synopsis

My concept for my first collection was about the sewing machine. I focussed on the mechanics of the sewing machine and how sterile and impersonal it can be, contrasted with memories and human interaction around it, making it a much more personal item. The collection was heavily influenced by the developed idea of a human morphing into a mechanical machine and the contrast between the two extremes. I found this idea very intriguing and it was interesting to design for. The goal of the collection was to successfully portray these themes like what was done for the first collection. For this updated diffusion range I wanted to portray these ideas within each garment so they could be independent from each other, unlike what was seen in the first collection.

My refined collection developed from the first collection is for Autumn/Winter 2012 and for the middle to high end markets (a diffusion line). It is a menswear collection for the 15-25 age range. The refined collection has a definite focus on the sewing machine and the mechanics of the machine, however I focussed a lot more on the silhouette of the sewing machine and it's placement in relation to the body in comparison to the first collection which was more about the details. The garments subtly hint that they were influenced by the sewing machine and it's mechanical nature rather than being too obvious and statement. The market influenced my decision for this greatly, because the collection needed to be wearable and socially acceptable, compared to the more expensive high market range which could be very unique and push the boundaries greatly. The diffusion line has boundaries because of what my customers are willing to wear and pay for, and also what society chooses is appropriate. The silhouette and shapes of the garments relate to the curved and square shapes of the sewing machine. These shapes have been emulated within the garments to give my garments a consistency. The target market and my brand influenced this because I want my brand to be recognisable and have a signature look, and so do my customers. Because if someone, specifically someone who is involved in fashion such as a blogger, is wearing a well respected brand they want others to know that they have a garment from there. The shape of the garments is also consistent because then my customers can mix and match any of the garments and make a number of successful outfits. The shape of the jackets was also influenced by my target market. They are made suitable for winter by having long sleeves and being knee length. Layering of fabric is located around chest to keep chest warm and free from wind and cold so the customer can stay healthy. Shape is also between fitted and loose, so that the customer can look thin but also is able to wear multiple layers underneath for warmth.


The garments are on the pricier side of the diffusion market range, but are still affordable to the customer base. The target market should consider my garments to be on trend and a good in season purchase. I want them to be able to continue wearing the garments for years. I hope that the customer considers my garments as a good investment that will last for years. The jackets are made of good fabrics such as wool and wool and acrylic blends to create warm and durable garments. PVC was also used to follow current materials trends and to create some water proofing for the customer. Quilting these fabrics as seen in the samples, gave them a whole new look and added interest and detail to the garments. This detail replaced embellishments as a much cheaper alternative for the diffusion range, for my customer. The leggings are made of elastane and are stretchy and comfortable for the wearer. They can be printed and made in Wellington at several companies giving more competitive pricing. To make up for the expense of digital printing all of the leggings are a consistant and easy pattern to make to reduce labour costs and time.  

Instead of using whites, creams and greys I used blacks, greys and some bold colour choices such as a deep purple and blue for several pairs of the leggings. I feel that dark colours work better for winter collections and go with other garments better, so the customer will be happy. The added colour adds interest to the garments and is also keeping up with current colour blocking trend. I feel that purple or blue was best suited as they work well with darker colours and also relate to the slight space age influences I had in my first collection.


The customer that I want to wear my garments is a male in his late teens to twenties, who is interested in fashion and trends, and who may read or write fashion blogs. He would want his clothing to be unique and bold. I wanted the garments to be appealing to this target market, and I feel like have have achieved this, especially because I kept the collection up to date with current trends but it is also unique and original but also remaining socially acceptable and not pushing the boundaries too far for a diffusion line.


In my first collection I used a number of unique material choices, mostly inspired by the 1960s, including worsted fabrics and even metals. For this collection I thought about the customer a lot more and chose to use more appropriate and wearable fabrics. This meant the fabrics need to be warm, comfortable, easy-care and durable, using wool, PVC, acrylic and polyester blends I feel I succeeded in this. I feel the exploration of materials is similar to that of Paco Rabanne as he liked to use new materials and also experiment with old ones to see if he could make something new. He influenced me a lot during my first collection, and I still considered him throughout this collection even though I couldn't push the boundaries in materials to such extremes as metals. For the price range and target market I feel the materials exploration was good.