Last week I immersed myself in the world of decorative arts at the Victoria and Albert museum. I was searching for print design inspiration for a textile course I have coming up in December. More about that in a later post.
While I was at the V&A I took the opportunity to have a look at 'Future Fashion Now' an exhibition showing work by the 2008 fashion graduates from the Royal College of Art. The exhibition presents concept, technique, form and detail by displaying student's sketchbooks, inspiration images, experimental mock-up designs and finished outfits.
Here are a few of my favourites. All displays were behind glass so please excuse any odd reflections on the photos.
Bold grafics and unexpected colour combinations.
Wool, viscose and copper.
Inspired by avant-garde designs of 1920's & 30's.
Designs by Lea Carreno
Juxtaposing fine and heavy guage knits to create interesting buoyancy and movement.
Left: Wool, silk and viscose
Right: Wool, viscose and leather
Design by Timothy Lee
A creative solution to making fabric stand away from the body.
Invisible strips of fused wool form an under-structure to produce controlled folds.
Jacket: Leather
Dress: wool, viscose and neoprene
Design by Timothy Lee
Stiff neoprene becomes the integral part of the coat's streamlined collar.
Exaggerated shoulders are heavily padded.
Coat: wool, silk and neoprene
Dress: viscose and neoprene
Design by Abbie Shaw
Fused fabric and wadding give structure to this boxy dress.
The card model reveals how the pattern was constructed.
Dress: wool
Neckpiece: acrylic and cotton
Design by Hiekki Salonen
The coat's silhouette was created by experimenting with traditional tailoring techniques.
The fringe and raw edges reveal the coat's previous life as a blanket.
Fabric: wool and silk
Designs by Hiekki Salonen
Gilet: cotton and silk
Dress: silk and faux pearls
