georgiagreenwoodfashion-blog

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Week 9 ~ Its All Over

It’s amazing how much everything falls together in the last week. I didn’t feel as in control of this project as I have in the past, however everything is done. I am very pleased with how my written pieces and tech manual have turned out and my final garments look even better than I had hoped. The puff binder has been a pain in that it can’t be ironed as it puffs more, meaning all my efforts were wasted and the bobbling has taken hold. It is also a large inconvenience that a lot of the machines keep breaking because people can be so reckless. My garments were meant to be fastened with press studs for the most part and a few jean buttons, however as the machine was broken I cannot do that, and that makes it rather disappointing that I am having to had something in unfinished that is out of my control. This unit has taught me a lot and I definitely feel like I have grown once again. Until next time.

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Week 8 ~ All Coming Together

This week was  the beginning of the end. Final toiles, printing fabric, and getting everything ready to print. 

My toile review didn’t go quite a swimmingly as I had hoped, meaning where I was planning to make my final outfit this week instead I am toiling. This is annoying but I still have time, especially as childrenswear is small so doesn’t take as long. This would not have been an issue if I hadn’t made such an obvious mistake with my jacket sleeve pattern very helpfully pointed out by a friend. “why are the sleeves leaning back so much” I ask. “Because your pattern has the sleeves facing backwards”. And now I will always check. 

I am using puff binder on the fabric for my dungarees and printed the whole 2 meteres this week. Even though I know puff is controversial, I have taken special effort to not activate the binder so much as for the print to bobble and fall off. Hopefully my efforts have been fruitful.

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Week 7 ~ Hoping for More

This week we got to buy our fabrics for our final outfit which was exciting for me, but not so much for my bank. However I am very pleased with the fabrics I got and hopefully they will look like I imagine.

We also had toile reviews this week, and although mine was very last thing on Friday as that was the only time a child was able to come in, it was fairly positive. I was feeling a bit too optimistic going in and was really hoping I wouldn’t have to make any changes but that is never the case, luckily for now they seem manageable and I will try to resolve all these issues in time.

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Week 6 ~ Learning Never Stops

More toiling, more resolving issues and coming up with new ideas, more failed hoods. All in all my outfit is coming along nicely I think and I’m happy with how it is looking so far. 

The print room turned out successful and I have a new found love for puff binder. As this is an all black project, using black puff is good because it comes out grey which adds another dimension. For childrenswear this is good as it adds texture and another level of colour.

We also did more technical work this week and measured our sample jackets to fill out a proper specification sheet. Once again I very much enjoyed this part of the week and will try to practice these technical aspects as much as I can going forward.

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Week 5 ~ Calico Takes Over

Toiling has begun, and after creating my first toiles (jumping headfirst into it a little) I realise I am making too small/too young. This was a pain but not a huge issue as I only made a basic toile for my top and jacket before realising which both needed a lot of work done to them anyway. I am not making for about age 8 which is more manageable as it means any models that I may be able to have come in to try on will be able to be more vocal about whether it is comfortable and if they like it or not, and it is - slightly - less fiddly to sew together.

My tutor was happy with my idea for my jacket and had some valid criticisms and good ideas for improvements to make so hopefully the next toile will be even better.

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Week 4 ~ Change of  Heart

After suggestions from tutors and a lot of deliberation I have decided to try childrenswear for this project. Having science as an influence will be a good starting point as I can create clothes that are educational but in a fun way. The shapes and styles I design are often influenced by children’s clothes and styles anyway, so this way I can delve deeper into that mindset and create (hopefully) more interesting pieces.

This week we also had a refresher course on the Wilcom embroidery software. I really enjoy embroidery and love embellishments, however I am still learning to allocate my time evenly between everything I need to have done for when I hand in, and where I have changed my plan so late on in this project I am not sure whether I will have time to come up with a design to have on my final piece from the embroidery machine. This is a skill I would like to improve on though and will hopefully get a chance to incorporate it in future projects if not this one.

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Week 3 ~ Jacket Continued

More pattern cutting for our sample jacket this week with the lining patterns. We also started to sew the outer shell for the jacket, and had design selection, or were supposed to.

My research had not developed as far is it possible should have any my designs were all still very literal, so no design selection for me. I wasn’t necessarily surprised as design is not my strong point and this is where I fell down last project as well, however this isn’t a good frame of mind to get into as then I will never improve so it is just something I need to work on. 

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Week 2 ~ FAT

Week 2 was not taught session but instead a collaboration project.

This collaboration between Fashion, Architecture, and Textiles is the third collaboration I have taken part in, however it is the first time I have properly worked in a group to create a final outcome. The group I was in had the word ‘Tension’ to inspire us, and it was interesting using Poole high street, a fairly non-descript place when just walking through, as an initial focus. We decided to take photos of the high street in our subject groups so that we could see what different aspects each subject looks at and to get a wide range of views and ideas to whittle down.

Taking initial photos of the high street to link with the concept of tension had us stumped to begin with as we were trying to avoid taking it in the lateral sense of physical tension; this made us think about the mental meaning of the word and feeling tense. Because of this we tried to take photos of things that made us feel uneasy or off-focus- things such as alleyways, deserted shops, and broken windows. Our idea was to make a video using these photos, intertwined with snippets of elastic being stretched beyond its capabilities, with the photos getting more and more tense, the elastic getting closer to breaking, and music making you tense with anticipation for that last *snap*.

That is the idea we had in fashion from taking our photos, however when we met back up with the rest of our group and everyone put their ideas together this developed, as well as wanting to make something high quality considering none of us were overly confident with film making software.

We wanted to incorporate ideas from all three subjects into the final piece we made, which made us loop back round to looking at the physical meaning of tension as all of our subjects use tension as quite a large part of what we do- buildings are very rigid, and textiles and fashion make/use a multitude of fabrics which are formed of different tensions whether it be through how the fabric is made or what type of yarn or fibre it is made from.

Our final conclusion was to make a temporary instillation piece on a grid attached to a local building (after getting permission). We created a selection of woven sections in the existing squares, weaving different fabrics, knitted samples, and non-fabrics like tape. This incorporated all of our subjects and we could all get involved with the final piece, however it would have been good if we could have left it up or had a physical copy of the final piece.

By being such a short project meant everyone had to be much more decisive so it got done in time. We were lucky in a sense that no everyone from our group turned up meaning there was a more manageable amount of people to combine ideas, however at times it was difficult spreading the workload with no one leader. Our group gelled well so there were no discrepancies which made the project run smoothly and our final piece truly had a bit of everyone in it.

This project was a great opportunity to get acquainted with other subjects as I feel like I tend to just stay in fashion and not put myself out there so much, but now I know where textiles and architecture are and am in contact with other students I could potentially collaborate with in the future whether it be textiles helping with samples or me helping make their fabric into an actual product. It is good to get to know other subjects and departments and to start to make connections so early on that could potentially last and help when looking for jobs in the future.

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Week 1 ~ The Beginning

The first week of a new project is always exciting but nerve-racking. I struggle a lot with having one idea and sticking to it and getting my teeth into a concept. This time I want to combine my love of science and academia with the fashion world, and create something that can be worn by the everyday working woman, not just those who can afford high end fashion. 

We got off to a fun start (in my eyes) because we are learning tailoring/ how to make a tailored jacket in this unit, and this week consisted of pattern cutting for a collar and rever. Pattern cutting makes sense in my mind and is definitely a pathway I can see myself taking in the future as I enjoy figuring out how to make the physical object from looking at a drawing.

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Grado Zero Espace

Grado Zero Espace (GZE) is an Italian based company that works in smart materials and new technologies for clothing. Started by Filippo Pagliai and Giada Dammacco in 2001 in Florence, a well-known area for fashion and textile in Italy, their idea was to bring concepts from space and science fiction into real life. Although GZE was born from a fashion company, their mission is to develop and commercialise new materials and technologies to use in industry, as to improve the quality of life, work, and the environment. This company caught my eye because they are using technology that is usually only used in extreme conditions and bringing it into commercialisation so that more people can benefit from these materials at a more affordable price, rather than having a blanket of exclusivity over smart materials. Not only does Grado Zero Espace have their own repertoire of materials, but also offer outsourcing and consultation services to help as many new ideas come to life as possible. There are a range of textile products that GZE have engineered, some natural and some high-tech, but all extremely useful and beneficial to their respective niche markets.

A larger market for smart materials revolves around those who do extreme sports- whether it be tackling high altitudes, extreme temperatures, or multiple terrains like water and ice.

The QuotaZero Jacket is aimed towards climbers and tackles specific problems they may face. One difficulty climbers’ face is losing gloves when the wind picks up if they have to be taken off for any reason. This is eliminated in the QuotaZero jacket by having a patented inbuilt glove solution so that it is easy to take hands out of the gloves, but without needing to take them off and put them away. This saves time and could potentially save lives through not struggling to quickly use bare hands to grab onto a rope or put on gloves to stop frostbite. The outer layer of the jacket is waterproof and windproof, all whilst being breathable. It also has a padded back, reinforced shoulders where a backpack would be carried, rigid elbows, and extra support under the gloves. The jacket can be worn as just the QuotaZero Shell (without a lining) or with a choice of three different linings: high performance, aerogel, or blue air. High performance ensures thermal insulation in harsh conditions whilst maintaining breathability and being soft to the touch. Aerogel is composed by 90-98% air, making it extremely thermally insulating; so much so that it was used on the space probes sent to Mars. It has a mesoporous structure which allows humidity to be released from the body, whilst maintaining insulation. Certain parts of the body release more heat than others, and anatomically shaped patches of Aerogel have been used in this lining to counteract this issue. Blue Air is a light, breathable padding that, due to its porous structure, can absorb and release moisture produced by the body, whilst still having excellent thermal resistance.

K-Cap is a balaclava designed for high altitudes- specifically for a scientific Mt Everest expedition. It has been designed to improve breathability, anatomical comfort, and reduce weight all whilst maximising insulation. The K-Cap was also made using next-generation polymers; these are thermal-responsive shape memory polymers, meaning the fabric can be misshapen but returns to its initial shape when heat is applied. This type of fabric has been designed to imitate the behaviour of human skin, as well as the balaclava having two layers of bi-elastic fabric that allows free movement which is integral for being over the face.

One area of GZE that pushes them even further is being set challenges by other companies or businesses that need a specific product. Absolute Frontiers II was the product of Adventure-Network International asking GZE to create a jacket that betters all current expedition clothing for use in the Antarctic. The jacket produced uses Aerogel fabric to tackle the extreme climate of the Antarctic, and is made up of multiple layers, including a removable padding made from 100% Aerogel. This layer is removable as to ensure easier cleaning because aerogel has such high absorbent properties it could be damaged or ruined if washed. Although exploring such extreme terrains is dangerous, this danger is minimalised with specialist clothing that lets the wearer concentrate on what they need to do, not worry about getting frostbite or having minimalised movement.

Another extreme that needs to be tackled is extreme heat, importantly firefighter’s safety. The Hydro Jacket was made based on a European project called ‘Safe & Cool’. This project was made to develop a fabric with a layer that manages heat and moisture, integrated with a water absorbing polymer, in the hopes that this could be put into current protective wear. The outer layer of the Hydro Jacket reflects sun rays and has a fire resistant, water based and weather resistant coating, and the second layer dissipates heat away from the body as well as acting as a thermal barrio from the extreme heat firefighters are put into. However the lining is the most technologically advanced part of the jacket, being made with the help of ‘Safe Hydrogel Padding’. Hydrogel refers to a network of polymers that absorb water and retain it, whilst maintaining their shape. They do not dissolve or break apart, but just increase in volume. Most hydrogel products have extremely low toxicity to the human body, meaning they are ideal to use not only in fire protection near the skin, but also in medical uses such as wound dressings and artificial organs, and even taking advantage of their water retention properties in agriculture, and every day uses like in diapers.

The S1-Suit has been made for the sailing market. It has similar properties to the QuotaZero Jacket in that there are inbuilt gloves so they don’t get lost in a strong wind; however there is also Keprotec fabric on the palm of the gloves which makes them anti-slip. The suit is an outer layer, made to be used in a marine environment, with good movability and comfort as well as being waterproof, breathable, and thermo-responsive; the seams have a Liquid Shell treatment to further increase water resistance as seams are always a weak point when anything is waterproofed. The suit is also fire resistant and oil repellent, for extra safety when out on the water, and has shock absorbent patches to protect from potential impact that could happen due to sudden gusts of wind, crashes, or simply falling. The S1-Suit has an electroluminescent film controlled by a switch inside the pocket, to increase visibility. This would be especially useful when sailing on a smaller boat to be more visible to larger ones, specifically in bad weather.

Grado Zero Espace do also look into fabrics for every day as well, not just extremes. ORICALCO is a shape memory fabric with the ability to be misshapen but go back to its pre-programmed shape when heat is applied. The fabric uses Nitinol (a nickel-titanium alloy that possesses the shape-memory properties) which has been used in aerospace and medicine already, however now it has been combined with textile knowledge to make a fabric- ORICALCO. Currently Nitinol is expensive to manufacture which is why it has only been used in such specialist situations; however GZE has created the first shirt with shape-memory fabric. This means it can be set so that the sleeves automatically roll up when it reaches a certain temperature. Even though this material has a lot of unlocked potential, the main advances in this area are making the fabric more viable for everyday clothing, not just specialist uses, as well as experimenting with different structures for smart materials other than just orthogonally woven fabric (this could include knitted fabric, hybrid yarns, and tubular fabric/yarn).

For a more fashion conscious market, the LQ-Jacket was made and styled for motorcyclists. Inspired by the 70’s, the LQ-Jacket (Liquid jacket) is made from ultra-thin leather mixed with a material that has high thermal resistance. This combination gives increased elasticity in the leather, making it more comfortable and movable to wear. To make this jacket tailored to the motorcycling market the leather has been treated with GZE’s Liquid Shell treatment; this makes the leather waterproof and resistant to abrasion, perfect for being exposed to the elements whilst riding, as well as having added security if an accident was to happen. The LQ-Jacket also has D3o technology integrated into it, making it highly shock absorbent (D3o technology works by the molecules locking together when put under sudden pressure, but flowing freely the rest of the time as not to interfere with movement.) An electroluminescent film is combined with the leather in the back panel meaning that bikers are more visible- this film is controlled by a power source inside the jacket that illuminates the film, but it safe, flexible, and washable.  

Grado Zero Espace doesn’t just look into ‘futuristic’ technology, but also using nature to tackle problems. One of their natural products uses cypress (an evergreen tree native to the northern hemisphere) and makes yarn out of the fibres. This yarn is combines with cotton to make a mixed fabric that has anti-mould and anti-bacterial properties, as well as being relaxing and deodorising due to some of the Japanese cypress trees which have a pleasant scent and even insect repellent properties. It is these kinds of discoveries that are especially beneficial to improving the fashion/clothing/textile industry as these technologies are renewable, sustainable, and natural so they are usually better close to the skin. Cypress has been scientifically tested and proven to reduce over 50% of certain bacterial growth, which could make it good for clothing for people with a weak immune system, or children and the elderly who are more prone to catching diseases. The pleasant scent could be beneficial to people who struggle a lot with stress or anxiety, and the insect repellent properties would be useful to use in countries where malaria and other insect-spread diseases are prevalent.  

One controversy in the fashion industry is leather- is it moral to use, what replacements are there, is it sustainable? A lot of imitation leathers are made from synthetic materials so are not necessarily eco-friendly and don’t last so long. Grado Zero Espace has figured out how to make leather out of mushrooms, more specifically from the Phellinus ellipsoideus. This species of fungus has the largest fruit bodies, growing in the tropical and subtropical areas of China, and spanning up to 1085 by 88 cm and weighing 400-500 kg. This makes it an ideal species to make into leather as it can be grown in large lengths, and can be tanned in a similar way to animal hide, except with all natural ingredients. This makes it completely toxic free so even better to be against the skin, as well as to produce and it has a soft, suede feeling. MuSkin (mushroom leather) is highly absorbent, but also able to wick the moisture away, as well as not encouraging the growth of bacteria meaning it would be a suitable substitute for leather being used for shoes as it would let the feet breathe and not retain any moisture.  Due to it being a plant and growing rather than being a set size like an animal hide, I think there are even more possibilities for MuSkin in that it could be grown in the shape of pattern pieces, reducing material waste, and it could be grown in greenhouses set to the correct conditions which would take less room than the amount of space needed to raise animals in “ethical” conditions, making it a more widely available material, therefore bringing down its cost.

I find this company interesting because they are making textile products and fabrics that help, rather than just being there for aesthetics, and they do it in a more considered way. It is inevitable for the market to move towards smart materials and new technology, and Grado Zero Espace is helping the market move this way whilst also mixing in natural products. Even though I’m sure there are a lot of processes to make materials out of plants, I feel that these products are potentially more easily available to countries where high-tech solutions would be too expensive. This is the way we should be moving forward, but remembering to work with nature, not just using it and leaving destruction behind.

 Bibliography

 Chemistry Learner (2017). Nitinol. [online] Available from: http://www.chemistrylearner.com/nitinol.html [Accessed 18 August 2017]

Grado Zero Espace (n.a.). [online] Available from: http://www.gradozero.eu/ [Accessed 11 August 2017]

Grado Zero Espace (n.a.). Grado Zero Espace Srl (GZE) & GradoZero Innovation Srl (GZI). [online] Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grado-zero-espace-srl [Accessed 20 August 2017]

 Industrial Fabrics Association International (2017). Fashion Grounded, Space Inspired. [online] Available from: https://advancedtextilessource.com/2016/01/22/fashion-grounded-space-inspired/ [Accessed 18 August 2017] 

Life Materials (n.a.) MuSkin. [online] Available from: http://lifematerials.eu/en/shop/muskin/ [Accessed 11 August 2017] 

Wikipedia (2017). Phellinus Ellipsoideus. [online] Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phellinus_ellipsoideus    [Accessed 28 August 2017]

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[Professional Practice]

As part of this unit I have been interning for one of the third year students and it has been very eye opening. I have found out more about what the final year of my degree will entail- long hours, tears, and a lot of money. I can agree with the long hours and lots of tears. Tears just mean you care and if long hours are going into making my final collection then it will be the best it can be. However I do find it almost unfair, if fair was a thing, that money is a big factor to passing a degree. At the end of the day it should be the designs and the quality of craftsmanship that qualifies for a good degree, in my opinion anyway.

I feel an odd sense of pride in the fact that my third year is being considered to show at graduate fashion. Even though it is not my collection, and I have done very little towards it (in the grand scheme of things), I like to think I have helped reduce the workload a little bit with the time consuming necessities that go along with a collection such as ironing the garments and changing hangers. 

It seems so far fetched to think that I would be good enough to show at graduate fashion in London, but I suppose that is the goal at the end of the day even if it is daunting.

Georgia x

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[Professional Practice]

The last two weeks in my lectures I have learnt quite a few things. The first of these is not related to the lectures at all, but more of an internal realisation about what people are like outside of my bubble. People are rude, even when paying for the privilege of this further education; not out rightly through shouting or anything like that, and some may not even notice it, but by not turning up to lectures put on by a working professional it is rude to them and embarrassing for those who do turn up because we don’t want that kind of reputation that we don’t care. Because we do. 

The lectures were ACTUALLY about the fashion industry and jobs, job searching, everything that comes together to create the industry as a whole. I find it difficult in these situations when I am asked what kind of area I would like to go into- I don’t know. I’m not an out right designer I know that much, but we only really get experience in designing and making. I may be a good marketer or buyer but I don’t know. Communications always seems more “realistic” in terms of how the jobs in the field of branding and marketing etc will be when we leave university, but I love designing and making my own creations.

When applying for university I had the standard “are you sure” from my parents, because fashion is so competitive, and a parent just wants to make sure their child can make a living (so they’re not living at home forever if nothing else). This is what shocked me, and my mum when I told her, that you can earn so much more in the “boring” jobs in the eyes of a definite designer. Jobs such as quality assurance and merchandising and the more math-based jobs. But I like these because I am good at maths, but I never think I could go into these fields because I don’t feel as though I have the experience or the knowledge to do such jobs. 

It is a lot to research and think about in the next year or so, and I know it is going to go way too fast to ever be prepared, but I guess all I can do it try and hope for the best.

Georgia x

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[Professional Practice]

It is interesting to learn about what the fashion industry is really like, looking outside of my education bubble. In reality, grades mean nothing once you leave university, and you will never be able to make everyone happy no matter what you do so it is a choice one must make as a person to find which battles they are going to fight. This is especially important in fashion, I believe anyway, as there is so much controversy about different subjects: sweatshops and cheap labour, the use of animal products, environmental impacts, cultural appropriation. Whatever you do it will be treading on someones toes, and in some was if it isn’t then it won’t be interesting or get noticed. For the next two years at least, before I am released into the real world of fashion, I will need to find my feet and decide where I stand on all of these subjects, and find out where I am willing to sway on my views and where I will stand firm.

What a lot to think about.

Georgia x

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Changing the characteristics of fonts to replicate the NIKE logo on Adobe Illustrator

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Creating a template to fashion proportions

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Trying out illustration styles from editorials

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Drawing a live model