Introduction
My partner and I make up the fashion design team, together we are creating two outfits. The outfits are for a marine themed fairy tale story book character, the 2014 Technology Student Association’s fashion design competition inspired the project. Marine organisms inspired each alternate solution; representations of each organism can be seen in their respective designs. Each design has a component that mimics a characteristic of the marine organism inspiration came from. Developing each solution took creativity, ingenuity and numerous revisions. To narrow down the four solutions to one final solution I created a specification chart, and then graded each solution on a 0-10 scale.
My partner and I make up the fashion design team, together we are creating two outfits. The outfits are for a marine themed fairy tale story book character, the 2014 Technology Student Association’s fashion design competition inspired the project. Marine organisms inspired each alternate solution; representations of each organism can be seen in their respective designs. Each design has a component that mimics a characteristic of the marine organism inspiration came from. Developing each solution took creativity, ingenuity and numerous revisions. To narrow down the four solutions to one final solution I created a specification chart, and then graded each solution on a 0-10 scale.
Alternate solution 1
Solution 1 draws inspiration from bioluminescent algae. Bioluminescent algae illuminate, similar to
the way a lightning bug does, the algae light up a shore line. The algae don’t shine light as a flashlight does
but they do glow. To mimic the glow of
the algae I incorporated glow in the dark fabric paint into the design. The skirt consists of two separate layers.
A shorter layer made of a stretchy form fitting material similar to a
cotton jersey covered by a sheer, light-weight, flowy material like a silk
chiffon or organza. The flowing material
represents the movement of the ocean. The top layer of the skirt adorned
with glow in the dark splattered paint mimics the algae.
Pros
The wearer can put the garment on and take the garment off easily. The
skirt does not require difficult pattern making or sewing techniques. The
splattered glow in the dark paint clearly represents the bioluminescent algae. The
garment’s glowing has a dramatic affect that will look good on stage.
The garment’s length could cause the wearer to trip. Multiple materials are involved in the
creation of the garment; therefore finding the fabrics, paint and adornments
(i.e. zippers, ribbon, etcetera) could prove difficult. I
intend for the top layer to be made out of silk chiffon or organza, both
expensive fabrics. The garment requires
a black light for the garment to glow the brightest. I worry that the fabric paint might be thick
and heavy causing the garment not to flow the way I envision.
Overall the first alternate solution depicts the
algae well, sewing and patterning the garment won’t be difficult, the garment
has aesthetic value and can be put on and taken off easily. Minor cons exist: the price of materials, the
fabric not reacting the intended way and the length being a tripping hazard.
All in all the garment fits the specifications, limitations therefore is a
viable solution.
Alternate
Solution 2
The sea turtle inspired the second alternate solution, a cloak. Made from a warm, water resistant material this garment protects the wearer as a shell protects a turtle. The wearer wears the coat with arms inside the garment. The coat has two slits for the wearer's hands to go through if needed. The inside of a turtle and the red found on some sea turtles’ shells inspired the red lining.
The cloak is evidently inspired by a sea turtle; the
wearer can retract into the cloak as turtles can retract into their shell. The cloak protects the wearer, and has all
permanent closures (i.e. seems) making sewing the garment and finding materials
easier. Overall the garment is unique, I
have never seen a similar garment.
The cloak has a lining; I am not familiar with
sewing linings into a garment and worry about the difficulty involved. The cloak not having any temporary closures
is a pro and a con, all permanent closures means to put on and take off the
garment the wearer must pull the cloak over her head. This can become an inconvenience in many
situations, such as in the car. The
garment may not be dramatic enough for a live performance.
The design of the cloak is unique and edgy. I find the design to be simple yet powerful. A wearer must pull the garment over her head to wear, a pro and con. No closures, like zippers or buttons are needed, making the garment easier to construct; however the wearer may have difficulty in certain situations putting on and taking of the cloak. The design mimics the sea turtle’s shell but may not be dramatic enough.
Alternate solution 3
The circle skirt shown above,
constructed from a flowy, soft material, such as a cotton fabric, draws
inspiration from the starfish's unique ability to regenerate. By having
two skirts in one, the garment mimics this regeneration ability. The bottom
layer's construction includes buttons while the top layer's construction
includes button holes giving the skirt the ability to be attached to the base
layer. Removing the top skirt reveals the bottom layer, the skirt in a
sense "regenerates".
Pros
The skirt mimics sea stars in both color and ability to
“regenerate”. The skirt’s basic shape
means the garment is easily created, and the length does not pose a tripping
hazard as the maxi skirt does. Cotton,
the intended material is found easily and cheaply.
Cons
The skirt lacks originality; the common A-line shape lacks
the drama necessary for a stage costume.
The length toes the line of appropriate versus inappropriate, people
move around so I worry that a wardrobe malfunction is possible. With an explanation the correlation between
sea stars and the garment is visible but not clear. The simple shape means the garment is easily
patterned and made however the buttons and two add complexity.
The sea star skirt has pro and cons; the cons out way the
pros though. The garment lacks
uniqueness and the removable layer adds complexity, making sewing difficult
compared to the bioluminescent skirt and the cloak. Personally
I don’t find the garment to be of high aesthetic value. Overall the garment is a viable solution.
Alternate Solution 4
The final alternate
solution, a faux leather jacket, draws inspiration from the horseshoe crab.
The horseshoe crab grows by molting. To mimic this feature, the
jacket's black sleeves are attached using zippers making them removable.
Further, the jacket protects the wearer as a shell protects a crab.
On an aesthetic level, the pointed shoulder and hem resemble the points
on a horseshoe crab's shell.
Pros
The garment is original and has drama worthy
of stage. The quilted pattern of the left side of the jacket adds uniqueness to
the garment. Putting the garment
on and taking the garment off due to the zippers. The removable sleeves mimic the
molting of horseshoe crabs; as well the pointed shoulder and hemline mimic the
horns seen on some horseshoe crabs.
The intended material is faux leather, a material
more costly then the materials suggested for other garments, like cotton. To remove the sleeves a zipper is sewn into
the shoulder seem, the zipper can be uncomfortable for the wearer. The difficulty of construction is a worry,
generally jackets are a difficult type of garment to construct. On top of that the garment has an
asymmetrical zipper, zippers in both shoulder seems, pointed shoulders and an
abnormal hemline.
Alternate Solution 4 is overall a strong design. The primary problem is difficulty of
construction. Having minimal sewing background
comes into play when choosing a final solution.
If I am unable to sew the garment as intended high aesthetic value and uniqueness
won’t matter if the garment barely resembles the original design. The garment fits all specs, as seen in the
spec check blow, the design is a viable solution.
Spec Check
Alternate Solution 1
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Alternate Solution 2
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Alternate Solution 3
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Alternate Solution 4
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Be designed for an original fairy tale character
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√
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√
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√
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Be inspired by a marine organism
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√
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√
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√
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Fit model based on her measurements
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√
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√
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√
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√
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Be patterned to full scale
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Not yet applicable
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Not yet applicable
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Not yet applicable
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Not yet applicable
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Be patterned using muslin fabric
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Not yet applicable
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Not yet applicable
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Not yet applicable
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Not yet applicable
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Be made to be used as an on stage costume
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√
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√
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√
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Be made of quality materials
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√
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√
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Have closures for easy on and off (i.e. zippers, buttons,
etcetera)
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√
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X
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√
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√
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Conclusion
See Design Matrix
Through the use of a design matrix/ specification chart and
a speck check chart I determined Alternate solution 1 the best solution. The design matrix/ specification chart can be
found in a separate post labeled specification chart.
The specification chart shows an image of each alternate
solution along the top of the chart, specifications are displayed on the left
hand side of the chart. All the
alternate solutions are graded based on how they fit the listed specification;
the grading is on a 0 to 10 scale, 0 meaning the alternate solution does not
fit the specification at all, and 10 being the alternate solution fits the
specification well.
Alternate solution one is the final design because the
garment is aesthetically pleasing, clearly inspired by bioluminescent algae, school
appropriate and simple to sew. The pros
and cons of each design determine where the solution falls on the grading
scale. Scoring the highest on the
specification chart determined Alternate Solution 1 as the best solution.
Alternate Solution 1,
the bioluminescent inspired design has a score of 95 only one point above the turtle
inspired cloak. That one point shows
that both designs adequately fit the design brief, Alternate solution 1 is just
a bit better.
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