Unit X Evaluation.

This project has been fun and inspiring, which is due to my use of experimental colour. I wanted to develop a colourful bright collection for a menswear audience, inspired by the concept ‘Unknown’ will has progressed from my original overarching concept ‘Time Deception’. Within this concept ‘Unknown’ I have looked at condensation on windows and frosted glass which creates an illusion of an unknown world behind.

Colour proportion has played a key role in this unit. I found that using a varied palette, of gold, green, red and navy blue has helped me push the boundaries of menswear due to the placement and proportions of colour. I have moved away from traditional menswear looking more at unique designers such as Rebel Yuths and Kenzo. These designers have pushed menswear through their use of colour and styling, in particular Rebel Yuths. This brand has adapted styling making it extreme and crazy, which has inspired me greatly to produce accessories which are oversized with various techniques to show off the colours. However when shooting my scarves I decided to style my scarves with a plainer outfit, consisting of navy and white with mustard socks to add colour at the bottom of the outfit. I think the scarves are the main interest and colour with in the look, so did not want to make the styling overly crazy.

The techniques I have used all showcase the colour and emphasize the proportions, which was the main focus of the unit. The tucking stitch, holding check and drop stitch all create different structures, focusing on contrasting structures and outlining these by using colour. The bright pops of inlay draw attention to certain parts of the fabrics and accessories and highlight the structures.

By creating a scarf it has allowed me to develop contrasting structures in conjunction to one another as no shaping was required. I think these two scarves have shown off my techniques and colours due to the volume of fabric. These scarves are a strong addition to my collection and will increase the versatility of my portfolio.  The strong contrasting colours with in each scarf is strengthened through the techniques used and have worked well.

My accessories will appeal to the high fashion menswear market, for Autumn Winter therefore wool is a major factor within the scarves. I have used various wools and cottons, which when combined with different techniques, such as drop stitch and holding check, create a lighter soft fabric which gives my scarves a luxurious feel.

For me this unit has helped me progress and become more confident when creating and designing larger samples and accessories.  Fashion illustrations have been a challenge throughout this unit, however, as I have continued to work on proportions of the body when designing, I have gained confidence. This key skill will help me in the future and is a personal achievement, as I have wanted to develop my illustration skills from the start of the year. This has expanded my portfolio when creating design boards to show my scarves.

I have explored my ideas using colour and I have developed my skills to a level I feel will help me to achieve a masters in knitted textiles.

Unit X Final Collection.

I found that whilst knitting and designing my scarves I made many key decisions. I decided my base colours for both my scarves would be navy, deep gold and green, and each scarf would feature a brighter colour of either red or light gold. This contrast of the two scarves works well as they now stand out from one another.

The length of the scarves was a challenge as I did not want them to end up being too short, so to overcome this I decided to make them 3 meters long, which would make them oversized and exaggerated.

The photoshoot was fun and interesting to see my accessories on the body. I styled my scarves with plainer clothing underneath so the scarves would be the main detail of the look. I decided to pair my scarves with a bomber jacket which had a fine polka dot print; this print added a slight contrast to the scarves which worked well as within my scarves there are contrasting structures.

I think the final outcome of these scarves has been successful as they show off my bright colour palette, and contrasting structures. This is due to my varied techniques of drop stitch, holding check, tuck stitch and mock rib. These techniques are effective at showing off the colour proportion. The final scarves are a reflection of my final collection and I am happy at how they hang on the body and can be styled to liven up outfits.

Unit X Development of Sampling.

I found my sketchbook helpful by using the patterns I have drawn and photographed, turning them into textured sampling. For this unit I am creating a range of fabrics for high fashion menswear.

As I have started to knit and create samples I found colour proportion difficult, so I started to research menswear high fashion brands that use colour. Youth rebels and Kenzo have bright colours that emphasise the technique and structures of the knitting. 
 

Kenzo

 

I found that the proportion of darker colours works well if it is larger than the brighter colours, this is something I am developing as I continue to knit. I have brought in larger proportions of navy blue and olive green which makes the lime greens and bright reds stand out more. These bright pops draw attention to the samples.

I am enjoying working with colour as the proportion and order of the colours is making my techniques more exaggerated and interesting.

The main techniques I have used in my sampling are tuck stitch, drop stitch, mock rib, inlay and racking. These techniques have contrasting structures, so when used in the same sample it distorts the knit creating tactile qualities.

The yarn quality is something I have wanted to improve on from the previous project. I decided to source various weights of yarns. The main yarn I am using on this project is wool, as my collection is Autumn Winter I didn't want lightweight sections of finer cotton. However, I have also sourced finer lambswool to add a softness to the contrasting cotton. I am using mercerised cotton as it adds a vivid brightness and lifts the duller cottons and wools.

I have started to develop my samples into accessory ideas. I want to have contrasting structures within my accessories so I have started illustrating different ways I could have two techniques in conjunction. I found that adding more structures to the patterns gives me a textured effect, which I think works well.

I feel a scarf would strengthen my collection as it would show my samples in repeat on a larger scale.

Unit X Initial Inspirtation.

Beginning Unit X I decided to continue with my overarching concept 'Time Deception', but for this unit I would like to look at ideas around the words 'Disguised' and 'Unknown'. For this unit I want to push my menswear collection, I am going to achieve this by experimenting with colour and colour proportion.

Throughout my last unit my colour palette was black and navy, I have decided to move this forward by having a strong, bold colour palette consisting of greens, reds and gold tones.

I want these colours to contrast with each other and challenge the perception of menswear. I want to push the boundaries of colour proportion; this will be a key idea for this collection.

My images of the condensation on the windows have been a key starting point to push my work. This bubble effect has inspired me to bring in different textures as I think the tactile feel will work well. 

I have decided to play with contrasting textures and structures. I have started to develop this by drawing contrasting shapes and patterns. I will develop this further when I start to sample and create knitted fabrics. 

Within this unit is am aiming to create an accessory to show how my fabrics would sit on the body and how the techniques would emphasise certain aspects of the male body.