RESEARCH
Honeycomb experiments in design:
Lining fabric
Outer fabric
Elastic
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Hand stitch
Machine stitch
Bar tack
Fray edge
Bring the best ideas forward. Work on an idea per week. Focus the design. Make something beautiful. These are my focus points to bring forward.
I have realised that I am more inspired by a problem, which I challenge myself to fix. Rather than a shape/colour/form. I want to design for good design, which helps people, fixes problems, and does good, not just better.
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I want to now delve deeper into the honeycomb textile manipulation to see if it is a technique i would like to use. It derives from origami techniques using paper, and can be seen on party bunting. But it has also crossed over into textiles and fashion, as seen below in Juanya Watanyabe's collections. It can also be related to the smocking technique. It has expanding properties, which is my main reason why I want to explore it, as it could help movement. But it does leave holes, which is not very functional and can leave someone cold, and is something i'd like to work on. I will try different sizes, fabrics, and methods of binding to see which works best.
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Thinking of the collection as a whole, I thought of The Problem Line Up. This would be garments my brother would find harder to wear. I want to take them and better them for ALL people. Not just the mannequin. These garments are usually more formal and fitted, as they provide less comfort and are harder to wear and move in.
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Smart
Restrictive
Desirable yet inaccessible
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THE SUIT THE FORMAL SHIRT THE CASUAL SHIRT THE FITTED COAT
Design
I bought a suit base at Salvation Army 50/50 budget store in Amsterdam oost. All clothes are donated, second hand, and all profits go to the charity. I used scrap fabric and lining for the honeycomb. I inserted the honeycomb where I saw movement needed. Upper back, around shoulders, side seam, arm, and knee. I came from a half-decorative half-functional perspective for this, although I am not convinced this is best. I added spare fibre fill at the lower centre back for comfort for long periods of sitting. I changed the pocket to be higher and in an accessible position for the hand. It has a ''catch'' element inside, extra fabric is used to catch things that may fall out the pocket, which helps a lot when confined to a wheelchair. I paired the scale back and arm manipulations together with shirt, to play around with the conventions of a shirt whilst increasing move-ability. The hem is higher and curves around seated thigh, so the suit does not bunch and look puffy. Magnets are tried as closures.
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Evaluation
Do I want to go for general disabilities or focus? Rather than using my brother as inspiration, I want to fix his problem. Therefore I'd like to go deeper into the seated position and wheelchair. This is why my models sat, and did not walk. Some feedback I received allows me to question whether the garments going to fit fantastically, offer comfort, and look like a suit? I need to refine this, make it look sharper and elegant rather than puffy. I will consider knitted fabrics, rather than woven, for sleeker movement. Further, I will stay away from decorative elements, and focus on the purpose.
The honeycomb can be smaller and more technical, rather than decorative, by being placed in more effective areas. Across the back as tension is still seen. Magnets are hard to attach and are weak with human pull, so they need to be stronger. The catch pocket and hem is good, but needs a better fit.
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It can be a suit that comes in male and female because it is more about the individual disability rather than sex. And the knitted fabrics can allow space for any body. Also, a complementary line up including the shirt and coat adapted to disability-needs, is an idea that received positive feedback.
