Finally started pattern cutting and toileing (if that's how you spell it) my garment for my Royal Brief - if i can finish this one within the next week - i can get a start on my second one - so far i'm on track to do a minimum of 2 which is great!!
Here's some pics of the dress in the design process!
*insert pic*
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
I've Found A World...Where Love And Dreams And Darkness All Collide
Story
My research into Marie Antoinette led me to find out about her constant need for privacy and a sense of normality in her life. I found more out about this during my research for my story - when she was raised in the Hapsburg Palace she would still play with "normal" children, and be schooled and would have access to gardens and beautiful surroundings. I stuck this in my Sketchbook as this idea of Escapism has captivated me:
The idea of coming from a royal background and extreme luxurious - then wanting to have an escape or a retreat to retire to away from everything - it's so beautiful and reminds me of "Through The Looking Glass"
Trimmings + Textiles
I usually hate adding textiles to any garments i design because i just feel it is so unnesscary especially when i find the most gorgeous material so i avoid it like the plague - HOWEVER - with this project i've opened my mind a lot more to textiles and having spoken to Louise about my initial ideas about what i wanted to portray in my textile element - she has really helped me push those ideas and i can't wait to start sampling them next week.
Heres the rundown of my textiles element:
Above is Grayson Perry - renowned for his gorgeous artwork from afar but as soon as you get close and examine it, it reveals its hidden horrors ( I'll let you research what i mean ).
I want to embroider a part of my story onto the train of my garment(s) - The stories focus is the Libelle's (french pamphlets) ruining Marie Antoinettes image and constantly gossiping about her until her death by guillotine. Some things that were reported on where Lesbian affairs, Affairs in General, Orgies, Louis Impotency, Incest, Theft (Jewel Heist), Austrian Women in french is easily twisted intoOstrich Bitch etc.
These pamhplets began to circulate when the marriage wasnt consummated and rumours of Louis erection problems were the butt of jokes - as her popularity declined they focused more about her until her death - i also want to include the september massacres.
Here are some images...:
Her last words were "Monsieur, I ask your pardon. I did not do it on purpose." For stepping on Sanson's foot ( the executioner ) i wanna embroider this into the train aswell at the bottom to symbolise the last words of Marie Antoinette but i would like to interpret it as a she is saying it for anything she may have done in the past. Louise suggested i could print those pictures onto fabric and make the printed fabrics into roses so the horror is concealed and only partially visible when close - i love this idea but im still not sure whther the images will be seen enough because i dont want it to take away from the shock of the images - i will try this in my next textiles class.
Current Samples
Above are a selection of trimmings along with - Ink print over lace, Quilting which includes a patterned version and a cut out version.
Lace in it's original form and then dyed royal blue - Shearing Elastic in organized rows and randomly to created ruffles and Smocking which i definitly won't be using. I will definitly be using the lace but im not sure i've found the technique i want to use on my garment yet.
Designs
My designs are split into 2 seperate stories of Marie Antoinettes life - The first 10 are from her structured, public, and extravagent life full of partiesand gambling at the palace of versaille - and my 2nd 10 are inspired by the escapism to the country retreat and the petit trianon playing dress-up as milkmaids and shepherdesses with her closest friends and children.
Palace Of Versaille
"Pillow Talk" + "Consummation" + "Glistening Jewel" + "Whalebone" + "Gamble Gala" + "Playful Princess"
Country Retreat
"The Hamlet Shepherdess" + "The Harp" + "Green Pastures" + "Hamlet" + "The Grand Staircase" + "Fragonard Has Swung"
"Court Petit" + "Hidden Admirers"
Musical Sidenote
Heres a few songs that i would consider using as a catwalk for this royal collection - each section ( Palace of versaille + Country Retreat ) would have a different song as well as a transitional song to show the change.
These songs have really inspired me while designing and helped create an image of an overall product in my head.
My research into Marie Antoinette led me to find out about her constant need for privacy and a sense of normality in her life. I found more out about this during my research for my story - when she was raised in the Hapsburg Palace she would still play with "normal" children, and be schooled and would have access to gardens and beautiful surroundings. I stuck this in my Sketchbook as this idea of Escapism has captivated me:
The idea of coming from a royal background and extreme luxurious - then wanting to have an escape or a retreat to retire to away from everything - it's so beautiful and reminds me of "Through The Looking Glass"
Trimmings + Textiles
I usually hate adding textiles to any garments i design because i just feel it is so unnesscary especially when i find the most gorgeous material so i avoid it like the plague - HOWEVER - with this project i've opened my mind a lot more to textiles and having spoken to Louise about my initial ideas about what i wanted to portray in my textile element - she has really helped me push those ideas and i can't wait to start sampling them next week.
Heres the rundown of my textiles element:
Above is Grayson Perry - renowned for his gorgeous artwork from afar but as soon as you get close and examine it, it reveals its hidden horrors ( I'll let you research what i mean ).
I want to embroider a part of my story onto the train of my garment(s) - The stories focus is the Libelle's (french pamphlets) ruining Marie Antoinettes image and constantly gossiping about her until her death by guillotine. Some things that were reported on where Lesbian affairs, Affairs in General, Orgies, Louis Impotency, Incest, Theft (Jewel Heist), Austrian Women in french is easily twisted intoOstrich Bitch etc.
These pamhplets began to circulate when the marriage wasnt consummated and rumours of Louis erection problems were the butt of jokes - as her popularity declined they focused more about her until her death - i also want to include the september massacres.
Here are some images...:
Her last words were "Monsieur, I ask your pardon. I did not do it on purpose." For stepping on Sanson's foot ( the executioner ) i wanna embroider this into the train aswell at the bottom to symbolise the last words of Marie Antoinette but i would like to interpret it as a she is saying it for anything she may have done in the past. Louise suggested i could print those pictures onto fabric and make the printed fabrics into roses so the horror is concealed and only partially visible when close - i love this idea but im still not sure whther the images will be seen enough because i dont want it to take away from the shock of the images - i will try this in my next textiles class.
Current Samples
Above are a selection of trimmings along with - Ink print over lace, Quilting which includes a patterned version and a cut out version.
Lace in it's original form and then dyed royal blue - Shearing Elastic in organized rows and randomly to created ruffles and Smocking which i definitly won't be using. I will definitly be using the lace but im not sure i've found the technique i want to use on my garment yet.
Designs
My designs are split into 2 seperate stories of Marie Antoinettes life - The first 10 are from her structured, public, and extravagent life full of partiesand gambling at the palace of versaille - and my 2nd 10 are inspired by the escapism to the country retreat and the petit trianon playing dress-up as milkmaids and shepherdesses with her closest friends and children.
Palace Of Versaille
"Pillow Talk" + "Consummation" + "Glistening Jewel" + "Whalebone" + "Gamble Gala" + "Playful Princess"
Country Retreat
"The Hamlet Shepherdess" + "The Harp" + "Green Pastures" + "Hamlet" + "The Grand Staircase" + "Fragonard Has Swung"
"Court Petit" + "Hidden Admirers"
Musical Sidenote
Heres a few songs that i would consider using as a catwalk for this royal collection - each section ( Palace of versaille + Country Retreat ) would have a different song as well as a transitional song to show the change.
These songs have really inspired me while designing and helped create an image of an overall product in my head.
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Emroidery Schmoidery
I absolutely hate emboirdery, i really hate adding anything to a garments material, i'm quite simplistic in that sense HOWEVER this is an embroidery project and the skill will come in handy so i can't completely dismiss this or lack in this part since everything else is looking brilliant.
I've finished my general research into marie antoinette and found all the focus points that im basing my designs on ( currently have 9 with about 4/5 more to draw up and obviously anything else that comes into my head while continuing this project )
After this i was gonna start putting my designs, however i have decided not to and am gonna have the next part of my sketchbook dedicated to developing embroidery techniques that can be applied to my material for this project. Then i can re-edit my basic designs with the new techniques.
Embroidery Story
I also think that the embroidery has to mean something and tell a story not just something that looks pretty. ( will check the brief )
Keeping that in mind after looking back at my research and genereal designs i have ideas for genereal embroidery of the time and then my initial story which for me will be apart of an added detail to each design (secret).
I'm gonna be looking at embroidered flowers:
Fabric Flowers:
Thankfully my nan has been a florist all her life and can do anything to do with flowers!
Porcelain Patterns (Sevres):
Carpenters Carvings:
I've finished my general research into marie antoinette and found all the focus points that im basing my designs on ( currently have 9 with about 4/5 more to draw up and obviously anything else that comes into my head while continuing this project )
After this i was gonna start putting my designs, however i have decided not to and am gonna have the next part of my sketchbook dedicated to developing embroidery techniques that can be applied to my material for this project. Then i can re-edit my basic designs with the new techniques.
Embroidery Story
I also think that the embroidery has to mean something and tell a story not just something that looks pretty. ( will check the brief )
Keeping that in mind after looking back at my research and genereal designs i have ideas for genereal embroidery of the time and then my initial story which for me will be apart of an added detail to each design (secret).
I'm gonna be looking at embroidered flowers:
Fabric Flowers:
Thankfully my nan has been a florist all her life and can do anything to do with flowers!
Porcelain Patterns (Sevres):
Carpenters Carvings:
Thursday, 16 September 2010
The Wallace Collection
I would love to go to this exhibition - but with the deadline of the project and funding i might have to miss it unfortunately and just google the exhibit.
Basically the collection houses one of Europes finest collections of works of art, paintings, furniture, arms & armour and porcelain.
I would like to look at the porcelain used since at Marie Antoinettes Hamlet there we're porcelain milk churns - so im interested in the patterns they would have had
Here is an exquisite piece of porcelain from
I love the swirls, and elegance of such a small piece of porcelain
Other stuff i have looked at is also one of my favourite pieces of art work EVER!
According to the poet Collé, the history painter Doyen was commissioned by an unnamed ‘gentleman of the Court’ to paint his young mistress on a swing, pushed by a bishop with himself admiring her legs from below.
Fragonard, who became well-known for his erotic genre-pictures, proved better suited to paint the work, in which the impudent reference to the church has been omitted, leaving the girl as the main focus, delicious in her froth of pink silk, poised mid-air tantalizingly beyond the reach of both her elderly seated admirer and her excited young lover.
I just love all the connotation behind this paiting and in an extent reminds me of marie antoinette alot - very beautiful and young - and at the same time very naive and playful and susceptible to rumours being layed upon her due to her immature and air-head manner.
Basically the collection houses one of Europes finest collections of works of art, paintings, furniture, arms & armour and porcelain.
I would like to look at the porcelain used since at Marie Antoinettes Hamlet there we're porcelain milk churns - so im interested in the patterns they would have had
Here is an exquisite piece of porcelain from
- Sèvres, France
- 1758 - 1759
I love the swirls, and elegance of such a small piece of porcelain
Other stuff i have looked at is also one of my favourite pieces of art work EVER!
- Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732 - 1806)
- The Swing
- France
- 1767
According to the poet Collé, the history painter Doyen was commissioned by an unnamed ‘gentleman of the Court’ to paint his young mistress on a swing, pushed by a bishop with himself admiring her legs from below.
Fragonard, who became well-known for his erotic genre-pictures, proved better suited to paint the work, in which the impudent reference to the church has been omitted, leaving the girl as the main focus, delicious in her froth of pink silk, poised mid-air tantalizingly beyond the reach of both her elderly seated admirer and her excited young lover.
I just love all the connotation behind this paiting and in an extent reminds me of marie antoinette alot - very beautiful and young - and at the same time very naive and playful and susceptible to rumours being layed upon her due to her immature and air-head manner.
Tie your collar and you can cuff me anytime!
I struggled before to find any information on collars and cuffs but maybe that's because i was literally just typing in collar and cuffs to google - not good - then my brain turned on and i typed 18th century etc etc and WALLAH im back in the game.
I'm only looking at cuffs and collars relevant to my era since i know the direction i want to go in so there is no point in researching all the others - just a waste of space in my sketchbook!
Ok here goes:
Cuffs
They were fake!! which i find really interesting - they would be pinned or tucked under tight elbow length sleeves - so basically they were an added extra and were called Engageantes - In the 18th century, engageantes took the form of ruffles or flounces of linen, cotton, or lace.
The photo of Marie Antoinette here shows a closeup of the engageantes she would have worn in her era.
Because im so determined not to make nothing costumey or that can even be mentioned in the name of costume - i want to re-invent these maybe change their position as none of my garments have sleeves ( i have a slight phobia of having my sleeves down lol )
but keep the same principal - that they are removable and at the wearers discretion to wear them or not.
Moving on to....
Collars
Fichu was the main collar for an 18th century female - A fichu is a large, square kerchief worn by women to fill in the low neckline of a bodice. The fichu was generally of linen fabric and was folded diagonally into a triangle and tied, pinned, or tucked into the bodice in front - again here are some examples:
Here is a painting by Vestier ( stunning i know ) - this is a more exxagerated and fulfilling Fichu collar as opposed to the image above - again avoiding a costume look - i would like to further develop my designs by incorporating this type of collar into certain designs - Possibly by the shape of the top half of the garment or by creating a Fichu Shawl etc
Either way these new findings have inspired atleast another 5 designs that are swimming around my head!!
I'm only looking at cuffs and collars relevant to my era since i know the direction i want to go in so there is no point in researching all the others - just a waste of space in my sketchbook!
Ok here goes:
Cuffs
They were fake!! which i find really interesting - they would be pinned or tucked under tight elbow length sleeves - so basically they were an added extra and were called Engageantes - In the 18th century, engageantes took the form of ruffles or flounces of linen, cotton, or lace.
The photo of Marie Antoinette here shows a closeup of the engageantes she would have worn in her era.
Because im so determined not to make nothing costumey or that can even be mentioned in the name of costume - i want to re-invent these maybe change their position as none of my garments have sleeves ( i have a slight phobia of having my sleeves down lol )
but keep the same principal - that they are removable and at the wearers discretion to wear them or not.
Moving on to....
Collars
Fichu was the main collar for an 18th century female - A fichu is a large, square kerchief worn by women to fill in the low neckline of a bodice. The fichu was generally of linen fabric and was folded diagonally into a triangle and tied, pinned, or tucked into the bodice in front - again here are some examples:
Here is a painting by Vestier ( stunning i know ) - this is a more exxagerated and fulfilling Fichu collar as opposed to the image above - again avoiding a costume look - i would like to further develop my designs by incorporating this type of collar into certain designs - Possibly by the shape of the top half of the garment or by creating a Fichu Shawl etcEither way these new findings have inspired atleast another 5 designs that are swimming around my head!!
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