The geometric Pinafore Dress, 2024 was the product of a womenswear study I completed near the end of 2024. This study sought to understand how geometry and symmetry can inspire the methods in which clothing is designed, and subsequently affect the natural shapes and symmetry of the human body. Additionally, This dress allowed me to further research historic women’s styles, particularly in the healthcare industry, and how specific Design elements connect to the requirements of an occupation.
The documentation of this study covers the initial sketches of my dress design, to what/where I drew inspiration from as well as the final garment on a model.
Personal Design Process: Initial Sketching
THESE SKETCHES DISPLAY THE INITIAL STAGES OF MY IDEA SYNTHESIS, WHERE SHAPES, SYMMETRY AND GEOMETRY WERE NOT ONLY EXPERIMENTED WITH BUT USED AS A GUIDE TO HELP COALESCE 2-D DESIGN ELEMENTS INTO A SUCCESSFUL 3-D PRODUCT. AFTER STARTING WITH A BILATERALLY SYMMETRICAL SHAPE, I BEGAN INTEGRATING IT INTO RADIAL PATTERNS THAT HAD A CENTRE AXIS AND OTHER, ORBITING ELEMENTS.
I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE HUMAN BODY IS A BILATERALLY SYMMETRICAL ORGANIC STRUCTURE, IN WHICH SOMETHING LIKE A DRESS WOULD HAVE TO SOMEWHAT CONFORM TO (DIMENSIONS-WISE MORESO THAN ACTUAL DESIGN). THESE SKETCHES WERE MAINLY USED TO INSPIRE THE STYLE OF SHAPES I WOULD USE THROUGHOUT THE GARMENT AS WELL AS THE PARTICULAR MANNER OF DRAPING I WOULD ADHERE TO.
Personal Design Process: The Idea of Symmetry Examined Further
THE BILATERAL SYMMETRY OF THE BODY FASCINATED ME THROUGHOUT MY PROCESS CREATING THIS DRESS. FROM MY PRELIMINARY IDEA PHASE ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL HOURS OF HANDSEWING, I CONTINUED TO THINK ABOUT WHERE THE BODY SPLITS DOWN THE CENTRE TO PRODUCE TWO IDENTICAL HALVES AND HOW MY PROJECT WOULD HELP COMMUNICATE THIS. I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO CREATE A SINGULAR GARMENT THAT WAS MORE LONGLINE, AND FELT AS THOUGH A DRESS WOULD REFLECT THE COMPONENTS OF THE BODY BEST AND ALLOW FOR A CENTRE AXIS LINE TO BE VISIBLE. FROM THERE, I COULD DESIGN OUTWARDS FROM THE CENTRE KEEPING THE SYMMETRY I DESIRED IN MIND.
I TOOK INSPIRATION FROM ARTISTS SUCH AS VEROLJUB NAUMOVIĆ, WHO’S EXHIBITIONS SUCH AS THE ONE DISPLAYED FOR BELGRADE’S “PRIVATE VALUE” COMPETITION INVESTIGATED THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE SHAPES OF THE BODY AND OF THE INANIMATE THINGS WE INTERACT WITH AND ARE AFFECTED BY. MY OWN INVESTIGATION AND STUDY BEGAN WHEN I STARTED TO EXAMINE THE WAYS IN WHICH CLOTHING REFLECTS THE BODY IN A LITERAL SENSE THROUGH SHAPE.
Personal Design Process: The Idea of Health Examined
THE TOPIC OF HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE INTRIGUED ME DURING THIS STUDY, IN PARTICULAR HOW HEALTH IS PORTRAYED IN BRANDON CRONENBERG’S FILM ANTIVIRAL (2012). The cold, stark world in which the film’s characters live in prioritizes asepticism and rids all things able in contributing to putrefaction. The protagonist Syd March and his contrasting black suit simultaneously blend into the population he works with and serves, while also communicating the idea that he is somewhat spoiled or impure. I was heavily inspired by the idea that white equates to purity and transparency and black to imperfection and rot: a fraught relationship between two shades that I attempted to explore through the use of the white cotton drill fabric and the black adhesive tape. Antiviral’s modern and minimalist colour palette help further strengthen the argument that white is pure and clean, particularly when blood splatters across some bedsheets or when Hannah Geist’s light blue eyes stare down to the audience from a TV screen, spoiling the pale and perfect monotonous white interiors that surround her projection. Syd and the rest of those living in this dystopian world are constantly haunted by the desire for perfection, which seems to be a quality only the famous have. Hannah’s perfect body and symmetrical face not only exemplify the known fact that symmetry equates to beauty, but her good looks draw people close to her, beckoning them with fake products for an ephemeral taste of her delicious life.
Cronenberg’s abstract representation of the medical industry set me on a path to further research historic female nurse uniforms, which I became fascinated by after watching Antiviral. Uniforms from the late 1940’s to 50’s often displayed a blend of practical and fashionable design elements which resulted in garments that were nice to look at and fit for working in. Examples of particular design elements being pleats in a dress’ backside, which allowed for greater ease in the back area while still adhering to the popular women’s trends of the period, which found that fuller skirts were more fashionable than slimmer ones. Small, detachable strips of fabric that cinched the back of the waist also brought in that area for an A-line silhouette, but could be removed for comfortability and increased movement. They could also make a nurse’s dress adjustable to fit a semi-wide range of sizes, decreasing the amount of graded sizes a production company would be required to produce. These were all factors I took into consideration when designing my dress, as I quite liked the idea of blending utility and functionality into my design.
Personal Design Process: Pattern Making and Photography Exploration
The pattern production process for my dress involved draping mostly, however, the front and back bodice blocks were drafted and cut freehand using the measurements of my dress form. I allowed myself to experiment while draping my toile, and urged myself to cut and shape where I felt necessary without the need to overthink. Of course, the order of operations and the construction of the dress were most certainly taken into account while draping, but once a general block for the garment was produced, i felt more confident in being able to draft additional pattern pieces on-the-go and figuring out how they would sew into their respective areas.
As for the documentation of the finished dress, i began by playing around with my camera and running some test shoots on inanimate objects and myself in order to get a clearer idea on how i wanted the light to interact with my results. This phase in my process helped me understand what types of lighting work best for capturing clothing on the body and how to maintain the emotional and thematic integrity of a photograph while still clearly presenting the focal product. While i do not consider myself a professional photographer in any regard, i believe the results from my photoshoot satisfied the concept i had envisioned.
Once i had experimented on myself, i completed some test shoots with my model, Lauren denny, and the dress.
Personal Design Process: Final Product
These images display multiple angles of the final dress in full form. Throughout the production process, small changes and adaptations to the inital design were made, but the end result was most certainly a success and accurately communicated my intended vision for this project.
