Haute Couture collections are described as
one-off, almost ‘un-wearable’ pieces of artwork. Their breath-taking details
and textures fascinates me, and have always been the basis for both, the
context that I can imagine myself to be placed in once graduating, and the
methods and techniques that I enjoy working with in my sampling work.
Alexander McQueen has always been an
inspiration. Visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum earlier in the week, I had
the opportunity to finally experience the effect of his work in the flesh, in
the exhibition ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’.
The above quote, taken from the exhibition, has
stuck with me since visiting, and I have used his words as inspiration for my
own mood board production. I take from his words the idea that I want my pieces
to be known as being produced by me, not similar to other people already
working in the industry; I need to work out what it is that makes the pieces
unique to the designer. For me, I aim to show myself through my work, through
using my own drawings and creating my own beading materials, something that no
one else is able to use.
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| Selection of mood boards from Unit X sketchbooks containing colour, texture and pattern |
Working from a collection of gathered imagery,
colours and textures; I enjoy trying to express my thought processes through
mood boards and drawing techniques. By doing this, I feel I am then able to
develop my work through sampling, pulling out different references to
embroidery stitches or textures or colours that compliment one another etc.
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| Left to right: pin-prick drawings, detail of drawing, beaded sample |
Similarly to the production of mood boards, I
have began my drawing process through using a pin marking method; using slow,
repetitive marks to create pattern and texture upon the paper surface. Looking
at the marks, I see how I am able to translate my new collection of drawings
into embroidery stitch, this being my next task. As well as understanding my
next step to the process of my work, through creating these pieces, the state
in which my emotions play is one of calm and meditative, sending me back to the
place of the shoreline that I so greatly enjoy.
