Choice Piece
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Inspiration
When I first started out making clothes I did it as a way to create clothes similar to that of designer brands because I didn’t have the money for brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and so I decided to create my own. It was a way of escape from my day to day life and from that point I have designed and created many things for myself as well as friends. I have always really liked Virgil Abloh and his designs, and so because of that his brand Off--White has always been a sort of inspiration for many of my works.
Virgil was born on September 30, 1980, in Rockford, Illinois. From a young age he was introduced to fashion since his mother was a seamstress. After Virgil graduated high school in 1998 he then went on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which he graduated from in 2002. He later went on to study architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. While studying here he first met Kanye West who would later on become somewhat of a role model to Abloh.
The two biggest items of inspiration, besides Virgil’s very large catalog of fashion as well as skirts from many other popular designer brands, are the two skirts seen above. The one in the center is a piece from Louis Vuitton’s recent AW21 mean’s catalog. It is a skirt designed by Virgil Abloh in collaboration with Louis Vuitton. I choose this as one particular inspiration because I really enjoy the look of pleated skirts and think that they can be paired very well with many things. The second item of inspiration was the Gucci Skirt in the top right corner. Originally I wanted to recreate this skirt, but later, after thinking it over, decided it best that I do a design that is more so me and show off more skills than just the ability to follow a pattern. I still wanted to include the elements of the tiers but I also wanted to combine that with the pleated look of the other skirt, and so that is what I did.
Virgil was born on September 30, 1980, in Rockford, Illinois. From a young age he was introduced to fashion since his mother was a seamstress. After Virgil graduated high school in 1998 he then went on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which he graduated from in 2002. He later went on to study architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. While studying here he first met Kanye West who would later on become somewhat of a role model to Abloh.
The two biggest items of inspiration, besides Virgil’s very large catalog of fashion as well as skirts from many other popular designer brands, are the two skirts seen above. The one in the center is a piece from Louis Vuitton’s recent AW21 mean’s catalog. It is a skirt designed by Virgil Abloh in collaboration with Louis Vuitton. I choose this as one particular inspiration because I really enjoy the look of pleated skirts and think that they can be paired very well with many things. The second item of inspiration was the Gucci Skirt in the top right corner. Originally I wanted to recreate this skirt, but later, after thinking it over, decided it best that I do a design that is more so me and show off more skills than just the ability to follow a pattern. I still wanted to include the elements of the tiers but I also wanted to combine that with the pleated look of the other skirt, and so that is what I did.
Planning
Within my first planning page I decided to take an image of many different types of skirts from different designers that I all liked and put them together. I then proceeded to circle every part of the skirts and designs that I liked and considered implementing into My piece. Mostly I noticed the style, either being pleated or tiered, but I also looked at the different fabrics I liked, as well as colors, ways of keeping it up, stylistic choices among other things. One thing that I was particularly intrigued by was the lace at the bottom of one of the black Valentino skirts. This is something that I wanted to include in my skirt very badly although I found it difficult with the design that I was going for. Another thing that I really liked and considered in the final design was a belt similar to that of the other black Valentino skirt and even the black and white Off--White skirts. I thought that a belt would be a very interesting and unique thing to include in my design, though in the end I did not end up using them in my final designs.
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This brings me to my next planning page, where I completed my first/original draft of the skirt. This first draft pulls the most inspiration from that of the LV skirt. Within the image I outlined the size and style of the pleats, what types of fabric I wish to use and where, as well as the way I would keep it up. I didn’t end up going with this design because I found that it didn’t align with what I really wanted to do, and as well as the fact that it didn’t draw enough inspiration from other skirts as well as myself. It felt as though it was just an exact copy of that of the LV skirt and that’s not what I wanted. Going forward though I wanted to take the same fabrics (floral light and airy printed fabric, almost silky, and a stiff contrasting fabric that has elements that make it work and match.
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For the third and final planning page I made this my final draft. I came to the conclusion that elastic was the easiest and best way to have it secure it around the waist rather than a drawstring or belt or buttons or any other way. I then added the tiered aspect with the top tier having the pleated light floral patterned fabric, and the bottom being the stiffer fabric. The bottom piece follows a shape similar to that of the LV skirt, whereas the upper part follows the A shape of the Gucci skirt. The other thing that I added to this design was triangular cuts in the sides so as to promote better leg movement, I also shortened this design slightly to promote the same thing.
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Experimentation:
This image to the right shows a collage of images of different stitch patterns. This was one of the biggest things that I experimented with, not only because it can add to the elements of design, but also the structural integrity of the piece as a whole. The stitch is what is holding the thing together and if one part of that stitch where to come undone then so could the whole piece. That is why I like to do the first pass with a straight stitch and then use a second more decorative stitch for the second pass. The decorative stitches can serve a very important purpose, and that is to stop the fabric from fraying. As you can see in the image to the right there are a number of stitches used. Another way to stop the fabric from fraying is using a twin needle which I did use a couple times with this piece. The twin needle works similarly to a serger, which is another kind of machine that is often used for hemming clothing. For example if you look at the seams of your shirt you can see a double stitch on the outside and on the inside it’s all connected. The twin needle creates a very strong stitch similar to this.
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The second thing that I played around with and experimented with a lot was my seam allowance, and the best length between the pleats. Often in fashion when it comes to your seams and edges you leave about a half inch of seam allowance which I typically do, but sometimes I like to add more or less seam depending on the situation. With this piece this is something that I played around with because in certain areas such as that of the side cut triangles, a larger seam allowance was wanted to create a more interesting look. When I was working on the pleats I played around with the length that I wanted them I started off with 2 inch pleats and 2 inches between them but eventually ended up with 1 inch pleats and 2 inches between them. I found that this would offer the best balance, especially when the elastic would be added and scrunch everything up.
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Process:
In the first two photos it shows how I started the skirt. I did this whole piece without using any patterns, so I first measured myself and cut the two pieces of fabric. For the piece that was to be pleated I ended up doubling the length in order to accommodate for the pleats and the length between the pleats. The first, third, and fourth photos are of the stiff fabric. This is a white fabric with a design on it, this design is glossy and so it shows up in the light. These photos also show the fabric sewn together and in its semi finished state. I still had to add the cuts, but for the most part the white fabric won’t change much. The fifth photo shows the pleats in the fabric and the pleats are pinned and are about to be sewn down. This was a pretty difficult fabric to work with because of how stretchy it was. For this fabric I had to use the twin needle, because it keeps it from moving around a lot and secures it better, it’s also helpful because this fabric frays very easily. After that I sewed it together with the seam on the inside, I then laid this over the white fabric and using the twin needle again sewed the two parts of the skirt together, as seen in photo six. When that was done I cut a piece of the white fabric to wrap around the top. I did this so as to hide rough edges, stop fabric from fraying, and to pull the piece together. Before I sewed it on I created a seam on either end to keep the rough edges looking nice and elegant. Photo seven shows the skirt as well as the waist banned pinned together and ready to be sewn on. Next was what I found to be the hardest part, the elastic. The elastic was so difficult to do because you had to keep tension on it as you sewed it. As seen in the eighth photo I managed to get it on with a decent amount of tension, though when I tried it on it kept sagging too much for my liking. As seen in photos nine and ten, I ended up making a small fold on either side of the hips in order to increase tension and cause the skirt to fit better. This ended up working and just created slightly bigger or more pronounced pleats within the dress. Photo eleven is another photo of this from a far and it's very difficult to see that the folds are even there which works perfectly. The final edit I made to the skirt was the triangular cuts in the sides, I did these with a black thread to add variety to the piece and to outline them best.
Critique:
Similarities:
- One similarity between mine and Abloh’s piece is that they both use a square shape within them as part of the skirt.
- Another similarity between my piece and Abloh's is the use of length, and how long the skirts are.
- The final similarity between the two pieces is the types of fabrics they use, they both use a stiffer fabric in them.
- One difference between mine and Abloh's piece, is that he has a much more refined look to it, one that you might see on your commute, whereas mine is more of a runway look.
- Another difference between my piece and Abloh’s is the way that the piece stays up, mine uses elastic whereas he uses a button system.
- The final difference between the two pieces is the color palettes, mine is much more bright and cheery, whereas his is grey and grungy.
Reflection:
This was by far my most favorite piece to create, as well as probably my best piece to date. I have always loved fashion and it was super cool to finally get to show that. Virgil Abloh was my inspiration for this piece, and I think I did a really great job of connecting back to Virgil’s works as a whole not just the one.
The biggest challenge to me was one not only figuring out how to start without a pre-made pattern, but figuring out the math side of the design. I feel that this piece tied together with my self portrait piece, as well as my photography project. I feel that it ties into these two pieces because of the summery and floral elements as well as the fact that all of these artworks are pieces of me and that they are all hobbies of mine.
My favorite part of the piece was the fact that I was able to create something that I have always enjoyed doing, and the fact that I got to push myself and do something I’d never done before. Although my least favorite part was the elastic, and having to sew that on. In the end, I hope that others see it as a well thought out and strong and intriguing work of art.
The biggest challenge to me was one not only figuring out how to start without a pre-made pattern, but figuring out the math side of the design. I feel that this piece tied together with my self portrait piece, as well as my photography project. I feel that it ties into these two pieces because of the summery and floral elements as well as the fact that all of these artworks are pieces of me and that they are all hobbies of mine.
My favorite part of the piece was the fact that I was able to create something that I have always enjoyed doing, and the fact that I got to push myself and do something I’d never done before. Although my least favorite part was the elastic, and having to sew that on. In the end, I hope that others see it as a well thought out and strong and intriguing work of art.
ACT Connection:
1.) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
- You can see a clear cause and effect relationship between my artwork and that of the inspirations within the style of skirt. Both pieces use a pleated style, as well as the shapes within the pieces are the same.
- My inspiration approaches their artwork with the thought that everything is a copy of everything. Virgil has this rule known as the “3% rule” which states that you should never take a design more than 3% from its original, and you don't have to.
- When doing my research and actually sewing it together for myself, I found that things often turn out differently than how you might want or think them too. For example with my skirt I had originally wanted to use a button, and have the dress longer, but when I actually started executing on the design, my plans quickly changed. This is because we tend to have this idea in our minds of something but it's not until the execution of it that you find out whether or not you did it how you wanted it.
- The central idea around my research was that art is up to how you interpret it, and there are many different ways of executing it. Art is an expression, and you should do with it how you please.
- While reading my research I found that you shouldn't just take things for what is shown, everything can be broken down, rearranged and looked at from a new angle and within a new light.
Citations:
- Net-A-Porter. “Gucci.” NET, www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/shop/product/gucci/tiered-printed-cotton-maxi-skirt/1104844.
- “Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton Men's AW21.” Wonderland, 21 Jan. 2021, www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2021/01/21/louis-vuitton-mens-aw21-virgil-abloh-show-report/.
- “Virgil Abloh.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Abloh.