'Don't cry because it's over, Smile because it happened'. - Dr Seuss.
Final vintage myth - Everything vintage is made out of old curtains.
WOW we have come to the end of Art Foundation and what a year it has been and what a journey I have been on. I have finally come to the end of my year within the arts. I will continue with the arts and develop my drawing whether that be with life drawing or progressing with my fashion drawings. A special thank you to 3 people in particular being Kimberley Foulder who has become the mum of the foundation and I love this women so much! She is an inspiration to the world and knows what she wants to do and what she wants to be. Secondly Jessica Beeby who is one special person who has a strong mind and knows what she wants and how to get it. She has kept my mouth under control and made me see sense in everything that I do and helped progress me from a boy to a man. Finally the most special and talented women of all time (getting goosebumps already), Chelsea Hicks, Chelly is my best friend and the person who has been there for me through my 3 years at Cronton, she works her fingers to the bone defying the boundaries of art and is so special and couldn't imagine my life without her. An incredible person and everyone needs a Chelly in there life. She is going to be massive in the arts and animation. Watch this space. What a week it has been!! Bike is finally fixed which is a miracle, was water damage. I have constructed my final piece which can be seen below. Don't cry because it's over, Smile because it happened is try, I want to cry because it's over but then I look back and realize that it has been the best year of my life.
This is the final piece. after a tiring week to get it finished I have finally done it and it represents the 'death of Haute Couture' and the idea that Haute Couture is attending it's own funeral, I feel through this piece I have accomplished this as the colour means that it could be worn to a funeral as it's dark. It is made from bin bags which shows the idea of recycled fashion and the concept of disposable fashion which is ultimately killing Haute Couture. The dress cost around £5 in materials to make which shows the relative cost compared to the £10,000+ price tag that is placed on the likes of Chanel and Dior. It works for me this dress as the dress is primarily made up of crochet with the massive skirt that lies over the top. The crochet took me around 20-25hours to do as it was highly time consuming cutting the bin bags and then having to crochet them correctly to make them fit the mannequin. The dress fits well and covers all basis' when it comes to garment creation. Adding wax to the skirt has enabled me to create a new texture and adds weight to the dress. The white background contrasts against the dress allowing it to be lifted from the page and adds a subtlety of innocence to the dress. What a final piece to show what I could do when I put my mind to it and feel the piece is representative of what Haute Couture is and what is will become. My main inspiration being Gareth Pugh who created a series of dresses that where Haute Couture and contradicted everything that it is. Is this dress a perfect contradiction?
This is the back of the dress which is where the concept of the death had to be put forward and how I could represent the death through a dress and without words. I found this tricky and continued the thoughts... How can I put forward the idea of death without words and display the concepts of attending your own funeral? I came to the conclusion that a coffin was required as this symbolizes death as it is taken down the isle at a funeral. Doing the crochet was hard as it required accurately adding and taking out crochet stitches to form the dress. Next was attaching it to the waistband and the straps which was again tricky as the angles to make the dress work was a harder than I anticipated. Making the straps fit within the angles was hard and had to be done precisely and to the right height and width. The coffin determined the width of the straps as they attached to it. It sits across the back as it is a flat surface which is wasn't possible with the front of the dress. It is an accurate dress and works so well as a piece and a concept and reflects what I want it to. The concept of a dress having to mime to push forward it's message. The skirt represents the cracks that are forming in the Haute Couture whether that be the increasing cost of the industry, the dwindling fashion houses who can afford to put the shows on and deliver such a spectacle. Cracks are forming and want the skirt to represent this with the layers displaying the industry and how its built.
Haute Couture is most definitely attending its own funeral.
