When Rei Kawakubo begins work on a new collection she communicates what may be quite an abstract concept with her wonderfully talented patternmakers, and they begin the work required to create the garments that best deliver it.
One of her patternmakers is recorded as saying, "Once she gave us a piece of crumpled paper and said she wanted a pattern for a garment that would have something of that quality."
I often wonder if this might have been one of the garments that evolved out of that concept.
Isn't it wonderful, a fabulous paper bag skirt.
In 1997 this skirt was advertised at Scotties for $446.00. If then was now, I'd be down there slapping my credit card on the counter but, I guess at the time I thought YIKES...that's a lot...and now I regret I didn't!
CdG's latest collection, A/W 2017/18, 'Future of Silhouette' features another wonderful paper fabric creation.
Rei Kawakubo is a Conceptual Fashion Designer, as are designers like Martin Margiela and Hussein Chalayan.
What is a Conceptual Clothing Designer?
Conceptual Designers approach clothing design on a more abstract and/or cerebral plane. They tend not to be led by popular trends. Collections center on abstract ideas or emotions which are communicated vocally to their patternmakers as opposed to being presented with sketches and drawings.
Thinking and Thought Provoking - their concepts can lead to highly innovative constructions. (In the case of RK/CdG I never forget how much the highly talented patternmakers and machinists bring to the delivery of that innovation.)
Some reviewers/critiques often consider the resulting conceptual creations have no commercial appeal....like, maybe, this one...(again from RK's latest collection ' Future of Silhouette)
Here it is being worn, by Helen Lasichanh at the 2017 Met Gala Event, which is honoring Rei Kawakubo.(more on that later)
Conceptual Designers compared with Conventional Designers.
The distinction between the two isn't straight forward to describe, because, although there's diversity within each, there are also many things that are the same,i.e. the design is sampled, the design is made and the design is sold. Both Conceptual and Conventional designers undertake these procedures. It is in the approach to the start of the collection where things can vary.
Conceptual designers begin their creative process with an exploration of concepts that determine the direction for the final ideas...like a piece of crumbled paper thrown down on a table, as mentioned above.
Conventional designers generally begin the research and design process with a preconceived visual direction to the collection. They must start with an inspiration and have a cohesive colour/fabric expression. What results is expected to be a saleable collection based on the original inspiration.
Conceptual designers don't adhere to popular trends. Abstract ideas guide their collection and the application of these ideas can be extreme in the execution. The exciting aspect of the conceptual designer is that the cerebral approach fosters a lot of innovation and often questions traditional norms.
This is very much where Rei Kawakubo came in as a Conceptual designer.
She questioned the conventions of fashion - what it was, what it looked like, what it felt like on the human body. Her lack of formal training in fashion design gave her a freedom to disregard traditional rules, resulting in the development of radical techniques and concepts.
She even radicalized the way the clothes were displayed and sold in the CdG stores. The front display window of some of the boutiques selling her clothes would be kept vacant, and the clothes for sale would be presented in a 'back room'. There would be no mirrors, as that emphasized the concept that you should buy clothes because of how they made you feel, not how they made you look.
So, it might seem like you were looking at an empty shop.
Rei Kawakubo's exploration of ideas often question the rules of fashion and beauty through an innovative use of construction and material.
Look at the latest collection, CdG F/W 2017/18 'The Future of Silhouette', the conceptual phrase Rei Kawakubo used to explain the collection. I don't know if 'Silhouette' was her original concept, but it makes sense it may have been.
Look at some traditional silhouettes for dresses
Crazy sculptural conceptions
I referred to the Met Gala Event earlier, and Rei Kawakubo finally being honored...this relates to the Rei Kawakubo Exhibition in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York .
Approximately 150 examples of RK/CDG womenswear designs dating from early 1980s to the most recent collection are being displayed. Wish I was there taking it in...but if I can't be there in person, do it through the internet!
Start with viewing one item out of CdG collections starting from 1991 Spring/Summer Collection.
 |
| Spring/Summer 1991 |
The key goes: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right. Spring/Summer is first, followed by Autumn/Winter. Go through them all taking in the styles/silhouettes/colours....right up until the latest collection CdG has presented.
 |
| 1992, 1993 1994, 1995 |
 |
| 1996, 1997 1998, 1999 |
 |
| 2004, 2005 2006, 2007 |
 |
| 2008, 2009 2010, 2011 |
 |
| 2012, 2013 2014,2015 |
 |
| 2016, 2017 |
Go to this website, and view the video introduction to the exhibition in Met Museum of Art. Take in the exhibition guide. It has good information concerning RK's conceptual approach to her design work.
http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/rei-kawakuboMay 10th's VIVA supplement presented this article relating to the exhibition, note the title...someone else understands the 'conceptual aspect of Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons.
My tribute to RK's conceptual design approach
Belgian designer Martin Margiela is another defining conceptual clothing designer. He came through the Antwerp fashion scene establishing his label 'Maison Martin Margiela' in 1988/89 which was known for his deconstructive approach to design during the 1990s.
Margiela's deconstructionism and the way he used cloth on the body appears influenced by Rei Kawakubo. There is much about both designers that is very similar, for example the way both choose to explain themselves or not explain themselves. And like RK, Martin Margiela's work was always on his terms. (He departed Maison Martin Margiela late 2009.) Many of MM's early conceptual expressions involved the exposure of darts, unfinished hems and raw seams. (Sounds CdG familiar doesn't it).
During Margiela's time at MMM his designing often worked to capture and communicate the process that is involved in creating fashion clothing. He wanted to reflect the actual act of creation involved in the craft of clothing construction. A recurrent theme in his '90s conceptual work was the mannequin i.e. a dressmaker's dummy.
The mannequin is an important dressmaker's item of equipment and MM was able to express its influence in his 1997 Spring/Summer collection.
This collection expressed MM's design desire to dissect and reconstruct. The special piece of the collection was a top that referenced the dressmaker's mannequin. Made of linen and stenciled with the words "Semi Couture" to remind people of all the anonymous hands that are involved in the making of a fashion garment.
I like his appreciation of the skills and talents of the dressmaker/machinist, and how he would call attention to the craft of garment construction, that's my own passion - the craft of construction.
The MMM Fall/Winter 1997/98 collection featured new versions of the previous season's dressmaker mannequin tops. This collection contained even more obvious reference to the materials and process of clothing construction. Jackets were made of pattern paper, basting stitches were visible and layered looks were pinned together in parts
Another interesting MMM collection inspired by the craft of clothing creation was his Spring/Summer 1998 one. Some garments in this collection were displayed as if they were pattern pieces hanging on patternmaker's hooks.
They appeared totally flat constructions.
The following images show the clever cutting of the pattern work to create that flat effect
Margiela's deconstructionism and the way he used cloth on the body appears influenced by Rei Kawakubo. There is much about both designers that is very similar, for example the way both choose to explain themselves or not explain themselves. And like RK, Martin Margiela's work was always on his terms. (He departed Maison Martin Margiela late 2009.) Many of MM's early conceptual expressions involved the exposure of darts, unfinished hems and raw seams. (Sounds CdG familiar doesn't it).
During Margiela's time at MMM his designing often worked to capture and communicate the process that is involved in creating fashion clothing. He wanted to reflect the actual act of creation involved in the craft of clothing construction. A recurrent theme in his '90s conceptual work was the mannequin i.e. a dressmaker's dummy.
I like his appreciation of the skills and talents of the dressmaker/machinist, and how he would call attention to the craft of garment construction, that's my own passion - the craft of construction.
The MMM Fall/Winter 1997/98 collection featured new versions of the previous season's dressmaker mannequin tops. This collection contained even more obvious reference to the materials and process of clothing construction. Jackets were made of pattern paper, basting stitches were visible and layered looks were pinned together in parts
They appeared totally flat constructions.
The following images show the clever cutting of the pattern work to create that flat effect
Another flat look of MMM (Spring/Summer 2011)
Another of MM's cool concepts was over sizing and the re-configuring of scale. Like an enormous t-shirt worn beneath a fine net sheath
Martin Margiela, conceptual designer, like Rei Kawakubo, non-conformist and original to the core, helped change the way I make clothes.
Like to have a go at making a MMM design, go to this link and download the pattern. Do your own thing with it, that's what MM wanted.
http://showstudio.com/project/design_download_martin_margiela
And if you would like to know more about the history of MMM this link provides very thorough information.
http://www.thirdlooks.com/2012/11/maison-martin-margiela-reference-guide/
My tribute to MMM's conceptual design
I also mentioned Hussein Chalayan before, in the same conceptual breath as Martin Margiela.
 |
| A/W 2003 |
http://stylebubble.co.uk/style_bubble/2015/10/hussein-chalayan-clothes-over-concept.html
Wallpaper magazine has an Artist's Palate page. Hussein Chalayan presented Dolmades one time
This link gives you the recipe if you want it.
https://www.wallpaper.com/art/artists-palate-hussein-chalayans-dolmades
Last term one of my students worked in a very conceptual way. She was inspired by the idea of a circular skirt made in the handkerchief style.
This was her chosen design
A cool school experience in which I acted as 'Conceptual Designer' was the 2007 Yr.12 Fab.Tech. Fashion Parade. The students came up with the theme.
I came up with the concept..."an Eiffel Tower, an Eiffel Tower people could walk through"
Eric came up with the construction plans and the result was brilliant!
There is even a little French Cafe, bicycle, roses and bottle of wine in the basket, red gingham table cloth...such fun.
That's it.
SLTSLTBsigning off.
The last conceptual designer I want to mention is Jo Cope, who works both fine art and craft with fashion. Her concepts are usually some form of fashion focusing on the body with the motivation "to share a way of seeing fashion differently." Cope produces fascinating work which extends traditional craft skills leading to exciting innovation.
This is a good site to view some of her wonderfully conceptual work, especially the video 'Process as Product'.
Cope's 'Dress Block', seen in the above site is an intriguing work which was commissioned along side the Crafts Council's 2012 touring exhibition 'Block Party'. The basis of this exhibition was the work of practitioners for whom pattern cutting forms the inspiration in their practice creating a variety of forms.
Cope's conceptual fashion installation 'Dress Block'
included a life-size solid wood body sculpture created using traditional hand carving craft and referenced old millinery/footwear blocking techniques.
Cope also directed a film, featuring the unique and conceptual work of six of her Fashion Design students. You can view the film via this link.
I came across Cope's top tips for the students new to her course, and I like them!
- Come with a fully focused mindset, passion and commitment
- Know what you are about because your work must be self driven
- Work from the minute the facilities open, until they close everyday, invest time in building relationships with technicians, ask lots of questions and experiment.
Mentioning students...in my Yr. 9 project, the girls design and make a skirt or pair of shorts for a leisure activity of their own choice.
One of the main specifications is that the product must be decorated in some way using another 'material'. (In this context I use the word as an expression of 'medium' ...like applique, embroidery, dyeing, layering and so on.)Last term one of my students worked in a very conceptual way. She was inspired by the idea of a circular skirt made in the handkerchief style.
I loved her concept and said I was going to make it as well.
I created a 2D pattern which created this (birds eye view)
Alex sat at the sewing machine and sewed all the pieces of fabric together in the most amazing free form way to create her finished result (pretty fab for a Yr. 9 student).
and my one...
I am also taken with the concept Isabelle from Yr. 8 expressed in her bag's applied design. She designed her own "Enviro Peace" symbol
Eric came up with the construction plans and the result was brilliant!
There is even a little French Cafe, bicycle, roses and bottle of wine in the basket, red gingham table cloth...such fun.
That's it.
SLTSLTBsigning off.
