Embellishment:Lace

This Beautiful Summer Dress made in the early years of this century is entirely hand made in frail lace, crocheted flowers and white cotton lawn. The designer has used a broad amount of lace and crochet to make the skirt almost appear seamless even thought it consists of some hand stitched joints.

Tiny floral patterns were embedded all in different sizes making a contrast with the texture of the lace. Floral patterns were very much admired during the 1900’s fashion but were also very costly.

The top of the dress is embodied with large clusters of hand crocheted flowers, the elbow sleeves are pin-tucked and lace edged. The back fastens with tiny mother-of-pearl buttons and hand worked loops.

  The material appears to be very delicate.The technique that the designer has used to try and make the dress appear seamless is very smart but becasue of the very fragile materials used, it was possible to make it appear seamless.

The colour is calm and also very perfect for Summer.

_{Day Dress,}

_{Cotton lawn, lace and cotton}

_{Hand crochet. French (?), 1904-8}

_{Given by The Baron Charles de Menasce}

_T.107-1939

Embellishment: John Galliano

The roses are the main embellishment on this wedding coat which has been made from gathered folds of ivory silk fabric. He starts with small buds and then gradually gets bigger to fuller blooms. He then placed more roses, made from satin and chiffon with organza leaves around the folds of the material.

The coat has been cut with fabric extensions to provide flaps that Galliano catches and rolled together to make the decorative trimmings. It fastens with a single concealed low waist seam and the skirt has been draped with curved front edges.

Fabric flowers are not new but are very unusual. In other words, John Galliano could have been trying to portray a slight juxtaposition by forming an essential part of the garment but making it seem as if it had grown from the fabric itself.

He has used different shades of ivory and white silk and I think works very well for a wedding.

He has incorporated versatility with the use of material, how the roses look very easy to make even though they may not be and it just looks very delicate. The colour is sweet and obviously very appropriate for a wedding, but nonetheless the embellishment makes the coat.

_{Wedding outfit, silk,}

_{With satin, chiffon and organza fabric flowers}

_{John Galliano. English, Summer 1987}

_{Label: John Galliano London Made in Britain}

_{Worn and given by Francesca Oddi}

_{T.41 to E-1988}

Embellishment:Buttons#1

 

I recently found a book in the Library called ‘Modern Fashion in Detail’ and I came across this really lovely ‘side’ of a jacket.

I only noticed half way down the book that all these garments were very historic but nonetheless have helped me a lot with my research on embellishment and design.

I thought the detail on the button was very significant as it matched with the rest of the colour scheme which was beige/cream with brown. The buttons are not only connected for functional purposes but have been carefully thought about as they even have a nice clear rim round it.

I then decided to go and check up the whole garment and discovered that it was a double breasted jacket with 6 buttons showcased on the front. Andre Courreges was the designer of this coat and he focused a lot on fine finish and detail. He made visible the construction lines of the garment and has also made a false pocket flap similar to the fact that some buttons do not have functional purposes but more decorative purposes. The fact that the buttons are not the four hole buttons indicates that they may have had more than just a functional purpose as we can clearly see.

I really like the colours used as I am a big fan of Beige and brown mixing. It is very classy which is my thing and quite simple.

_{Coat, woven woollen gabardine}

_{Andre Courreges. French, Winter 1967}

_{Label: Courreges Paris. Worn by late Mrs Stavros Niarchos and given by Mr Stravros Niarchos.}

_T.102-1974

GuyFresh#3

Whistle for the Hottie…J

Check out my Randell modelling a rather suave look; I mean doesn’t he just look Fierce?

I thought this look was quite a relevant look considering the Evolution of Menswear that has taken place and continues to take place in terms of women and men’s clothes mixing around a bit more. I believe this whole outfit could be considered unisex. The printed top especially engrossed me with the idea of unisex clothes. Besides my little theory I really admire the top which I think I wouldn’t mind in my own wardrobe, the basic black cardigan the straight cut jeans I believe and let’s not forget those pricey real leather Military Boots!

A very simple choice of clothing, which when put together creates a very outstanding look!

I absolutely Love It!

Embellishment:Sequins#2

This enchanting dress, sequined all over, engulfs the body like a glistening silhouette. The Silver sequins, backed with Gold have been placed in a certain direction for an effect similar to a fish scale. The Sequins have been carefully aligned to emphasise certain elements of the bodice. It has two flared ties which curve around the sides to be fastened at the back.

It is full length and sleeveless.

The dress is made in blue tulle which then the Sequins were affixed to. It has a wide V-shaped front neck which is low and plunge back with wide straps.

What I really admire about this dress is how defined the Designer has made it. They have put the Sequins in a certain way to emphasise fundamentals, the colour is just perfect and I think very classy when it comes to Sequins. 
Sequins often associated with Glamour and Gold also being associated with Wealth was a very good combination.

 The V-Neck  adds a bit of femininity to the garment and the drapes to accentuate the rimming of the breast area.

 The length of the dress gives the impression of slight elegance.

Simply Glamorous.

Evening Dress, sequinned tulle

French or English, 1935/6. Given by the Dowager

Countess of Pembroke and Montgomery, CBE

T.343-1960

Embellishment:Sequins#1

Embellishment being the main theme of my whole Project, I sought after different types of trimmings used to simply Spice up a garment or work covertly as a functional element.

Sequins are ornamental disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes of Garments; mainly used for theatrical or dance purposes.

The Sequin intends to catch the light and reflect it back. Available in a variety of sizes, colours and geometrical shapes, Sequins have proved to be a Trend that comes and goes; as I had noticed in 2009 the upcoming rise of its popularity. ‘The Black Sequin Dress’ came very popular last year.

The History of Sequins

In the 1940’s gelatine was a discovered material and used to create Sequins. Soon after, there were complications with the material. It was found that Gelatine could not be near heat or water so clothing with gelatine surfaces could not be laundered.

A new plastic was tried. Eastman Kodak created acetate for film stocking. It was a clear plastic plated on one side with real silver. Kodak customised acetate for Algy’s manufacturing Company (where sequins were produced). They coated on the silver with a clear ink of the desired colour. In effect, it was suitable for use and the light would penetrate through the colour, hit the silver and reflect back.

Plastic sequins were steadier than gelatine sequins but they would still melt in the sun and tarnish in the rain.

Algy Lieberman established Sequin production in the USA. He also pioneered the use of plastics in Sequins and invented the washable Sequin.

Algy says:

We had to get around that eventually, it took many, many years. We experimented with different methods, what we came up with was a sandwich.

Mylar was an invention by Dupont Corporation around WW11. Algy decided to use a very thin piece of clear Mylar to wrap around a Sequin. The Mylar worked as a protector of the colouring.

This made the Sequin machine washable!

Sequins have also been used to embellish the clothing of Royalty in the past.

It is rumoured that Gold Sequins were found in King Tut’s Tomb; intended for him to be well dressed in the afterlife.

These Egyptian sequins were made of ornate Gold rolled thin, cut out and hung. They then glazed the gold to prevent scratches and chips.

There are also Vintage Sequins. They were designed using Mother of Pearl, metals, crystals, celluloid or various other plastics.

Today:

Sequins are normally made out of vinyl plastic because it is easier to work with and is not brittle in texture. The plating adheres to it better because it has a softer surface. However, it will curl up over time because vinyl has a memory. Nowadays, Sequins are fairly popular with people having their own preferences. I would say that it is still widely associated with Glamour.

Effect:

Sequined garments gave off  the idea of being very expensive and the impression of you had to firstly own a lot of money and be of a high status to wear clothes with Sequins. This probably was the case as it was very hard to make sequins back then therefore not a lot of people wore it making it rather exclusive. It could turn the most ordinary thing into a very stylish and intriguing piece. I think the main word associated with Sequins is GLAMOUR.

It causes me to imagine Hollywood or something really futuristic.

I really admire the use of Silver, Gold or Black sequins because they seem more appealing to me and really define elements of garments.

 They are really cute and can be used for smaller areas; they could be used on bags as well as jewellery.

Louise Bourgeois#3

On the 12^th of November, I went back to the Hauser & Wirth Exhibition for a talk with a Curator who accompanied Louise Bourgeois throughout her life and  if anything probably played a role in her art work.

He obviously addressed the main dilemma of her trauma, fear and pain as a child whilst growing up.

He says that her work is a duality of past memories and present tragedies.

Her work was also mainly inspired by her parents Tapestry antique shop.

He described the Crouching Spider as having an aggressive element but also a soft and sweet element at the same time.

 [POSITIVE and NEGATIVE]

He says it is a symbol of a mother saving her daughter from a fire. She is fragile.

Spiders are normally disgusting; they create food.

The food speaking metaphorically as food of the mind, emotions etc.

The Crouching Spider is a very ambiguous art piece.

Women artists were not highly recognised until around the 60’s.

Bourgeois found there to be an issue with Sex.

She liked to keep her work Formal but Personal at the same time.

She tried to avoid narration which is why her geometrical work came in.

He also said he noticed a pattern in her work.

He suggested it would start off rigid and then lead to softness and could also be a change of circumstance in her personal story.

‘Pain is the ransom of formalism’

A phrase that showed what her work was instantly about Pain that she was trying to resolve; in which she did through Art.

She liked to use that phrase because whatever your pain is, there is a limitation.

Pain you suffer cannot be a formalisation.

You have to communicate feeling not just a piece of Work.