Back to the beginning...initial brief

...'In the western tradition, comets have long been identified as harbingers of change. In his 1906 novel In the Days of the Comet (set a century ago in 1910, the date of Halley's last but one apparition) the British socialist and science fiction writer HG Wells imagines the appearance of a comet over the United Kingdom which released a green gas that creates a 'Great Change ' in all man kind, turning away from war and exploitation and towards rationalism and a heightened appreciation of beauty. Notably , this shift in understanding is achieved not through human agency, but through an ineffable alien force.

While current scientific theory posits that comets are nothing more than elliptically orbiting clumps of dust,ice and gas, utterly indifferent to our affairs, they remain powerful reminders of the way in which our species has attempted to understand experience through the measuring of time (Becky Beasley, Tris Vonna-Micchel and Maaike Schoorel). the writing of history (Karla Black, Luke Fowleer and The Otolith Group), the inference of cosmological influence (as we see in the work of Spartacus Chetwynd, Roger Hiorns, Gail Pickering, David Noonan), the identification of patterns of conduct and form (Karin Ruggaber, Simon Martin, Edgar Schnitz and Phoebe Unwin), and the notion of a derministic universe (as we see in the work of Brian Griffiths, Sarah Lucas and Keith Wilson)...

Final Design

Below is a Photoshop image of my final design for my garment. I combined the fabric sample and scrunching technique to sit on the top and bottom of my garment. I used stretch fabric to create a figure hugging bodycon and ensure the scrunch material looks chunky standing off the dress! I used a chunky gold zip on the left hand side of my garment, by exposing the teeth i think it gave the dress a more space age, robotic feel. I changed my colourways to golds/bronzes' as i thought it was more glamorous and related to the starry galaxy!

Fabric sample development

I intend on using this scrunching technique for my fabric sample to make it look a heavier material and give it more depth rather than being flat to the garment.

Final fabric sample inspired by my image

Here is an image of my final fabric sample that i wanted to include in my design. By mixing lots of scraps of fabrics together and trapping them between different materials it reminded me of my image of inspiration. I used lots of green and silver to represent the link to space and alien forces. I love that the surface texture of the fabric is eye-catching and touchable. After developing my sample, i then wanted to look into ways of incorporating the sample into my final garment.

Initial Inspiration

Below is the image that became my biggest inspiration for my initial design. I love the colourways and the mystery behind the image, it reminds me of another world mixed with space and cosmological themes. From this image i started to sample different fabrics in a way i thought connected with the image.

Cosmo Influence

Christopher Kane Resort 2011


Christopher Kane has drawn inspiration from the cosmos, similar to the inspiration from Malachite. Bringing cosmological influences together with feminine designs for garments it creates a futuristic innovative piece. The vibrant starry print is feminine, modern and unique.