Monday 19 December 2011

The life of a garment

For this project, my inspiration comes from the natural process of metamorphosis. I feel that the fashion industry is similar to this process as it has the ability to change. I find that fashion serves almost as memory posts of our cyclical journey in this lifetime.  

This is why I decided to create a garment as a symbol of metamorphosis. I have done this by sewing together 4 separate key pieces representing the stages of human life from the 19th to the 20th Century using muslin for an organic, timeless look.  

These 4 key pieces include: a late 19th century lily-shaped skirt attached to pencil skirt, a kimono and a sailor/war inspired collar. These are not clothes that exist in a moment of time but rather stretch to illuminate the passing of lifetimes.


When displayed with a back-light, I was able to illuminate these 4 stages of metamorphosis through the fabric. The light also enabled me to enhance the three-dimensional experience and the physical body.




By playing with the lighting, I was able to bring the garment to life, capturing the folds and creating a presence.




The wavering, organic lines of the kimono create a wrinkled texture, representing the last stage of metamorphosis.

I hope you can find the beauty in this process of natural change too! Enjoy!
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2 comments:

  1. Potiron17 March 2012 at 05:38

    Oh LuluBell... now this is awe-inspiring!!! I just love this!! did you have individual garments that you upcycled or repurposed, or did you imagine them separately before combining them?

    Love your thought process too!!! It works! can't wait to see what else you come up with!!!

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  2. Lulubell21 March 2012 at 10:51

    Hello Potiron!

    Thank you so much for your lovely comments, you are so kind!

    Well...I always knew that I wanted to create a dress that had different layers or 'stages' to it as I wanted it to really mirror the process of metamorphosis.

    So in that sense, initially, I did imagine each garment separately, but obviously I had to make sure that they worked well together once I had combined them all.

    I therefore did have to make a few changes to some of the separate pieces so that the overall garment would be visually successful.

    I wanted the garment to grow in a sense...I did this by layering each individual piece over one another, allowing the garment to consequently grow bigger and bigger...

    I hope this answers your question, I would love to answer any more that you have.

    A bientot! xxx

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