DIGITAL PORTFOLIO/E-PORTFOLIO
Griselda Jevon
0353958
The semester began with a short introduction to Mr. Kit Woo, followed by a project briefing. We were asked to think about a theme for our final project before the first class, allowing us to dive into the process quickly. Kit emphasized the importance of a solid research process and design development right from the start. He instructed us to gather fashion and non-fashion references, print them, and present our ideas to him for the following week. He also encouraged us to start a design journal and keep updating it throughout the process.
For my project, I chose the theme Skin, inspired by Rihanna, one of my favorite artists. Her song Skin from the album Loud (2010) speaks about intimacy, seduction, and human connection that are aligned perfectly with my exploration of skin textures, tones, and the inclusivity Rihanna embodies, especially through her Fenty Beauty brand.
Starting from week 5 onwards, it has been all about trying things out and refining my ideas. With guidance from Mr. Kit and Mr. Brian, I began by experimenting with different fabrics and mapping out textures to see how they could work in my designs.
After consulting with Kit, I began exploring fabric manipulation techniques like ruching, smocking, and furrowing. Experimenting with both hand-sewing and machine techniques, I found that hand-sewn manipulations created more natural and random patterns, that align more with my vision. I spent a lot of time playing around with the techniques, testing out different fabrics, patterns, and details to bring my concepts to life.
Alongside technical exploration, I started to do rough sketches inspired by my theme, focusing on silhouettes that revealed or celebrated natural skin. However, we as humans with insecurities, tend to cover the parts of our body that we consider as flaws. So I wanted to keep the balance by creating revealing and concealing designs. I took inspiration from a body shape that is often considered as 'not popular' which is the inverted triangle body shape and created a padded jacket bodysuit silhouette from it.
From each consultation, Kit provided insightful feedback, encouraging me to translate my inspiration more effectively into my collection. He suggested using collage to push my creative boundaries and avoiding tracing existing designer work. This advice helped me focus on authentic, innovative development.
By Week 7, we presented our progress during the midterm jury, receiving feedback that guided the next steps. The jury gave me advice to explore the idea of imperfections since my rough sketches are not related to the aging, scars, or bruising theme. However, I am not focused on that area deeply because it was just part of my research about the Skin as it is a very wide theme. Despite that, I got a lot of lessons from the jury and got some information about designers that have the same aesthetic and strong theme to complete my research.
The following week, during independent study, I refined my designs based on the jury’s input, finalized them, and began working on my first toile.
The first look features a striking jacket bodysuit designed with extended shoulders, drawing inspiration from the inverted triangle body shape. The silhouette is bold and structured, enhanced by shoulder pads to emphasize the angular form. I use a closed-ending jacket zipper at the center front for the bodysuit opening.
The pattern-making process for the first look was challenging and required multiple trials to perfect the extended shoulder design. I spent a lot of time experimenting with how wide and high I wanted the shoulders to be and ensuring the structure would hold when worn. After creating the first toile and testing it on a dummy, I tried it on my friend and found issues: the armhole was too tight, and the shoulder design sat too low, causing it to shift down when she lowered her arms.
I added the zipper and attached an extended turtle neck to complete the toile and tested it on my friend to ensure everything came together as planned.
The second look features an asymmetrical top and trousers with a bold cut-out detail at the center cleavage. The top's design contrasts with a longer left side that extends to leg length that complements the trousers' asymmetrical—long on the right side and short on the left silhouette. This interplay of lengths aligns perfectly with the concealing and revealing concept that defines my collection’s silhouettes. By balancing covered and exposed elements, the design celebrates the theme of human nature by embracing both confidence and vulnerability in a bold yet thoughtful way.
The third look combines a halter bra attached to a waist corset with a flowing maxi skirt, creating a random texture yet elegant and structured silhouette. It is inspired by saggy skin and wrinkles. This design draws directly from the concept of skin textures, celebrating the natural beauty of imperfections and the unique characteristics of the human body. The manipulated skirt complements the fitted halter bra and corset, creating a dynamic balance between structure and organic flow. To achieve a body-hugging fit, I draped the bra and corset directly on the mannequin, ensuring they complemented the contours of the body. Boning was added to the corset for added structure and to maintain its shape.
The halter bra required several trials to ensure it stayed in place and attached well to the skin, even with the revealing design on both sides. For the maxi skirt, I started with a basic drafted pattern as a base, then added fabric manipulation techniques on top of it. The final skirt will feature hand-sewn smocking and draping to add texture and detail, with a side invisible zipper.
I also took time to test the manipulations several times and try on actual fabric to see how texture and fabric weight affect the manipulation silhouette.
This semester has been quite challenging, with multiple assignments happening at the same time. I had difficulties in focusing on my concept while creating the designs. I often felt lost and drifted away from my concept and inspiration. Creating toiles from scratch was often frustrating, as each step involved figuring out mistakes through trial and error until the garment fit perfectly. However, each process taught me to trust my instincts and reinforced that trial and error isn’t a setback but an essential part of learning and improving. I also learned to become independent in knowing what I want as a designer.
I’m especially grateful for Mr. Kit Woo's guidance throughout the semester. His feedback during our toile progress checks was really helpful in finalizing the toiles for Design I to III. Thank You!
).zip%20-%204.png)
Comments
Post a Comment