AW24 research project
FIT AAS Capstone (2023)
role
designer & illustrators
skills of note
water color, adobe creative cloud
ABOUT
concept
I researched volume and exaggeration in fashion history and centered my findings around manipulating the body and its shape from shoulder to leg.
scope
FIT AAS Portfolio final project
medium
watercolor on paper
deliverables
journal and illustration presentation
RESEARCH
journal
A vintage book sourced from an antiques store on 24th st. The book was ‘A Manual for Writers’ and I liked the idea of making a visual proposal as one would a written thesis.
research
I spent a lot of time in the FIT library looking at the history of volume in clothing. In the Victorian era, women believed that encasing their bodies in crinolines that extended far beyond the body (see Court Mantua image) protected them from sickness & misfortune. Their skirts were just as much an armor, from the mental & physical world, as they were a status symbol. In comparison, the 1950’s ‘Wonder bra’ was meant to inspire confidence in women (in addition to being attractive to men).
silhouettes
Once I felt well-research about volume and padding throughout history, I looked to design examples of manipulating and changing the form through volume. I broke this out into exaggeration of hips, shoulders, & torso. One designer that was interesting was Paul Poiret, the son of an umbrella maker, who’s designs from the early 20th century distorted the female form in new ways.
DESIGNS
color
I chose to keep a monochromatic color palette with pops of vibrant color.
fabrics
silk faille for blouses, skirts & mini dress, cashmere knits for the sweaters, wool suiting for the trousers, and cashmere coating for the coat
silhouettes
The volume shifts from shoulder to hip to torso as you move from left to right
SELECTED ILLUSTRATIONS
notes
I liked using dramatic washes of color to emphasize shadow and shape of the garments.
