For my main project, I decided to explore the thematic of comfort.
As a starting point, I looked at my strongest memories. I tried to analyze them, and brainstorm what I could remember of these moments. I realized it wasn't the action itself that was important to me, but the comfort I felt at these particular moments. I found interesting to see how I group totally different memories together.
Then, I questioned myself; What is comfort? What gesture do we use to comfort? What parts of our bodies do we like, and feel comfortable to be touch?
To comfort someone, we often caress or softly touch the shoulders, the back, the neck and the head of the other person. We want to be soft, protect this person and wrap it with our body. By doing this, the person feels closeness, feels our body tight to his/her, feels a warm presence and often a soft contact on his/her skin.
This is what I would like to convey as a feeling. I wanted to create a garment that would convey this notion of comfort. I would like that the person that wears it feels its softness, and a certain presence on the shoulders, the chest and the neck. I want the person that wears it to feel wrap with softness. The main senses that will be activated are the touch (for the feeling of the wrap, the warmness, etc.), the sight (since spectators will be able to see how the other person is wrapped in soft fabric) and maybe the smell (depending on the textile I choose to use). Also, it will mostly communicate emotions, but could also communicate images, by bringing back memories to the person experiencing the garment.
This project will mostly be a wearable diary because it will convey my notion of comfort, the intensity in which I experienced it through my souvenirs. So it will be a one-to-one sharing experience. Basically, the person that will wear it will feel comfort and as if someone was comforting him/her and perhaps make him/her happier. However, the spectators won't be able to experience this feeling as well as the wearer.
This garment could be use to bring back memories to a person, or even to comfort him/her. It could be use to make him/her happier or just better. I’m sure though that some persons won’t like this wrapped/too close feeling.
I got my main visual inspirations from Sandra Backlund, a fashion designer using knitting in all of her garments.They are very structured and imposing.
All pictures from the designer's website.
This project is very important to me because I will be able to wear it and feel as comfortable as I used to in my memories. It will point out a feeling I used to fell when I was a child and will also point out the relations I had with many persons in my life. It also situates me through time because I will remember, just be seeing it, the events of my past, when I feel comfort today and how this feeling is important to me. Also, it will fulfill a strong need we all have, being comfort and appreciated.
I'll use recycled wool garments to produce this piece. I'm not skilled enough to knit it myself. However, I'll still have to work on my sewing skills. I'll use several pieces of knit, hopefully of the same color. I'll create shapes by sewing these pieces in specific places. I still give some place to randomness in the construction of the shapes.
References:
Sandra Backlund My main source of inspiration. Her first collection is produced for the spring/summer 2010 collection.
Lalla Wandavi Is also working with wool, but in a very different approach. She is more into small knitting and more conventional.
I was looking at architectural fashion and found this cool designer, that might be sometimes a little bit spooky; Gareth Pugh.
This website is a webzine called Egodesign, and it is dedicated to global design. There was an interesting article on a past exhibition showing the connections between fashion and architecture. It was hosted by the MOCA in LA.
It was called Skin+Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture. You can find more pictures out there.
Finally, a great website where I always find inspiration or references is deviantart. It is a website where artists in all domains can show their works and even sell them. It is a good image database to brainstorm and explore different paths.
Interaction scenario
This project is very important to me because I will be able to wear it and feel as comfortable as I used to in my memories. It will point out a feeling I used to fell when I was a child and will also point out the relations I had with many persons in my life. It also situates me through time because I will remember, just be seeing it, the events of my past, when I feel comfort today and how this feeling is important to me. Also, it will fulfill a strong need we all have, being comfort and appreciated.
I'll use recycled wool garments to produce this piece. I'm not skilled enough to knit it myself. However, I'll still have to work on my sewing skills. I'll use several pieces of knit, hopefully of the same color. I'll create shapes by sewing these pieces in specific places. I still give some place to randomness in the construction of the shapes.
References:
Sandra Backlund My main source of inspiration. Her first collection is produced for the spring/summer 2010 collection.
Lalla Wandavi Is also working with wool, but in a very different approach. She is more into small knitting and more conventional.
I was looking at architectural fashion and found this cool designer, that might be sometimes a little bit spooky; Gareth Pugh.
This website is a webzine called Egodesign, and it is dedicated to global design. There was an interesting article on a past exhibition showing the connections between fashion and architecture. It was hosted by the MOCA in LA.
It was called Skin+Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture. You can find more pictures out there.
Finally, a great website where I always find inspiration or references is deviantart. It is a website where artists in all domains can show their works and even sell them. It is a good image database to brainstorm and explore different paths.
