Photoshoot.

Sign & Digital.

Although i changed my mind about the laser cutting idea i recently went to Sign & Digital exhibition at the NEC and saw examples and found it useful. The exhibitors gave demonstrations and answered my question of what other materials can be used to laser cut. If i had attended the show before we had decided on our final design then i probably would have pushed the idea of laser cutting more as it is something i haven't tried and look effective.Below are laser cut cogs from the show. They demonstrate how well an intricate design could look if it was laser cut.

Design Page Eight.

Design Page Seven.

Design Page Six.

Design Page Five.

Design Page Four.

Design Page Three.

Design Page Two.

Design Page One.

Concept Page Five.

Concept Page Four.

Concept Page Three.

Concept Page Two.

Concept Page One.

Rectifying The Problems.

With a little bit more patience and fabric we continued to sew the blocks. Although some are not straight and have been re-sewn numerous times and with no fabric left they have had to stay on the final garment, this is a little disappointing after the amount of planning and effort that we have put into constructing the dress. The only factor we can pin point why some blocks wouldn't work is the choice of fabric, this is because when making the toile the only ones that were slanted were the first ones we attempted. We have decided to make buckram boxes to slot inside to try uphold the shape and hopefully take the attention away from odd blocks not being straight.

Problems Fabric.

We have started to sew our front panels together to create the blocks however none of the blocks seem to be working out. Even though all the notches match up the blocks seem to still turn out wonky. We have had to re-cut a few pieces as they had been mitered too much and so was impossible to work with. I think the fibre content of the fabric also has a part to play, as it is made up with 2% of Lycra yet we didn't anticipate it affecting the process as much as it has. We have found that the fabric tends to slip and stretch in the wrong places. We have checked with the samples that we had previously before ordering and believe we were sent the wrong fabric.

Size Of Blocks.

To choose the size of the blocks that will eventually be sewn for the final garment we constructed a range of pattern sizes: 3x3cm , 4x4cm and 5x5cm. The first we attempted was the 5x5 size, we were pleased with but after completing 4x4 size we decided this was the perfect size to suitably fit a word onto the dress. As a challenge to ourselves we experimented with a 3x3 size, this was a lot more difficult than anticipated and the overall look wasn't as impressive and eye catching as the 4x4 size. Below are some images taken from the toile of the 4x4 boxes.

Fabric.

Due to the nature of the garment a weighty fabric is needed. One that when sewn will hold the shape of the blocks. As our colour palette is white as so not to take attention from the blocks we have decided cotton or a cotton mix would be best. For example after fabric researching we found a 98% cotton and 2% Lycra consistency. It felt hard wearing and exactly what we were looking for. As a back up plan if the blocks do not stay after being pressed then we will invest in some buckram. This is used in all types of clothing as a stiffener and so this would help achieve our expected silhouette.

Silhouette.

Before collaborating i had envisaged the design to use the method of subtraction cutting and so i was expecting the silhouette to be random and unexpected. However after discovering Nakamichi's pattern cutting methods and talking over Suzanne's concept i feel that a slick structured dress is the way forward. This is so that the blocks stand out more and aren't overwhelmed by the subtraction cutting. We have discussed adding gussets to either side of the dress to accentuate the silhouette more.

Ideas For Word To Go On Garment.

As braille is made up from up to six dots per a letter a fairly short word is needed as it can only fill a certain area on the front panel pieces...{hidden}{decipher}{reflection}{reveal}{distortion}{decode}{secret}{conceal}{expose}
Looking back at the design we felt it was best to stick with a 6 letter word as this would fit perfect onto the front. Decode was the chosen word, the word is spelt in lower case as another dot is needed to signify it starts with a capital letter, this means the formation of the letters wouldn't be as effective.

Collaborating Ideas.

After researching into our own concepts we drew key points from them so that we could create a garment which fused both ideas. In the beginning it was quite difficult to mix our ideas however after i found Pattern Magic by Tomoko Nakamichi we took inspiration from his innovative cutting methods. The pattern that stood out the most was on the front cover of volume 1. The 3 dimensional shape that is created is very aesthetically pleasing. It fitted so well with our concepts as the blocks looked like they were forms of braille yet we could focus on the shadowing caused by the blocks.

Pattern Magic by Tomoko Nakamichi

After the subtraction cutting workshop I decided to research into other types of pattern cutting. I came across a book called Pattern Magic by Tomoko Nakamichi and collated some images from volumes 1 and 2. These Japanese sculptured pattern ideas are inspiring and challenging. The three dimensional shapes are eye catching and some of them work well with my concept..

Exploring Manipulation Of Fabrics.

While using conventional fabric is interesting i wanted to explore different options for example aluminium sheeting being embossed or laser cut. However when i was reading through a book called Techno Textiles i came across an image of fabric that has been manipulated to create blister like shapes. It is simply due to the yarns that are used in the fabric and when certain fabric finishes are applied it causes them to react and create intriguing shapes. The chemicals simply blister the synthetic fabric. Another idea that caught my eye was heat moulding fabric into shapes as seen in the book.

Subtraction Cutting.

An Innovative type of pattern cutting created by Julian Roberts. The outcome achieved is different every time the garment is constructed even though the same principal is used. The suspense of the garments finished look gives you a buzz as you can guarantee yours will never be the same as anyone else. I would like to try incorporate this method into my designs as it relates to loss of meaning. For example studded fabric which carries a hidden message but is lost in the subtraction cutting.

Francois Morellet.

As well as being a painter and sculptor, Francois is also a light artist. He has used strip lighting in the image above, the lighting could be used to display a code which hides a message. Which in turn looses its meaning as someone who cannot decipher the code cannot understand.

Ralph Ueltzhoeffer- Missing.

Ralph Ueltzhoeffer.

Steganography.

The art of concealing messages so that only the sender and intended recipients can decipher the code. A form of security through obscurity. In some situations the message can be highly secure that after working out how to reveal the information it is then encrypted.

Kenn Kotara.

3D Braille- His art challenges the viewer to encounter an unfamiliar visual language. Using light as one of his methods Kotara has merged braille together to create a pattern, and so the braille looses its meaning as the lights take over to form the art.

Angela Detanico and Rafael Lain.

Use a different range of media including installation, video, sound, graphics and text. Breaking down of motifs, images, sounds, words and the coding and decoding of different locations.

The words that are layered create a blur. The words are lost even though they can still be seen.

Experimental text, the text has simply been squashed yet still takes a minute longer for you to process what is written.

Anton Parsons.

The Invisible City Sculpture- Lambton Quay, Wellington, New Zealand.

Two steel plates have been covered with a braille message however the meaning of the messages is not known to anyone. The sculpture raises problems with communication in the world between the disabled and non-disabled.

herman de vries

His name is spelt in lower-case as he wanted to avoid hierarchy. Some of his work is reminiscent of braille. Taking a closer look at the black dots on the white background your eye creates almost faint blurry circles. Is this intended?

'' Our world is full of signs that we cannot understand: New circuits, old alphabets, atoms, dolmens, cells, biologic or urban fabrics, encrypted messages, mutant viruses.''

Braille is a communicaion barrier breaker for the blind, that brings them literacy, independence, and productivity. The code created by Louis Braille is made up of six dot positions, which are arranged in a rectangle containing two columns of three dots each.

After reading through the brief these are some of my initial ideas and areas I would like to explore and evolve. Due to the nature of the project I want to push myself with my designs and also the final garment.