PEELING GARMENTS: Flat garment construction between fabric layers using the printing process as a construction method and the reference of a peeling wallpaper to create expressive dress

PEELING GARMENTS

Flat garment construction between fabric layers using the printing process

as a construction method and the reference of a peeling wallpaper to create expressive dress

Author: Monika Colja

Master of Fine Arts with Specialisation in Fashion Design

Report Number: 2020.6.08

Supervisor: Holly McQuillan

Opponent: Ute Ploier

Examiner: Clemens Thornquist

May 2020

I would like to thank my amazing supervisor Holly McQuil- lan, without whose support and knowledge my work would not be the same.

And all the other lecturers and staff (especially the print technicians, Sara and Emilia) for all the help. It has been a pleasure being here, working alongside everyone.

I am most grateful for our class, the amazing people and creatives: the community we built to support each other and share everything has felt like a family. The times we had together I will treasure dearly.

And lastly, to my family and friends, for always supporting

me in my decisions, before I even take them. For believing

in me and cheering me on.

OVER VIEW / LINEUP

GARMENTS MONIKA COLJA

LOOK 1

GARMENTS MONIKA COLJA

LOOK 2

GARMENTS MONIKA COLJA

LOOK 3

GARMENTS MONIKA COLJA

LOOK 4

GARMENTS MONIKA COLJA

LOOK 5

GARMENTS MONIKA COLJA

LOOK 6

GARMENTS MONIKA COLJA

LOOK 7

GARMENTS MONIKA COLJA

keywords:

fashion design,

print in fashion,

flat garment construction,

screen-printing,

layering,

simultaneous design

This work is a proposal for an alternative approach to working with print, making the printing process a key element within designing.

It is an investigation into flat garment construction between fabric layers, as this enables for the printing to be used in place of sewing.

Additionally, working with multiple textile layers connects with the reference of the peeling wallpaper, which is used as a base for ma- terial and form developments.

The aim of the work is to develop a more holistic approach and

new expressions in garment-making in relation to the application

of printing processes within textile layers. The main objective is to

present a new perspective of the relationship between garment pat-

tern and print, bringing the later forward. Not only does the surface

print, through the interaction of colour and texture provide an im-

portant element in terms of creating expression, but it additionally

acts as a construction element. Moreover, by using the process of

printing to create form the element of print becomes integrated into

the process of garment-making.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD

BACKGROUND 26

Meaning of Print Within Fashion 26 Prints, Decoration and Wallpapers 26

Form and Flatness 29

Simultaneous Design: Textile (Print, Colour, Surface) and Form 30

STATE OF THE ART 32

New Expressions: Print vs. Form 32

Flat Garment Construction 33

Expressions and Aesthetics in Print Design 34

MOTIVE 38

DESIGN PROGRAMME 40

Design Project I 41

Design Project II 42

Design Project III 44

AIM 46

METHOD 49

Learning by doing, knowing by making 49

Textile thinking 49

Ways of working 50

Form Building 52

Print Assembly 54

The White Dress 66

Peeling Trousers 75

The Framed Jacket 85

The Constructed Line Blazer 95

The Green Dress 103

The Line Trousers 113

The Blue Line Layered Blazer 119

The Peeling Trench-Coat 127

Lineup Development 136

RESULT 138

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION 168

REFERENCES 170

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COLJA PEELING GARMENTS

The fascination with peeling wallpaper has been with me for quite some

years now and it seems like it always creeps back to find a way into my

work. I see it as this exciting mystery of not knowing what hides under,

having no control over it. This expression of many different times and peo-

ple, coming together to be something else, something that is out of our

hands, not made by intention and thought. I think that is beautiful and it its

complexity reminds me of people: same mystery, shedding many layers

over time.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD

BACKGROUND

Meaning of Print within Fashion Design

Conventionally, in fashion print has mostly been used as a decorative surface – in the initial design process, it usually comes second to the form. Even though it can be argued that “[d]ecoration is a purpose in itself” (Fogg, 2006), prints often have lesser importance in the process of a garment’s development. Many designers buy existing prints from fabric factories, providing further evidence for this hierarchy. Brands that work extensively with the aesthetics of print, for example, Marni, Dries Van Noten etc. rely on the creation of “harmony between colour and shape” (Fogg, 2006), where it can be argued that the print is still used in a decorative role. Compared to other technol- ogies like weaving and knitting, print usually has a more decorative nature, mostly dealing with the pattern, colour and surface texture, but little with the actual material. Of course, the nature of weave and knit is that of producing cloth, wherein print, a preexistent textile surface is needed for the printing to be carried out and the pattern to be applied. However, one could imagine a way to use print in a more functional role, proposing a new perspective on using printing by actually building the garment’s shape. With this in mind, how could we design a garment’s shape for it to be assembled through the act of (screen-)printing and what impact might this way of thinking and designing have?

Prints, Decoration and Wallpapers

The ornamental purpose of print should not be dismissed. Brett talks about decoration as “certain aspects of things mainly pertaining to pleasure - to what Kant described as ‘enlivening the object for sensation’ and ‘the sole function which is to be looked at’” (Brett, 2005, p. 4).

The tendency to decorate extends past just clothes; it is strongly present in interior design and oth- er fields. For example, wallpapers have been widely used since the 16th century to decorate walls.

Nevertheless, the history of wallpaper is much more than that of ornamental design - it is also a fascinating record of human lives and preferences (V&A). It is layers of time and different personal- ities being stacked on top of each other, creating a new expression as the layers start peeling off.

“That is the fate of most wallpapers – they are a transient item of décor. They stain, crease, become mouldy and above all go out of fashion.” (Watson, 2018).

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD

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Figure 1: Nicky Samuels wearing an Ossie Clark/Celia Birtwell design, 1971

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The relationship between wallpapers and fashion has existed since their conception in the 16th century. Initially, wallpapers often imitated various embroideries from both garments and other textiles, with floral pattern design often being most popular. Furthermore, designers such as Celia Birtwell (Figure 1) and Christian Lacroix have been known for working with fashion, print and interior design, resulting in printed floral designs on garments often inspiring furnishing fabrics and wall- paper and vice versa. Similarly, William Morris’ famous wallpaper designs have often been used or inspired fashion design (for example Prada Fall 2002 collection, Valentino Couture Fall 2012, Joe Richards Spring 2016 or most recently a collaboration by H&M, to name a few).

Figure 2, 3: Self-portraits by Francesca Woodman

In a series of self-portraits from 1975 to 1976 by American artist and photographer Francesca Woodman, the motif of peeling wallpaper is investigated in relation to the body. It could be inter- preted as the author bearing her soul, revealing herself to the viewer (Figure 2 and 3). The place- ment of the torn pieces on the body suggests a connection to clothing. What if the idea of a peeling garment would be used to achieve new expressive qualities in printed fashion design?

Perhaps the wallpaper and its flatness (a reference to a flat wall) give an insight into how the gar- ments should be designed, for them to be assembled on a flat table through the technique of screen-print.

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD BACKGROUND

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There is no garment without form. There are known garment shapes that have been connected to specific words, for example, a top, a pair of trousers and are as such deeply established within fashion design. Form articulation happens through various traditional garment-making techniques:

modelling and draping on the mannequin, drafting flat pattern blocks or using computer modelling software (Townsend, Goulding, 2011).

One of the essential aspects of garment construction is the relation between 2D and 3D. Through history, garment’s form has developed to become sophisti- cated, but before that, clothing had a simpler shape and often looked more two-dimensional. For exam- ple, in Ancient Greece, a garment was just a rectangu- lar textile draped around the body, with minimal cut- ting or sewing, secured with a pin. Another example is a kaftan from the Ottoman Empire. Already a more sophisticated form with sewing involved; worn as a coat, but when not on a body, the garment lies com- pletely flat (figure 4).

Margiela, a fashion innovator, often working with de- construction and playing with proportions, presented his ‘flat collection’ in 1998. Within this collection, he explored the 2D to 3D aspect, specifically “how to make two-dimensional garments that would lie per- fectly flat when not on a three-dimensional body.”

(Borrelli-Persson in Vogue, 1997). With the plastic shopping bag and pattern blocks as the inspiration, the garments were presented hanging flat on hangers, with men in white coats acting as models, carrying the garments. Garment forms have been masterfully flattened, with armholes being pushed to the front or extra pattern pieces developed in cases of flattening from the side.

Figure 4: Kaftan, Turkish, 1550-1600 (V&A)

Figure 5: Margiela Fall 1998

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Simultaneous Design: Textile (Print, Colour, Surface) and Form

Sonia Delaunay, a Ukrainian artist, was one of the first to approach the process of garment-making in a more thought-through fashion in relation to both the form and colour. Delaunay’s interest was not in the garment’s shape as much as the simultaneous making (Albritton, 2005). In Delaunay’s words, “the cut of the dress is conceived by its creator simultaneously with its decoration. Then the cut and the decoration suitable to the shape are both printed on the same fabric” (Townsend, 2011, p. 308-309). Her work presents an alternative, a closer way of working with both the form and the textile, the first step for many fashion designers after Delaunay.

Suggestions on working with form and textile surface (specifically print) in a more holistic way have also been explored by Katherine Townsend, who has looked at the relationship between body, textile and garment’s form thoroughly. Her practice is widely inspired by Delaunay. She states that

“[w]hile digital technology has opened up the possibilities for integrating body, cloth and print more expediently, Delaunay’s practice illustrates that it is the aesthetic sensibility of the designer that is paramount” (Townsend, 2008, p. 3).

In her paper, The Interaction of Two and Three Dimensional Design in Textiles and Fashion, Townsend writes that textile and fashion design are mutually dependent and “when considering one it is dif- ficult to ignore the other” (Townsend, Goulding, 2011). According to the authors, there are three approaches to working with textiles and garments: ‘textile-led’, ‘garment-led’ and ‘simultaneous’

(Townsend, Goulding, 2011).

Figure 4: Diagram of body, textile and garment (Goulding, 2011)

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD BACKGROUND

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The textile-led approach encompasses garments, designed accordingly to the textile. This means that the textile comes before the garment’s shape and the other is designed with the textile’s prop- erties in mind, which is common with designers like Zandra Rhodes, Jonathan Saunders and Dries Van Noten (Townsend, Goulding, 2011).

In contrast, the garment-led approach is used to refer to designs, where the garment’s shape has been designed prior to any knowledge of the textile. Surface design is usually added later, to en- hance and complement the form. The focus here is the garment’s construction, with examples of designers like Balenciaga, Charles James and other old-world couturiers (Townsend, Goulding, 2011).

In comparison, the simultaneous de- sign approach, inspired by the prac- tice of Delaunay, deals with both the garment’s form and surface (textile) at the same time. As such, the two aspects are mutually dependent on each other and have to be developed alongside. For example, the develop- ment of technology has allowed for the development of engineered dig- ital print, designed within the form’s constraint (Fogg, 2006). Designers like Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto are known for their mastery of work- ing with digital engineered prints. “It is about trying to do with print, what a black dress does,” Katrantzou says about her way of working (Katrantzou in Muller, 2012). Digital technology al- lows for the print to take on a more significant role within the garment’s design process. However, the connec- tion between print(ing) and garment’s form remains that of one informing the other.

Figure 5, 6: Peter Pilotto Resort 2015: Print is engineered for each individual garment

Figure 7, 8: Mary Katrantzou Fall 2018

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STATE OF THE ART

New Expressions: Print in Relation to Form

Many contemporary research-based projects focus on form and material informing each other, proposing new ways of working with the two areas. However, this could be taken further, with the process of printing becoming a vital part of the garment’s shape and construction.

In her collection Scattered Print, Gathered Form, Camilla Arnbert explores print by deconstructing the motif in relation to the form (Arnbert, 2017). The scattered motif is reconstructed, and thus the garment is given its silhouette. The designer presents new possibilities in the application of print to the garment and explores its expressional abilities, further widening the field. The graphic and the silhouette are mutually affected. However, the focus is put on the printed motifs and how they act as informing and constructing factors of the garment. Here, the emphasis is on the draping and not as much on the construction in terms of traditional pattern blocks. Arnbert herself explains that her work “does not imply that form comes secondary” (Arnbert, 2017, p. 24), but it is a suggestion on how the two usually not connected fields can be intertwined in a new relationship. Arnbert’s work presents a foundation that can be built upon, an alternative way to think about the relationship between the garment and the print. Using print as an essential factor that affects the form and not as just a decorative surface, however, this connection is one of information. The designer states that more suggestions on how print could be used in a way where it defines the final form could be found, which is something that this degree work aims to do.

Figure 9, 10: ‘Scattered Print, Gathered Form’, MA degree work by Camilla Arnbert, example of a final result and the ‘blueprint’ for the garment, to show how the print motif is applied to influence the form

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD ST A TE OF THE AR T

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To consider garments to be assembled by screen-printing, their construction has to be limited to the constraints of a printing table. This means the garment’s form has to be flattened.

Figure 12, 13: Comme des Garçons fall 2012 Since Margiela’s flat collection other brands have

explored the idea of two-dimensional garments, one of the more known is a fall collection from Comme des Garçons, shown in 2012. The usu- al tridimensionality of a garment is reduced to achieve the flat look. This is done through the cut and moving of the seams on the outside to flat- ten layers of fabric together. Of course, as soon as the body enters, a garment cannot be two-di- mensional anymore.

Holly McQuillan’s research into zero waste design by using weaving as the lens to approach and propose new possibilities in the way garments are produced, results in a new pattern-making theo- ry. McQuillan’s practice falls within simultaneous design, while the PhD researcher also uses the term ‘Textile-Form Design’

to define her work.

The active experimentation focuses on re-think- ing the 3D garment shape and its construction pattern for it to be able to fit into the 2D weave (McQuillan, 2019). Due to its nature, the option of creating space between layers exists in this technique, offering new possibilities of stacking

“[p]attern pieces into the textile’s layers, woven so that when cut and separated, can create a shaped 2D pattern from a rectangular 2D textile”

(McQuillan, 2019, p. 8). The nature of a layered textile offers up new possibilities of how we are working with pattern cutting. The garment’s form and in turn, its construction, have to be recon- sidered into this ‘limitation’ of flattening the form between textile layers.

1 Holly McQuillan, Research seminar Zero Waste Sys- tems Thinking, 28th of January 2020

Figur e 14: McQuillan’ s flattened & woven ar chetypes

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Figur e 15: Flattened blazer (pr ocess) (Bell, 2018) Figur e 16: When wor n, the garments lose their twodi - mensionality; tr ousers by Andr ew Bell (Photo?, 2018) RCA MA graduate Andrew Bell has worked

with flat construction by cutting his pieces from the side profile. As such, they can fold completely flat. His womenswear collection and research titled Collapsing Traditional Structures of Womenswear Tailoring is an in- vestigation into future tailoring. As he explains it, “[t]he common connective that runs through my work is the absence of the thread and the needle, in the construction of the pieces. Us- ing sonic welding technology, I have aimed to engineer a future tailoring aesthetic” (Bell in Davey, 2019). Another distinction of his work is the removal of all other construction ele- ments, such as interlinings, paddings, etc.

While these examples have no connection to the field of print, one could imagine possibili- ties if the idea of flatness would be investigat- ed in relation to printing. As previously stated, to allow a full assembly of a garment through the screen-printing technique, its construc- tion needs to be considered to the constraints of tools available. Since printing takes plac- es on a flat table and uses flat screens, the construction technique used by Bell or the method of flattening garment forms used by McQuillan presents the base for this degree work. At the same time, flatness is also pres- ent in the idea of wallpaper and layering. The combination of these aspects with the act of printing would present a novel suggestion within the field.

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD ST A TE OF THE AR T

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Dries Van Noten and Richard Quinn are two designers known for their work with the printed fashion design. Both are hav- ing a textile-led approach, meaning their work often begins with the material, with the form being developed to complement the fabric. Often using layering of different motifs, patterns and textures, both of their collections often look at florals and have an aesthetic resembling that of interior de- sign, especially upholstery and wallpaper prints.

The expression and aesthetics of both de- signers are an important reference for this research, in relation to how the different printed patterns are worked with. Different sizes, motifs and colour combinations are what is of interest. Similarly, the reference of using, for example, wallpaper prints for motif and pattern development is what is done within this degree work as well.

Figure 17 + 18: Dries Van Noten SS18

Figure 19 + 20: Dries Van Noten SS19

Figure 21 + 22: Richard Quinn’s FW18 collection pre-

sented at LFW, references to wallpaper prints can be

seen in the runway’s set up as well

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An exciting project in terms of the printing technique is one by Henriette Tilanus. In her MA grad- uate collection Paper Prints from 2016, the designer herself developed a way to print paper on textile. The designer was inspired by wallpaper prints (Tilanus in Noël, 2016) and successfully con- veyed that not just in the pattern motifs, but in the expression of the surface as well. Moreover, the textile has been completely self-made with different layers of paper and other materials (Tilanus in Noël, 2016), creating a strong expression in terms of material. It has common points with Peeling Garments within fusing materials together to create new possibilities in material expression and texture. However, here the emphasis is on the decorative novelty and less its function.

Figure 23: ‘Paper Prints’ (Tilanus, 2016)

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD ST A TE OF THE AR T

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The State of the Art chapter presents different examples that might be unrelated, but their aspects

together form a base for this work. Firstly, Arnbert’s work suggests an alternative for the field of

printed fashion design, which is also what Peeling Garments aims to do. The difference is in how

that is done: Arnbert focuses on the printed motif as a factor that guides the garment’s form,

meaning her work deals with print taking on a role of informing the garment. In contrast, within this

degree work, it is the act of printing itself the factor worked on simultaneously as the form. Mean-

ing the bond is not of only informing, but building the form. Specifically, this is done through the

approach of flat garment construction, building on the developments made by McQuillan and Bell,

to define and flatten the form. This is where the idea of a fused textile by Tilanus comes in, but is in

comparison not used purely for decoration. The fusing is extended out of the textural approach and

developed as the method of assembly, as a result creating two expressions, with one of them being

similar to Tilanus, but explored in different printing techniques and material. The other, used as the

actual assembly technique, shows clearly the process behind the work and differentiates it from

Tilanus’ Paper Prints. In comparison, Van Noten and Quinn are not as focused on the texture of the

print. However, it is the way the two designers work with layering and combining different prints

that will be researched further as a way of how the different motifs, sizes and colour variations can

be used to create an expressive collection.

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MOTIVE

Why printing?

In general, the main issue is the purpose of the print within the field. As described, it is most com- monly used as a decoration and as such, lacks more purpose. In the process of designing, it usu- ally comes as last. Even when fabrics are pre-bought, and the print is known before the garment’s form, there is little to no connection between the two aspects. What if the process of printing could be used more functionally? What if through screen-print, one could assemble garment’s form? This perspective would present a way of designing, where printing would take on an integral role within a garment’s design process.

Within the described research in the field of print, specifically, that of the relationship between the printed surface and the form, new closer, symbiotic connections have been established. So there are new proposals for the field of print within fashion design. However, most are about informing and bringing the two aspects closer together. A step further is taken in Arnbert’s project, where the print motif becomes the one informing the clothing’s form, but even in this case, the relation between the two fields is that of information. Moreover, garments are still assembled in the usual fashion, through cut and sew. In her thesis, Arnbert speculates “[i]f one would be able to find a method for using print in such a way that it is crucial in defining the final form, a completely new way of constructing garments could be found” (Arnbert, 2017, p. 28).

The proposal of the project Peeling Garments is that of using printing in place of sewing. It is about creating a physical connection between the fabric layers, with the application of print in place of seams and other construction elements. As such, it proposes an entirely new relationship between print (printing) and garment’s form: bringing the act of printing into the design process of the form and its construction and assembly. The project looks to find an alternative way of producing, one that allows for the process of printing to become an integral part within the process of designing and making and secondly, to use print as a function, and not just decoration. The interest within Peeling Garments is to utilise the processes in printing and find a functional application. Decoration is not excluded, but of slightly lesser importance. Nevertheless, even within the decoration aspect, the project questions the usage of print to create surface decoration. It looks towards creating a textured surface, a new expression achieved through self-made fused fabrics combination and the use of devoré printing technique.

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD MOTIVE

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There is a clear divide in the State of the Art chapter, one part dealing with flat garment construction and another with print (and its relationship with the form). The different examples are there to ex- plain and potentiate the project Peeling Garments. At its core, it is about using the printing process in a functional way, proposing a new view on printing and utilising it within the design and assembly processes. The functionality of the print is the meeting point between the garment’s form created within the layers and the print itself, as it is about creating physical connections between layers.

For that to happen, the use and development of flat garment construction have been integrated within the project. Since printing takes place on a flat printing table, using flat garment construction between fabric layers was a natural choice for the project’s development. Re-thinking of garments within the flat 2D surface constraints allows for the printing to take its place within the assembly process.

Where one could argue that this way of assembling garments is unnecessary, the suggestion opens up new ways of approaching (simultaneous) design and questions the role of printing. Moreover, it presents a new way of thinking by taking an existent technique and putting it in a new context.

Thornquist presents an idea of material investigations, where the focus in designing shifts from the form to material instead, which in his words “demonstrate the wide field of possibility for divergent thinking”

. The material could also be a tool, a technique hacked to be used in a non-conventional way. This perspective is present within the project. From self-fused textured printing samples to constructing garments through screen-print, the core idea of assembling garments by fusing layers could be researched further, to potentially find a new way of producing.

1 Clemens Thornquist, Design Seminar ‘Material Explorations’, 15th of October 2019

Figure 24: A diagram of body, form

and print interrelations within the

project ‘Peeling Garments’ (adapted

by the author from Goulding, 2010)

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The broader focus of the work is to create in the gap between fashion and textile design, working within a hybrid practice, focusing on bringing form and colour (print) closer together, exploring the different possibilities that can be imagined and created in the ‘missing’ space. The design pro- gramme deals with exploring and setting up new relationships between form and material, in terms of both functionality and expression. Specifically, the work focuses on finding an alternative way of producing that allows for the process of printing to become an integral part of the process of designing and making.

The projects building up the design programme are described on the following pages. Together, they outline the possibilities of the programme and lead to the current aim of the work.

DESIGN PROGRAMME

DESIGN PROGRAMME

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Figure 25 - 32: Developments done in “Printing, Dyeing and Finishing”, part of the technical elective courses

Design Project I: Self-fused Printed Layered Textiles

The development within this project serves as a starting point for all future explorations. The focus of the experiments was to find the right combination for doing the burn-out print on fused fabrics (a combination of a transparent layer with an opaque, thicker layer), with the importance of layering, transparency and exploring colour combinations to analyze the effects. The main motive was to work with print in order to create more depth and dimension in the flat surface.

The fusing of the layers was done by using CB21, a product that is usually used for coating (finish-

ing processes), as well as foil and flock printing, where it is used to secure the foil layer or velvet

fibres on top of the textile surface. CB21 can be used with a screen to achieve a clearly defined

pattern. Following that logic, tests were made to see if the CB21 could also work in securing an-

other textile layer on top. After successful merging (but only in areas that were meant to stay in

place), burn-out printing paste was applied in the opposite, inverted areas. The project was at this

point purely about the aesthetics and creating expressive surfaces, but serves as a base for further

explorations on how this way of printing can be used in a more applied context, looking at the idea

of adding (merging) layers and taking them away.

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Design Project II: Printing, Not Sew- ing

The following project focused on utilis- ing previously found technique of adding and subtracting textile layers and applying those aspects to garments. From the begin- ning, the focus was mostly put on the sur- face and creating interaction between the two layers by displacing the top one (figure 35). However, as the project developed, the aim had shifted towards utilising printing in a more functional way, trying to use it within the garment’s construction and finishing as much as possible. The decoration aspect is still present, with the focus on creating different surfaces and expressions, but at the same time, thinking how the fusing and burn-out can be used to replace construc- tion elements. This realisation led to making pockets entirely by using CB21 to fuse and burn-out to ‘cut’ or open up layers. CB21 was also used in the edges, to prevent fray- ing, creating a clean finish to the garments.

The first garment, the lilac suit, has been put together by using a sewing machine, whereas the following garments have been

‘fused’ together by applying CB21 (by hand, using a brush) to where the seams would go. This decision, however, proved to be messy and hard to execute correctly, the process seemed more like glueing the garment pieces together, which did not add to the authenticity of the project or its aim.

Figure 33 - 37: Process and final results of Design Project II

DESIGN PROGRAMME

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Figure 38 - 45: Additionally developed garment, where garment form has been flattened, exploring the poten- tial of fusing and leaving layers opened in relation to the interaction with the body

Later on, an additional garment was developed, where garment form has been flattened to allow

for layers to be fused through screen-printing. This paved the way for future development.

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Design Project III: Peeling Garments (Part I, Research)

Building on previous developments and findings, this work focused on exploring the flattened gar- ment form in relation to the potential for assembly by screen-printing, building the groundwork for the degree work. Most of the focus has been put into exploring the flatness and the use of layers in constructing the garment’s form. The project also introduced the idea of wallpaper, connecting it both to flatness in the garment construction (a reference to the flat wall), as well as texture and the idea of layering in material (peeling wallpaper, interaction between different wallpaper design).

The developments made in building the form it- self serve as the base for the degree work. The form has been explored through what is now be- ing called ‘form-building’. From sketching initial ideas in paper to full-scale toiles and flat garment form patterns for the print assembly, this meth- od of working presents a base for all the future examples. The method of ‘flattening’ garment form is built on that of McQuillan and her meth- od of designing the form within the constraints of weaving. The same principle is investigated here but put into the context of screen-printing, including a different set of variables to consider.

Initially, the flattened form was planned to be researched quite extensively, setting up differ- ent perspectives and categories; however, this turned out to be too complicated when integrat- ed within the whole project. As a result, the form was kept quite simple, only using the front and side perspective to flatten the garment.

DESIGN PROGRAMME

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Figure 46 - 53: Results (top row) and developments within the research course

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AIM

To design garment shape within flat textile layers, allowing the garments to be constructed through the act of printing.

AIM

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Figure 54: Process of ‘fusing’ or screen-printing textile layers together

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METHOD

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METHOD

Learning by doing, knowing through making

The project and methods used have been developed through the process and approach of ‘learn- ing by doing’, using experimental practised based design research (Koskinen et al., 2013). Since the Peeling Garments propose a new approach to how printing can be used more functionally, a lot of the variables used have been previously unknown. This is why many experiments and trials have been needed to grasp the knowledge necessary to develop the project in a definite direction further. This is what Mäkelä refers to as knowing through making in her article Knowing Through Making: The Role of the Artefact in Practice-led Research (Mäkelä, 2007). According to her, “the process of making and its products are strongly connected with the source of knowledge” (Mäkelä, 2007). This means that the results and final ‘products’ are the holder of knowledge gained and needed to get to those results, but at the same time bring new knowledge that will allow for further developments later on. The developments presented through the design projects building the de- sign programme serve as a bridge into the degree work. However, at the same time, the knowledge gained during making of the examples allowed for further advances within the next example and finally, the overall final result.

Simultaneously, using the time to implement reflective practice on findings has been of equal im- portance to guide the project further, during making and after. Taking decisions and reflecting on work happens during making all the time, so there is constant communication between the two as- pects, but not to the same extent as when the working process is temporarily stopped and results are valued in perspective.

Textile thinking

Findings in the area of design research show that textile practice and knowledge, so-called ‘textile

thinking’ can generate new materials and forms (Kane, Philpott, 2013). We could argue, that it is

the textile thinking that allowed for the project ‘Peeling Garments’ to come to light, as it is, an in-

vestigation into using the act of printing in place of sewing. It applies one technique in place of the

other (printing replacing sewing).

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Ways of working

Stage 1: Thinking - Making

The ‘Thinking - Making’ stage is built on simultaneous working with both the form and the mate- rial; naming the two aspects ‘Form building’ and ‘Material-Print Exploration’. They are separate yet connected. Within ‘Form building’, the garment’s form and construction are reconsidered to fit within the constraints of printing - this means the form needs to be flattened. ‘Material-Print Exploration’, as the name suggests, deals with the material side of the project, exploring layering, material, pattern and colour possibilities for the garments. The idea is born within one category but then has to be worked through both aspects for the garment to come to life, connecting the two into one, allowing the garment to be assembled by print, calling this part ‘Print Assembly’.

Stage 2: Analysing

The ideas and tests (prototype garments) are tried on a body, evaluating the shape, fit and interac- tion between layers. Is there something exciting happening? How to express the idea clearly? What is needed, that adds to the overall expression and what is unnecessary? Different variations are tested out to pick the best combination in terms of the interaction between the different elements.

Analysing also happens during the making process, where many decisions are taken, but in this stage, making is stopped. Taking a step back to see the developments in perspective is crucial.

Stage 3: Refinement

The prototypes and tests are re-made until they reach the desired outcome. Along the way, new un- predictable findings occur, and garments have to be re-made, so there is constant communication between the analysing and making, resulting in refinement and the final examples.

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Figure 55: The stages of making and analysing

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Form Building

As stated, garment form is flattened to be able to fit into screen-printing constraints. This step be- gan by sketching garment shapes in paper, as it presented a quick and most concrete visualisation of how the layers would have to be connected to form a functional garment. At the same time, the paper sketch can already be used to plan out the printing steps, figuring out the correct order.

This stage has been mostly present at the beginning of the practical work, finding the right flat pattern base to work from. After the initial idea in a quick paper sketch, the shape has been tested in a virtual environment, using CLO3D to quickly and with less waste find the proper pattern. After adjustments and settling on a pattern, it has been printed out directly from the programme. Impor- tance has been put on the right fit and shape, meaning many times of going back and forth from paper pattern to a toile, since adjustments were still needed after a real-life fitting.

Figure 56: The steps of designing the garment’s form

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Figure 57: Base pattern torso front, Figure 58: Base pattern trousers side

Two patterns proved to be a base to build the collection on: front view torso and side view trousers

(Figure 37 and 38). From these two starting points adjustments and modifications have been made

to have a variety in the examples.

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Print Assembly, Torso

Figure 59: Layers and steps to construct the torso base pattern

METHOD

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Figure 60: Layers and steps to construct the trousers base pattern

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Print Assembly, Torso (steps)

METHOD

Figure 61: Detailed steps in the process of torso assembly

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METHOD

Print Assembly, Trousers (steps)

Figure 62: Detailed steps in the process of trousers assembly

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DEVELOPMENT

The project started by evaluating and building on previous findings; the foundation for the work has been laid in the previous development, most of it during the research course (see Design Programme, Design Project III, p. 42). This means that most of the examples build on previous work, stemming from the potential to develop ideas further or in a different context.

Within the course, three seminars took place. The intention was to show progress in front of fel- low students, supervisors and examiners and everyone was welcome to five feedback. In the first seminar, set in December, one outfit was presented, by the mid-seminar end of January, four outfits were shown. In the final seminar, 7 outfits were presented. Before each of these presentations, a sketching session has been set up to test out ideas and garments side by side and take time to evaluate the development. Each of this sessions was about taking a break from the process of making and taking a step back to analyse.

The focus of the degree work are garments constructed through printing. Their development has been described in detail on the following pages. As a support to the idea of layering in material and print, undergarments in nude jersey were sewn and transfer-printed with prints developed from images of wallpaper. However, the development of that aspect is scarce in comparison to ‘main’

garments, since that is not of the same importance. One thing to keep in mind are the sketches, presented alongside the development of each individual garment: they are merely a starting point, an idea, and not how the final garment should look like. The whole process was very open to change, due to various tests carried out and changes implemented, to get the best result possible in given situation.

DEVELOPMENT

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Balance of Clarity (Construction) and Chaos (Material Texture)

Before continuation of the research be- hind Peeling Garments, some crucial realisations have come up during the start-up workshop. Working in pairs with another designer, sharing each oth- er’s material allowed for expanding our way of thinking within the project. Work- ing together with Sofia Mollberg created a clash between the organic and dis- tressed texture of my previous develop- ments and clarity and precision of So- fia’s. Composing own work in contrast to clear lines enhanced what was missing:

a clarity in construction, to bring forward the idea of garments being fused by screen-printing. Furthermore, creating a balance between the textured layers and garment’s form, as well as enhanc- ing the actual garment within the layers.

Figure 63 - 68: Explorations from the workshop, using own

developments in combination to work of Sofia Mollberg

and vintage garments

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Materials and Colours

Collected photographs of peeling wallpapers serve as a starting point for materials, patterns and colours. Throughout the project, they have been there as an aesthetic guidance.

The main colours are warm, earthy tones, picking up on the starting point. Brown, beige and nude tones, close to the human skin. These are the colours that were also mostly present in the set-up for the mid-seminar (see page 128). However, the feedback was to ‘bring in more freshness, but keep the overall feeling of the collection’. In response, green and blue tones (from a bright to more dulled down tone) were added. Main colours remain dull, ‘washed out’, but accent colours in small amounts are added, to highlight and lift the garments.

Figure 69: Peeling wallpapers as a guide for aesthetics in terms of material combinations and colours used

DEVELOPMENT

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Figure 69: Peeling wallpapers as a guide for aesthetics in terms of material combinations and colours used

Figure 70, 71: Colour palette (first seminar, left; mid-seminar, right)

Figure 72: Colours used

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DEVELOPMENT MA TERIALS AND COLOURS

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Figure 73: The White Dress

DEVELOPMENT THE WHITE DRESS

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Stage 1: Thinking-Making

The idea developed as an answer to two previous findings: first, the result of the lilac suit (Design Programme, Design Project III, p. 42) and second, the findings from the start-up workshop and the decision to work more intentionally with the lines created by screen-printing the textile layers to- gether, pushing the ‘construction’ aspect of the overall work. The practical work started by sketch- ing with materials on a mannequin, using masking tape to draw the lines of dress’ construction. The idea was to present a white outfit, with a focus on bringing the construction of layers forward. To further prove the point, the decision to have minimal intervention in the material was taken, to shift focus to the lines and layers building the garment.

Figure 74: Sketching with materials (simultaneous form building and material exploration)

Print-Material Exploration:

As stated, the material intervention for the example was set up as minimal, especially in terms of tex- ture. Different densities of white pigment mixed with CB21 were tested, deciding for a higher colour den- sity, to make the lines visible, stand out on a body.

Figur e 75: Line tests

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Figure 78: Sketch with material samples Figure 76: Usual dress lines, research/workbook

DEVELOPMENT THE WHITE DRESS

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Figure 79 - 82: Flat form pattern designed in CLO3D and tests of the form on the

body, with tapes used where lines would be printed (the thickness of the tape does

not reflect the line’s width)

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Print Assembly

Figure 83 - 90: Process of print assembly

DEVELOPMENT THE WHITE DRESS

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Wearing the dress

Figure 92 - 94: Testing on a body before the white sleeve is added

Figure 95 - 101: Printed white dress

DEVELOPMENT THE WHITE DRESS

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The dress was shown as a first example, at the first seminar in December 2019. While it showed progress from the previous work in the research course, the most often com- ment was the colour was ‘too white’ and not matched to the viscose sleeve. Looking at the suggested lineup and the colours of it, this made sense. The white should be dirtier, not as crisp.

Stage 3: Remaking

After the seminar, the dress was worked on, fixing the line detail and finding a proper tone for transfer printing over the whole garment.

After many tones were tested on the fabric and against the skin, the right shade of a slight overcast was found (Figure 103, right).

This resulted in the colouring of the polyester material as well as the printed lines.

The dress was taken out of a lineup after the mid-seminar, as the work progressed and as such the dress was seen as more of a toile than a final example.

Figure 102: First seminar, December 2019

Figure 103: Overprint (left), original (right)

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Stage 1: Thinking-Making

The idea for the example came out of a styling suggestion from the side trouser developed in the Design Project III (p. 42). The trousers from that project did not have a proper closing solution.

However, in a photo session with a model, a suggestion to leave the trousers open and extra fabric flapped over was shown, which suggested the action of peeling. This notion was to be researched more intentionally.

Figure 104 + 105: Side view trousers (Design Project III), styling suggestion

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Figure 107: Printed toile

Form-building

DEVELOPMENT THE PEELING TROUSERS

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Figure 108: Material samples and the photograph of the wallpaper as the starting point

Figure 109: Testing undergarment colour

and pattern combinations

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Figure 110 + 111: Separate pieces are first fused following the paper garment pattern taped on the table

Figure 112: The faint yellowish tint on the cotton layer is the dried burnout paste

DEVELOPMENT THE PEELING TROUSERS

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Figure 113: Pieces hung on the oven frame, waiting to be cured

Figure 114 + 115: Separate layers are after washing out printed with a off-black line, to

additionally bring out the garment’s shape

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Print Assembly, steps

DEVELOPMENT THE PEELING TROUSERS

Figure 116: illustration about the printing process, step by step

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Step 1: Layers are placed on the printing table (over the garment’s flat pattern), the cotton on the bottom (right-side down) and polyester on top. After, both layers are fused through a screen, with CB21 mixed with pigment colour, applied only within the garment’s line.

Step 2: After the paste is dried, fused layers are turned right-side up. The polyester around the cot- ton is secured by placing plastic on top and burn-out paste is applied on the cotton. Fabric needs to dry, cure in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 7 min and be washed out and neutralized.

Step 3: The four separate leg pieces are then merged to form two pant legs. Screen is taped fol- lowing the lines from the flat pattern and CB21 is applied in the said lines, with the other side then being placed on top.

Step 4: Pant legs need to be put together. Insides of each leg need to be protected by a baking paper to protect from CB21 gluing the leg together. CB21 is then applied on one of the pant legs, with the screen being taped after the flat pattern’s crotch line. The other pant leg is placed on top.

Step 5: After heat-pressing to secure the trouser in the crotch line, the inside has to be cut out on

the outside of same line.

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DEVELOPMENT THE PEELING TROUSERS

Figure 117: Sketch + final materials

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Figure 118 + 119: Testing on a body after printing the fabric layers, but before assembly (left); suggestion in relation to the peeling wallpaper with colour exploration

Stage 2: Analyzing

After trying the trouser on a body, and testing different options with the length, it was decided to leave the separate legs open at the end (see figure 118, 119; above), to refer back to the flatness even when the garment becomes tridimensional worn on a body. To ‘fix’ the trousers in place, fitted nude jersey shorts were made. The trousers were then put in position on a model and hand-stitched on the shorts. A selection of transfer prints were tested to choose the best option in regards to the overall look. Colour scheme of the outfit follows the wallpaper reference, but in the process, decision on what to bring forward had to be made. Since the focus should be on the pants, the undergarments were printed with a subtle blueish-lilac tone.

Stage 3: Refinement

Ideally, this would be developed further and re-made to work out the various issues that appeared

during the making process, as this was one of the first pieces. An improved version of the trouser

pattern was developed later, so remaking this one would make it fit better with the rest.

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Stage 1: Thinking-Making

The example came out of a question “how do I clearly define a garment without the use of lines?”

In contrast to past developments (coat example, Design Project III, p. 42) the garment lines should be clear by only having layered textile within the garment’s form, no texture / pattern going outside that margin. The development was also made in construction of the sleeves, in contrast to the coat example, the sleeve should also be merged with a layer. The printed / fused texture should be covering

the whole front body. Figure 120: Initial sketching of the idea

Form-building:

The first try has been done by going directly to the Print Assembly, to make a test piece of how the sleeve and the rest of the jacket should be constructed, if the shape of sleeve is cut out. Additional layers had to be inserted in place. A darker textile was used to clearly see what would happen. This resulted in a creation of a ‘shadow’, giving hints to the jacket’s construction.

Figure 121: Initial printed toile to plan the construction / form of the example

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DEVELOPMENT THE FRAMED JACKET

Figure 122, 123, 124: Flat pattern (left), toile for the form (right)

The form comes from the base torso pattern, but is modified; instead of the sleeve being added on top, the front layer is cut out in place where the sleeve would sit and two additional pattern pieces need to be inserted (see Figure 125, above). Adjustments were done to the shape of the shoulder, taking the sleeve out and making room for the arm, to make the pattern sit nicely on the body.

Figure 125: Sketch of the layers buidling the form

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Print-Material Exploration

The main composition of the layers in terms of pat- tern and colour comes from the previous develop- ments within the research course. Using the same combination of materials and pattern as in the coat example from the project, change was made to leave the cotton (calico) layer as it is, without dye- ing. This was to bring out the contrast between the printed motif and the ‘peeling’ layer, especially in combination with the polyester fabric that already had stripes. By merging the layers, the stripes be- come more prominent within the floral motif. To keep the idea of a shadow, a brown tone was cho- sen for the inserted sleeve and the back layer, with lilac as the lining (before deciding on any colour,

multiple shades were tested. Figure 126: Material samples for the jacket

Figure 127: Reactive dye samples (left), testing colours in relation to the main material (irght)

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Figure 128: Print assembly, printing process

DEVELOPMENT THE FRAMED JACKET

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Figure 129: Print assembly, printing process

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Print Assembly, steps

Figure 130: Print assembly, printing process with steps of The Framed Jacket

DEVELOPMENT THE FRAMED JACKET

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Wearing the jacket

Stage 2: Analyzing

The outfit presented at the mid-sem- inar contained a transfer printed pair of leggings under the printed jacket (see Figure 133, right). The balance of the look felt wrong, so the decision to make a pair of trousers in the same print motif was tested. The styling suggestion was much better com- pared to the previous one, so a pair of trousers was to be made, to have a full suit look.

Figure 131: Assembled jacket

Figure 132 + 133: Mid-seminar sketch and outfit on a model

DEVELOPMENT THE FRAMED JACKET

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Figure 134: Testing the idea of a suit

Stage 3: Refinement

After the styling test, a pair of trousers was made. This happened later on in the development, after

the mid-seminar, while the jacket was produced before. Accordingly, the shape trouser has devel-

oped, becoming more precise and nicely fitting on a body. The described development happened

while making the white line suit trousers (see page 112).

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Print-Material Exploration

SInce focus was put on the construction, intervention in the material has been kept to a minimum.

According to the initial sketch, a selection of transfer printed colours for the polyester base was tested to choose the right one. After the base colour was decided, the line colours in CB21 and pigment mix were tested in relation to that.

Figure 135: Initial sketches / ideas for the example

Stage 1: Thinking-Making

As an immediate response to previ- ously developed example of the blazer where the use of lines is intentionally skipped, the idea for this work was to developed a suit outfit, where the fo- cus would be on construction and use of lines to highlight it.

Additionally, under layer pattern and colour combination were developed and tested in relation to the main garment. To goal was to bring out accent colours already present in the piece, as well as adding more depth.

Figure 136: Material sample + pattern visualisation

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DEVELOPMENT THE CONSTRUCTED LINE BLAZER

Form-Building

The form was taken from the torso base as that had the perfect fit, only adjusted with blazer detailing (lapel creation, pocket positions, fake dart lines, etc) and widening of the armhole and sleeves.

Figure 137: Modified torso pattern

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Figure 138 - 145: Print

assembly

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Print Assembly, steps

Figure 146: Illustration of the print assembly steps

DEVELOPMENT THE CONSTRUCTED LINE BLAZER