Pattern designs

Now that I'm working on patterns, I want to see how they'd look on a top I am aiming to create. Here I have done quick, basic sketches to see whether the patterns would work or not. The style of the top needs to balance with the pattern as there needs to be equal amounts of twenties features as well as modern elements. I really like the idea of using something that has elements of art deco as I find this is the most recognisable pattern from the decade.
I've then decided to draw some full outfit designs to figure out whether it works as a statement piece or needs to be fully styled. Despite being a stand out piece, I really want to include suit trousers with the top as this allows the masculine theme to come out. Due to the research into female icons that wore clothes that gave them masculine silhouettes, I feel this is the best way to add a smart and sophisticated edge. I tested both pink and yellow but really did not like the pink as it creates an extremely feminine appearance and did not stand enough against the black. I'm going to use yellow as I find the colour is bolder and contrasts the black stronger.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4                                                                        Figure 5

Figure 1 Authors own

Figure 2 Authors own

Figure 3 Authors own

Figure 4 Authors own

Figure 5 Authors own

The Sixties

Mary Quant is a fashion designer who, in the 1960's invented the mini skirt. She is now know as one of the most important fashion designers of the decade and influential figures in the fashion industry. This provided women the ability to show flesh without shocking people, but instead becoming fashion icons. Today the sixties are known for fashion being bold and daring and the decade where women wore exciting clothes. Like the twenties, this provided them more rights to look how they wanted to look, rather than cover due to others views. I want to compare this to today's fashion and it is becoming increasingly revealing but does it have the same effect? Do people wear these items to show people that fashion can express style and personality or do designers create these pieces to sell their brand?

Another designer that created an impact in the 1960's was Paco Rabanne. His fashion was an instant change for the usual womenswear of the time as it was exciting and extravagant. With heavily embellished dresses, the fashion was now fulled with glamour and unlike the stereotyped housewife of the 60's, this allowed another side of fashion to become apparent. The photo below is from the 60's a displays one of Rabannes designs. They were extremely detailed and decorative, much like the styles of the 20's. This photo is a great example of what I'm researching as the body position presents a sexual side of the fashion but at the same time, displays power by the model. What she's wearing gives her dominance without losing any womens rights.

Figure 1

Figure 1 Konrad Siebenhüter. Do you remember? The 60's. 2013. [Online]. Available at http://knittingkonrad.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/do-you-remember-the-60s-fashion-icons-part-3/

Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy was America's first lady in the 1960's. Married to President John Kennedy, she became an important figure in her own right. Since the Kennedy's time in politics to modern day, she is a fashion icon with many historical outfits. The pink suit worn at Kennedy's assassination is her most known outfit not only due to her wearing it at the time of her husbands death, but it was a suit never seen by someone in politics before. Despite an expected idea of what a women in an important career should wear, she contradicted the formal style by wearing stylish and glamorous outfits. She allowed herself to dissolve the stereotype of the housewife in America and became as well known as her husband. They became a modern, fashionable couple whose left a legacy on American politics and culture. I have used the information I have found about the 60's as research for my final project as it is another era where women gained more rights to wear what they wanted and therefore, like Kennedy gained a more important role in society.

Figure 1

Figure 1 Authors own

2014 Fashion week

A common trend seen at Fashion week was the use of the masculine figure. Burberry included formal suit wear such as pencil skirts, blazers and long coats. 

Figure 1

Rag and Bone included two piece suits with crop tops. Both Jonathan Saunders also used formal trousers and Erdem included formal shirts with skirts also.

Figure 2

Figure 3 

Figure 4

Another brand that did this was Christopher Kane who displayed knee length dresses with cut out shapes. A feature all included along with these smart, masculine styles was mesh material.

Figure 5

This has really stood out to me as the fashion managed to not only look smart but stylish and revealing. The use of this material added an almost provocative style but because it was balanced with the pencil skirts or suit trousers, the outfits remained formal but had an edge. These designers displayed women who looked professional but fashionable and as an outcome, represented them as people who could wear what they want and still be taken professionally. Similar to the Jazz era, women now wore adventurous designs but gained self control and the rights they deserved. What I am looking to do for the styling of the photo shoot is to create a crop top with elements of the 1920's (such as embellishment) but have the model wear suit trousers with it and also to include mesh to give a modern element. I find that it is also a material that displays skin but still remains acceptable.

Figure 1 Ngoni Rutendo Chikwenengere. Burberry SS14 London fashion week. 2013. [Online]. Available at http://www.iamnrc.com/2013/09/18/burberry-ss14-lburberry-ss14-lfw-london-fashion-week-fw/

Figure 2 Kimberlee Oo. Fashion: NYFW: SS14 trend roundup. 2013. [Online]. Available at http://www.yourcoffeebreak.co.uk/fashion/26338736978/nyfw-ss14-trend-round-up/

Figure 3 Pau Mendoza. A timeless print for spring. 2014. [Online]. Available at http://vintik.co/blog/a-timeless-print-for-spring/

Figure 4 Creyna Monique. Fashion: Erdem SS14 show. 2013. [Online]. Available at http://freakdeluxe.co.uk/fashion-erdem-ss14-show/

Figure 5 Nateisha Scott. Pastel trend report S/S14. 2014. [Online]. Available at http://www.itslavida.com/pastel-trend-report-ss14/

American Apparel

The brand I am paying most attention to is American Apparel.They are famous for the provocative advertisements. The positions of the body are very seductive and erotic. However, this can be seen as exploiting women in order to attract attention and sell the brand. Due to the clothing being extremely simple, this can be the reasoning behind it. But, the counter argument that can be given here is they might be trying to tell people that beauty doesn't appear by having over the top clothes, but instead, natural beauty is what makes someone have sex appeal. What I am focused on is the body positions and if the clothes were from the 20's but the women in the positions of the adverts would they have the same effect?

Figure 1

This photo explores my idea as the model is extremely natural but because she is presented in a sexual form, the theme of the image becomes more aimed at being sexualised. I am interested in looking at these positions and if a model wore clothes from the 1920's, would it have the same effect.

Figure 2

Figure 1 Jessica Brinton. It's hip to be sexist. 2013. [Online] Available at http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/living/Wellbeing/article1251050.ece
Figure 2 Authors own

Women's fashion brands

Figure 1

The brand Victoria's Secret is a great example of a brand where the question I'm researching can be focused at. It can be seen as fashion that either provides women the ability to be confident and wear what they want or do the models represent what customers think they want to be. They may be seen as an advertising method for people to think they can appear this way if they buy from the store. In comparison to the 20's, Victoria's Secret obviously shows more flesh but the same rights can be seen from another perspective; women should be allowed to wear these things no matter what decade it is.

Figure 1 W. Andrew Powell. Victoria's Secret fashion show 2012 gallery preview. 2013. [Online]. Available at http://www.thegate.ca/news/013187/victorias-secret-2012-fashion-show/

Adverts

I have found a selection of images from Manigale advertising that focuses on the idea of women and what they represent in advertising. The purpose of looking at these images is due to the aim of my project; I started by looking at the beginning point of women's liberation in fashion (which was the 20's) and I now want to see if fashion has the same purpose in modern culture. From this I noticed that by allowing women to display more skin and to cut their hair, they gained more rights as they were in control of their bodies. What I have now looked at is does this apply to modern fashion. This advert is a good starting point to finding out whether this is true. They allow people to wonder whether, because a man is used, do they provide the same effect? This enables the idea of whether liberation is now being taken advantage of to sell brands.

Figure 1

Figure 1 Michael D'Alimonte. 2013. This Is What Happens When Men Replace Women In Motorcycle Ads. [Online]. Available at http://www.mtlblog.com/2013/10/this-is-what-happens-when-men-replace-women-in-motorcycle-ads/#