As with every project we began with a briefing. This project was slightly different as we had designer Barry Tulip, that works for Wales Bonner, introduce us to the brief. It was insightful and interesting to hear about his career: what he has done, where he has worked etc.
I started my research on Bonner by reading articles written about her as to how she started her career. This was important for me as before looking at a designers work it is helpful to view their background to see if that is an influential aspect of collections. Her collection featured in the ‘Fashion in Motion’ exhibition at the V&A shows the most direct influence of her Jamaican heritage mixed with contemporary styles. She states that she showcases the hybridity in cultural representation and that she was excited about opening up the conversation to a wider audience through Fashion in Motion. I also researched her AW18 and SS19 collection which are the two most recent and combined my favourite pieces to create a concept board as an introduction to Wales Bonner. My favourite image out of the ones I collated was from the SS19 collection which was an editorial image consisting of a woman in a white suit and a yellow flower. I think the simplicity of it initially attracted me to the image but i really like how the picture is not showing much of the garment leaving you wanting to see more of the garment and it has a sense of ‘coolness’; the way shes holding the flower in her mouth and her expression.
From this I focused solely on SS19, as stated in the brief, to develop and inspire a collection of prints/embellishments to feature in an upcoming collection. I created a second concept board that was more specific to the designs of SS19. In my opinion this is my best concept board as it includes drawings, a colour palette and I like the look of it whereas before I struggled with including all elements and being satisfied with the outcome.
On Thursday I took part in a workshop led by Barry, which consisted of taking existing garments and fabrics and draping them in unconventional ways to create completely new silhouettes. After creating a couple of looks, I began to struggle with new ideas. Barry advised me to pin different fabrics and then place it on the mannequin. Due to the different weights of the fabric they pulled in a range of areas to produce individual outcomes.
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