.

 Overall, I think that with the blog I managed to learn through reflection, I felt engaged with all my work in units 1,2 and 4. The way I communicate and present my work has definitely improved, I now feel more confident with people seeing the thought processes behind my textile samples. Practical visual analysis has informed by design work and will continue to do so if I carry on with frequent study visits to museums. I went to extra exhibitions and galleries which weren’t on the list, and I think that this was useful because anything can be a source of inspiration and it is important to see work which you have chosen yourself, directing your own design work. 

I want to continue with my blog throughout my second year because it will encourage me to both develop independently and collaboratively as a designer. Having a blog helps with personal and professional development. If I do continue my blog into both second and third year I would like to improve by adding even more videos and photos of my work, not just showing the final product/design, but also showing all those steps in between such as how I dyed the material or put fabrics together. Sometimes I would only show an image of the final sample but it is interesting to see how all the components came together, how I chose the colour and materials.

[nikolinaboldero]

Visual analysis, fabric shops, Saatchi gallery and high street designers.

29/01/19

On Tuesday morning I went out with my mum to the fabric store called TRADE EIGHTY. When she was a student at Central Saint Martins studying fashion design she used this fabric store. She wanted to show me the company so that when I want to collect fabrics for garments I make in the future I can use them. It was a really useful piece of visual primary research because I could feel the texture of the material and then envisage how I might use it within a sample and what textile design process it would be best suited to. This could be stitch, print, knit or weave. The store was amazing, it had such a vast range of materials and it was good because the people working in there allowed me to take as many swatch samples as I wanted. 

Here are some images of the store. 

Reviewing stitch techniques- circular pieces of chiffon stitched down with a straight stitch. 

We then decided to go to the Saatchi Gallery. I thought that this would be very beneficial for me, to get some visual research and start to practice analysing objects and images, part of my next unit assessment. The first step in the process of interpreting a design is through description. Then you can reflect on the object or image and decide what it means (connotation). The final step is contextualisation, this involves linking the visual image of the object to it’s cultural and historical context. One of the objects I came across in the gallery was a statue of a horse, which had this blue tissue paper/plastic covering the bottom and then a fur rug covering the face of the horse. There was no real description behind the piece of work which made it hard to understand. I personally thought that it could be related to visual distortion. Surprising the viewer by distorting this idea of the ‘normal’. No one would picture a horse to look like it did in the exhibition, initially we may be shocked by the artwork but then our eyes adjust and it soon becomes something quite familiar to us. Then I also saw the exhibition by Geogrll Uvs ‘Full Circle: The Beauty of Inevitability’. 

‘Beauty is the torch that you hold up in the belief that it will lead you to truth in the end’- Sir Michael Atiyah. The pieces of work in this collection were astonishing, it was extremely clever how they used light to highlight certain details and patterns on the paintings. The work reminded me of all of the computer screens you see in hospitals, such as the one where they show you your heart beat, these unnatural lights were you aren't familiar with. I can really imagine some of the pieces of artwork such as the one with the different circles in green, blue tones, being turned into prints. 

Visual anaylsis- designer stores. 

Here is just an image of one of the designer stores I went pass in the bus ‘MIU MIU’. This is a high street designer brand which is famous around the world. I was intrigued by the presentation of the clothing in the window display. The structure and designs on the clothing are very unique, it was interesting to see how the garments were displayed in this high street designer brand, compared to in stores such as Topshop and ZARA. Simplicity is key with these high end designers, they like to make fewer but better quality products which sell for millions. As opposed to Topshop and ZARA which sell fast but for considerably cheaper prices. 

MIU MIU Fashion. 

[nikolinaboldero]

Drawing workshop- John Bently. Fragments of Willow Pattern 18th century English earthenware.

28/01/19

On Monday after I had handed in all of my work for assessment then I had a drawing workshop with John Bently. After all of the stress of finishing my work for the tutors I was relieved to have a drawing workshop because normally they are quite relaxing and you are able to talk to your friends while doing the drawing/paintings. 

When John told us that during this workshop we were going to make paintings of Willow Pattern 18th Century English earthenware I was excited. This is because whenever I think of earthenware it reminds me of the blue china I used to collect when I was younger. My brother and I would search for these hidden pieces of ‘treasure’ in the soil. I have always found it fascinating finding random belongings, because you have no idea where they came from and why they are in that particular location. The designs on these fragments looked very similar to the designs I had made throughout the print block. I had stuck to the blue and white colour scheme, based on the drawings of my fashion illustrations, and then used lace and my own floral stencils to print with. 

I decided to take certain elements and details from different fragments of the earthenware and then combine them together in one A3 painting. I used blue fabric paint because the liquid was more like a water colour, but it was better because it had a slighter thicker consistency which allowed for a stronger blue colour. I used one paintbrush and then I used a pencil. I felt that I was properly engaged in the task, I do a lot of doodling myself and I think that this task was slightly similar. Personally I think that the contrast between the thick paint brush strokes and the finer more intricate pencil markings looks really effective. I like how depending on the amount of pressure I applied and the amount of ink I used there are these two tones of blue. The different tones makes it look like areas are shaded, therefore making it more 3D in parts. However, to improve next time I would consider spacing, I think that some areas should have been kept quite clear so it creates this image of the fragmented pieces of earthenware. Instead this design is very focused on the details, it doesn’t show the complete context of the design- shaping, outline.

[nikolinaboldero]

Sketchbooks, designer research and technical notebook.

For my technical blocks, stitch, knit, weave and print I made two sketchbooks. In these two sketchbooks I created samples exploring the different textile processes. Throughout the whole of my A level project I was developing my own sketchbooks because it encourages personal and professional development. I was able to explore the textile processes, using different colours, textures and materials.

I also made a whole book based on designer research. It is important to make references to different textile and fashion designers because they might inspire you to use a certain technique. I took a collection of images from the ‘How to Spend It Magazine’, in the fashion edition, and made fashion mood boards which incorporated samples. My presentation of my work on these mood boards is very clear which makes them look very professional and well structured. I did a page on each textile technique; stitch, print, weave and knit.

I used my technical notebook to record all the techniques I learnt throughout the different technical blocks. Therefore, when I want to try these same textile design processes again then I can look back into the book and I will find a step by step guide on how to do it alongside some small samples I made. Textile designing is a creative field that includes both fashion design and interior design. The design processes I used would relate my work more to the fashion industry than to interiors. 

Here I have gathered together a collection of images of pages in my sketchbooks. I really like having a variation of samples because it might be that in the future, for an interview I want to show some of my experimentation work.

designing process, sublimation, stitch detail. 

[nikolinaboldero]

Lecture notes; ‘The favourite child of capitalism’. Discussing the logic of the Fashion system.

25/01/19.

In today’s lecture we covered numerous topics, first we spoke about the logic of the fashion system. Morna Laing underlined how fashion has mechanised as a result of the industrial revolution. Prior to the revolution everything was done by hand, by artisans. After the industrial revolution everything became mechanised, sewing was not done by hand instead it was done on a sewing machine.

Fashion - ‘The favourite child of capitalism’. Sombart 2009. ‘Fashion is dress in which the key feature is rapid and continual changing of styles’. Wilson 2003. These two quotations suggest that fashion is a necessity, that trends are constantly changing which encourages us to keep buying more. It also explains how fashion can be used to portray social status and depending on what you wear you can be marginalised in society. ‘A cheap coat makes a cheap man’. To great extent, this statement is not true, people can wear cheap clothing, it might be second hand but it could come from a designer, therefore once is was very expensive.

Craik 1993- ‘the hallmark of fashion is said to be change’. - Fashion is about change. - Fashion involves a continual stream of new styles that render old styles. - Fashion is authoritarian. - Fashion is dictated by an elite. - Fashion is about power.

Morna Laing spoke to us about these three concepts; Neomania, planned obsolesce and cycles of change. Neomania refers to this idea of newness, needing to have the latests thing. When people shop in Zara there is often a sense of urgency because there are limited runs of each style. This is the same in Topshop ‘buy it now or regret it later’, suggesting that these clothing lines are limited and that if you don’t purchase one of the garments then you won’t be able to find the same piece again. Planned Obsolescence, refers to when you plan in advance what piece of clothing is no longer going to be useful. However it is not that this piece of clothing is falling apart, and is of a bad quality, but instead it suggests that something is no longer useful because it isn’t in fashion. This has been a common trend with ‘skinny jeans’, people making out that they are no longer In style, despite them still having practical purpose. Cycles of change; in the past there were two seasons: Autumn and Winter, Spring and summer. Now there are many more collections, such as; cruise, couture and resort.

Fashion is ideological, it is not natural. With fashion there is an ability to express your own identity, people can feel empowered by the clothing they wear because it defines them as a person. In many international catwalk shows, I have noticed a growing trend in the number of expressive garment collections, collections which create a sign of rebellion against social and political injustices.

Viktor and Rolf- Couture Spring 2019 ‘All these statements that are so obvious or easy- there’s a lot of banality on Instagram and social media in general- are counterbalanced with this over-the-top, shimmery, romantic feeling’. Rolf Snoreren, explained to WWD. Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren titled this collection Fashion Statements. ‘To what extend can you say something with clothing, literally’, they said backstage. ‘The outcome proved to be a clever contradiction: the feminine, princess-perfect dresses contrasted brilliantly with the hard-hitting statements’. This shows how fashion can be used as expressive pieces of artwork. They are there to contradict, and raise awareness of particular themes and ideas. I really liked this collection because of the contrast between these elegant tulle dresses with the bold, simplistic text centred in the middle of the dress.

During the lecture we also spoke about this idea of Trickle Down Fashion. This suggests that fashion trends start and originate from the upper class, then moves to the middle class and then to the lower class. This is exemplified by Chirstian Dior’s New look. High fashion started in Paris. Rationing happened during and after the war in order to preserve clothing stock.  After the war Dior launched the New Look; it’s most prominent features being rounded shoulders, a cinched waist and a full A line skirt, America and England soon emulated the style. You could also buy dress patterns allowing you to make similar outfits in this style.

Fashion ideas don’t necessarily always trickle down, they can start on the street and then bubble up. ‘First there is genuine streetstyle innovation. This may be featured in a pop music video and streetkids in other countries may pick up on the style. Then, finally- at the end rather than the beginning of the chain- a rizzy version of the original idea makes an appearance as part of a top designer’s collection. Instead of trickle down, bubble up. Instead the bottom end of the market emulating the top end, precisely the reverse’ Polhemus 2007 452-3. An example of this is the PUNK rebellion movement. Punk was an anti-establishment movement, they used safety pins to symbolise this idea of resistance. This safety pin bubbled up in the mainstream and was seen on dresses as an accessory, replacing zips and buttons. Another example is during the 1960s when there was the youth culture revolution, ‘teenager emerged’. Dressing in a different way to your parents as a result of the baby boom and more disposable income to be able to afford new clothing. Also another factor which created this youth culture revolution was the introduction of the birth control pill, this meant that there was more freedom, people expressed their freedom through the clothing they wore.

From the lecture I learnt the difference between symbolic production and material production. Symbolic production refers to catwalks, advertising, glamour, perfection, fashion, ‘untouched by the human hand’. Material production is often hidden from view- lack of transparency as to the production ‘journey’ of an item ‘backstage’. Marx, the economist and revolutionary socialist  highlighted that those who are actually making the fashion garments are usually alienated from their work. For those who are specialised in work, doing one particular function are unable to connect with their work because they don't see the value it is having and what they are contributing to the fashion industry. Another thing we discussed in the lecture which explains why the workers are often ‘alienated’ is because they can't actually afford the clothing which they are making, they receive the low wages, whilst capitalists get richer. 

Overall I really enjoyed this lecture, I found it really interesting. I liked how there were links and comparisons made between the information and real life examples. This made the information easier to understand. Assessing the different quotations will definitely improve my reading skills and it will also improve my visual analysis skills which are essential for my next unit assessment.

Viktor and Rolf- couture spring 2019. 

Punk- anti establishment: example of the safety pin. Vivienne Westwood rebellion movement SEX PISTOLS. 

[nikolinaboldero]

24/01/19

On Thursday I had another drawing workshop with Max our tutor. The first exercise we did was drawing lines onto a page, both long and short, then scrunching up the piece of paper, to then draw this as an object. I did not enjoy this task because I am not good at drawing things I don’t like to look at, a crunched up piece of paper is not something I find interesting therefore I’m not as motivated to draw it. I tried to add in shading detail to the drawing to make it appear more 3D but I don’t think It worked as I shaded in too much which made the lighter areas less clear. 

Another task we did was to draw some pegs and then some cupcakes. We did one observational drawing and then the other two drawings were more imaginative, we had to draw the objects as if they were stretched and crinkled. I found this task really hard because I didn’t know how to find a balance between making the drawing look like the object but also look deformed/stretched as well. 

I think that the observational drawings were good as they were very realistic, quite simple but they corresponded with the objects in front of me. It was a useful task because it improved my visual skills, it is important that as designers we can imagine and picture outcomes in different ways so we can select the most effective way. It is all about thinking outside the box. The final task involved us drawing bananas, bricks and pineapples laid out in the centre of the table. We had one minute to draw what was in front of us, and then after one minute we had to move to another position around the table and draw the same objects in a different colour. 

We repeated this process a couple of times, I found it useful because it allowed us to see how objects change from different perspectives, informing the way in which we could observe and draw the object. To improve next time I would try to be more open with my drawings, allow them to form these unrealistic objects and not be too worried about how they appear or look. I need to create drawings like this because it will improve my design work later on, allowing me to imagine other possible outcomes to a fashion garment/design or sample.