Photographs above by Rachel Berbec

Uploaded by NCState on 2018-04-18.

Research

This was a collection developed for the runway of Art2Wear 2018. Every year Art2Wear releases a theme in which the designers are to incorporate within their collection concepts. The Theme of Art2Wear 2018 | CAESURA

长恨歌 Chang Hen Ge Poem Poem Illustration

After mind mapping, I concluded that I would would draw my inspiration from a Chinese poem. While Caesura is usually categorized as breaks and pauses between lines in poetry, I concluded that caesura could also be interpreted as a key component found in storytelling. Story is used as a way for us to experience and gain insight. In its simplest form, story is a connection of cause and effect events. A good story can reveal or teach new perspectives. Usually this new insight is driven by interruption, sorrow or trouble. Our story characters struggle, persevere, and adapt as our story unfolds; an action of caesura.

Spoonflower had the pleasure of sponsoring several students at this year's Art2Wear, a student-run fashion show put on by NC State's College of Art and Design. The show, now in it's 17th year, gives students real world production and fashion exhibition experience.

The process of each look was approached differently.

Many of the pieces in this collection were projects for different classes. In other words, I did not have a formulated recipe for designing this collection. While I would always have to meet the requirements for each assignments rubric, I would also have to make appropriate aesthetic decisions that would fit the theme of Eternal.

The design process was experimental and fluid

Things adjusted accordingly based on reflection and crit feedback. I used primarily collage as a tool for sketching. These sketches remained as working pieces throughout the entire construction period. My sketch process utilized a backwards approach; a 3-dimensional form of sketching, which later would become translated into a 2-dimensional drawing and college.

The First Piece: Latchhook Bird Kimono

“臨別殷勤重寄詞，
詞中有誓兩心知，
七月七日長生殿，
夜半無人私語時。
在天願作比翼鳥，
在地願為連理枝。
天長地久有時盡，
此恨綿綿無絕期

She asked the messenger to bring back a verse with a clue.
There was a vow in the verse only the two of them knew.
On a Valentine’s Day in Longevity Hall away from the crowd,
At midnight when no one else was around, they vowed.
“Let’s be two birds in the sky flying side by side.”
“Let’s be two branches on the earth inseparably tied.”
The sky and the earth will not be eternal, however.
Only this regret remains and lasts for ever and ever. ”

— Translation by Ying Sun

The first latch hook jacket was inspired by the translated section above. Each piece in the collection was comprised from different projects from different classes. This piece was completed in my main studio where I developed and researched the concept of Eternal. The jacket began with bird drawings completed by hand, translated digitally via a Wacom tablet. I used Adobe adobe illustrator to quickly generate color variations. There were concern weather the birds would be seen because of the pixelated nature of latch hooking. Since my collection began with this piece, it really set the tone of my collection and it’ color palette. While the poem depicts many moments of beauty through the use of simple imagery, there is also a feeling of longing and loneliness which lingers between the romance of the Emperor and Lady Yang.

Pattern generated from my hand painted samples which then were digitally printed by Spoonflower. Scale of prints became adjustable.

Painted, cut and stitched back together canvas

Sample at smaller scale, laser cut wood floral

A time before the pain of latch hooking set in.

My Looks transformed throughout the making process. Pieces were switch and moved around. To keep up with my sketches, I would photoshop the parts that changed.

finalize my sketches and photoshop parts

Jury Day Concept & Sketch Proposal

Art2Wear 2018 held a formal Jury Day. Jury day is a panel of anonymous judges who hand select collections they wish to see on the runway come April. It takes place at the end of the fall semester. We are required to present two looks with a concept statement along with potential sketches for the rest of the collection. My Jury pieces were later rearranged, as shown throughout my process.

Motif & Pattern Generation | Surface Design

Beginning with just the floral bunch, this pattern was inspired by the same translation of the first latch hook bird jacket, while not incorporating the “inseparably tied branches” into the pattern.