THE REAL LIFE INSPIRATION

Jan 29, 2017
3 min read

One of the courses I study at HELMO University is called "Stylisme", which is a Fashion design course. In this course the first project we started this year called -"Chessboard", which is a competition named Echiquier Mode.

We were supposed to design a collection for all the figures in a chess (King, Rook, Bishop, Queen and Knight) except for a "pion"- Pawn (picture below). This one was predesigned and we all were just supposed to sew it, either in a white or black version. The reason for the poin being predesigned was to teach us the industry techniques of making a pocket, collar, lining or interfacing and so on. At the end, we were evaluated on how much we have learned.

But now back to my collection. For this project I wanted to do something relevant, something which is inspired by a real issue in this world. Therefore, I based my research on WAR and how it affects people. I could also see a huge connection between this theme and the one we were given from the Univeversity -

The Chessboard.

Chess is a strategic and logical game, where two players are "fighting" each other, capturing the oponents in order to diminish the King and win the game. It is also a game of power, similar the war which is a game of money.

I did an extensive research about the frist and second World War and also about the conflicts in the world happening these days. Believe me, these articles were not pleasant to read but I wanted to understand this issue at least a bit more and to pay a tribute to all the innocent people and their families who were affected by the war in any way. I used a tragic event like the Pershaw massacre to build the story behind the garments. All my work was carefully thought up with a huge focus on details.

For this project, however, we weren't making a full collection, what we did was just to design it and than the judges of the competition would chose for us the colour (black &white) and the figure we were supposed to make. I was given a white King. Which ment I was not allowed to use any other colour than white plus only 10 - 30% of gold. At first I was not very satisfied with the choice of the colour and I was actually thinking of changing it, (if I could) because I have already designed my collection in black which matched my theme better. However, I took it like a challenge and developed the silhouette of the King in white after all.

At the beginning, it seemed, I will do just 2 garments - the jacket with wide shoulders and a dress worn underneathe. However, along the process I realised that I would much prefer to devide the dress to a top and a skirt.

THE MOOD BOARD

INSPIRATION AND THE DETAIL OF THE FABRIC USED FOR THE SKIRT

I created this interesting surface by burning a fake leather under a candle to create effect of "skin scars / war wounds" or "gun" holes.

"If the majority of humans beings do not want wars,

but at the same time believe that it is impossible to stop them,

then the first change we must bring about is in our hands.

We must change the idea that "it is not possible" because it is only what we believe about reality that prevents us from transforming it."

Mikhail Gorbachev, 1997

IN THE FASHION STUDIO

This is a detail of shoulder on the jacket. It is weaved with the strips of different colours of white, textured fabric, gold rope and Vinyl crocodile gold fake leather fabric.