Top Trends Fall/Winter 2011

As part of my market research project, I had to choose six trends for this season which in my case included androgynes; oversized silhoette; fetish; fur trims; metallics; country traditional; and furthermore research and find these trends in top, middle and mass market.

From studs and corsets to PVC panels, fetish is the trend not to go unoticed. Fabrics ranging from leather to rubber and sheer to lace, this daring look has indeed dominated the runways this season. The trend can be seen in collections i.e. Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen. I love how every detail i.e. buckles, straps portray the reality of fantasy.

 

With boyfriend jackets and boyish brogues, androgynes is a very recognised trend as it seen within many collections i.e. Dolce and Gabanna, Malene Birger. D&G's fall/winter 2011 collection defines the sophistication of this polished, tailored look with their double breasted suits, white shirts and braces.

From gleamy gold to shiny silver, metallics is the trend that has certainly illuminated the runways this season.The shiny palette is acheived through both sequins and wet-look finishes. The trend promotes many ways to shine this season.Balmain acheives the look, not only through the use of colour, but through the use of bead application to create a soft shimmery effect.



Fur is yet again this years fall/winter trend. However, this year's fur trend captures interest as it is only seen on the cuffs and collars of a garment. This new trend was seen in Chanel, Versace, Alexander McQueen etc. The fur is attached alongside a contrasting texture i.e. leather, seude tweed etc.

Having been inspired by the traditonal country farmer, fisherman, hunter etc. The trend is easily identified within market and is defined through pattern and fabric. From padded coats to barbour  jackets, from tweeds and knits to checks and tartans, country traditional is a popular trend that can be recognised in all three markets.

Oversize is my favourite key trend this season. Everything goes supersize. From rounded shoulders to tulip- shaped structures, this voluminous silhouette is very current. The zipping and stitch details are discreetly hidden in order to focus on the actual shape and form of the garment. There was a massive reoccurence of this trend on the catwalks, from Lanvin to Celine, from Balenciaga to Stella McCartney. 

Reading Between The Lines

The aim of this brief was to make up a wide variety of fabric swatches based around stripes and present it on mount boards for presentational reasons. I decided to focus on books lined and/ or stacked on the shelf. By looking at the images provided, you can identify the stripes present through use of colour, age, embellishment, texture and so on. The stripes may be vertical, horizontal, diagonal etc, providing me with much possibilities to work with.

Noriko Ambe is sculpturor who specializes in paper making. Here, the paper is cut into to create a layering effect which furthermore, reminds me of the books' pages or even a stack of books. Either way, this encourages me to use a range of techniques and to experiment with different weights of fabric.

Her, I am looking at the side panelling of old Celtic books. The leather is quilted using various threads and utilizing different patterns. The sewing machine enables me to create such patterns due to the patterns provided.

This is my colour story for my project. I pulled the greens and creams as I thought it best suited the old antique books. Using spray paint and stencils, I printed onto the fabric. Combining the stripes and print together, I thought it would be most relevant to title the project 'Reading Between the Lines'.

These are the eight fabric swatches based on my source imagery. Technques ranges from fringing, layering, darts, folding, boning and so on.

This my moodboard and final swatch.



Fabric Manipulations

 These are a few pages from my sketchbook in relation to fabric manipulation. Having taken inspiration from our household and outdoor environment, I recorded my sources through digital media and furthermore, made fabric manipulations under the influence of my sources. I used a wide range of sewing techniques including gathering, smocking, fringing and boning etc.

I feel like I benefited from this particular project as it allowed me to gain new skills on the sewing machine and research a wide variety of sewing techniques and fabric manipulations.

Stripes

Stripes make a comeback for spring of 2011.
From seaside stripes seen at Fendi and Jil Sander, Retrograde stripes seen at Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuiton, to geometric stripes seen at Prada and Proenza Schouler.

Rodarte Spring/ Summer Collection 2011 consists of striping. You can identify the stripes through use of colour, texture, textile etc. The floral print works really well with the stripes also.

Viktor and Rolf Fall 2011 Collection also features striping. The vertical and horizontal stripes are layered to create structure and form.

Missoni is well-known for its tribal -like prints and rainbow colours. The patterns alternate between stripes, zig-zags, wavy stripes and so on. All in all, the use of colour divides the textile prints into many different striping patterns.

Missoni Spring/ Summer 2011 Collection

Fruit of the earth and stripes were the

Research Area One

For my ranking project, I have been asked to use one of the five following words as a starting point for my theme development. However, for my research week, I have been asked to research and develop potential ideas from all five so that, I can explore a variety of concepts.

 The five themes are;

• Enclosure
• Decay
• Tribal
• Electric
• Memories

Enclosure

• Architectural design- green house
• Cage- bird cage
• Skeleton- rib cage, skull
• Skin

Valentino Haute Couture 2010

Decay

•  Skin- diseases,
• Bones
• Rust- texture, colour
• Dead organic matter

   

Tribal

• Tribes- African, South American, Native American, Asian, Australia
• Culture- clothing, jewellery, weapons
• Prints- animals, fruits
• Colour- vibrancy, bold
• Animals
• Climate

     

Safari animals i.e. zebras, cheetahs, giraffes etc. are good source for textile prints in clothing. They provide a bold pattern that allows us to identify with the tribal concept within a garment.

Electric

• Lights- neon, bulbs, thunder and lightning
• Power - buttons,switches
• Communication- power lines, telepoles
• Energy

Memories

• Historical Events- wartime, 40's, 50's, 60's etc.
• Youth- dolls, playground
• Childrens Stories- Tim Burton
• Dreams- Clouds, Deja-vu
• Photogaphy- camera, polaroids



Fabric Manipulation

Firstly, I investigated and researched the following techniques; Quilting, Folding/ Origami, Pleating, Gathering, Twisting and Boning of Fabric, and furthermore, selected a wide variety of references to see how these techniques are used in garments.

Quiting is a sewing method used to join two or more layers of material together to make a thicker padded fabric.

Balenciaga, Fall 2011

Balenciaga, Spring 2011

Yohji Yamamoto, Spring 2011

Folding/Origami

Origami is a traditional Japaneese art of paper folding. However, it is commonly used in fashion design. Many fashion designers gain inspiration from origami art and therefore, create designs based on their interpertations of this technique. Such designers include Sandra Backlund, Gareth Pugh, Alexandra Verschueren and so on.

Alexandra Verschueren

Greth Pugh

Pleating is a type of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. Pleating is commonly used in garments.

Viktor and Rolf

Gathering is a sewing technique for shortening the length of a strip of fabric so that the longer piece can be attached to a shorter piece. It is commonly used in clothing to manage fullness, as when a full sleeve is attached to the armscye or cuff of a shirt, or when a skirt is attached to a bodice.

 Viktor and Rolf

Twisting

 Prada, Spring 2009

Lanvin

Boning of Fabric

Boning consists of rigid or semi rigid strips that provide strucutre and support to garments worn close to the body. Boning prevents the garment from sagging down and instead creates form and shape to the design.

 Alexander McQueen

Valentino