SoLoveToSewLikeTheBoys

Well now, blog no. 10.
Where am I going to go with this one?
I'm going to go underwear designed for over wear/outerwear.
I like this concept, it's often developed as a design feature, and is always interesting.
Much of the original underwear styles that have inspired contemporary designers, are interesting in their own way.  I have discussed the crinoline before concerning it being a "cage of freedom".

Crinolines have inspired fashion collections, think of Vivienne Westwood's S/S 1986 collection

Vivienne referred to these skirts as "mini crinis".

A few years ago, a student of mine designed and created an outfit that bore the resemblance of a crinoline. She won a competition with it, which was wonderfully exciting for all of us, and the prize was pretty cool...a trip to New York and a year's tuition at Whitecliff Art/Design College!

Keep an eye out for her label...'Nicole Petra Wesseling'.  That's what it was when she was at school..not bad ay, having a label while still at school.

Here, I'm looking at bustles and corsets.

Rei K. has worked with bustles in her time...think I have referred to this before...this garment relates to her wonderful "Dress meets Body meets Dress" collection. That's a bustle if ever there was.

Check this cool image that has merged the dress in a Seurat painting in which the women are wearing bustled dresses, which have the very silhouette of  the CdG dress.

Another designer who has played with underwear as outerwear is Jean Paul Gaultier.

There's something "easies"/girdles, bras/brassieres and corsets in these designs, isn't there. The two on the left are from his S/S 1987 collection.  It's interesting that underwear started to became more acceptable as outerwear in the body-conscious movement of the 80s.  It was during this period that the beauty of a fit and healthy body became prominent.  I started jazzercise in the 80s, which I think was possibly inspired by Jane Fonda and her exercise videos. Went through a stage of wearing legwarmers and leotards with my skirts and wedge heels.  Loved it!

And of course, the most famous JPG garment from these collections is the one Madonna wore for her "Blond Ambition" tour during 1990. Definitely corset/girdle/brassiere inspired, isn't it.  And look at that upper body, man has she been working out!! 

This is a collage I put together that looks at using crinolines and bustle effects in contemporary images.

Here are some very cool contemporary corsets that designers have worked with.....

Aren't they fab....great use of "material"....wood and plastic...designers thinking beyond the square.

Now, look at this corset, using a "different" material!

This is an iron corset from medieval Europe.  It's like a piece of armour!

A protege of Rei Kawakubo's, Tao Kurihara, put out a fabulous first collection that was based around the theme of the corset and camisole.  She designed a wonderful knitwear corset, camisole and bloomers collection. It is very innovative and inspirational.  She operated under the label, Tao Comme des Garcons, but no longer does, which is a shame 'cos she produced some very clever designs. She sounded a really nice person as well, I think she started off pattern cutting for CdG.  Initially she refused the offer to create her own line and apparently it took more than a week of soul-searching before she finally did accept.(Ellestyle)

Aren't they just the most delightful knitted tops.

I love the cotton lace and cotton binding being used with the knit work.  And the fabulous knitted pattern work(is it cable knit?) of the work on the right, fabulous.

This pattern would be great for creating a top inspired by Tao's 1st collection, especially design B.  Knit fabric could be matched with cotton fabric, making a cool top to wear with a pair of jeans, or a skirt.

I had a shot at a corset with a bit of inspiration from Tao.  Used cotton knit and cotton lace.  I think the McCall's pattern is a better bet, but like the corset none the less.

                         

A number of years ago I went to the V & A to take in this fantastic project that students from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design had participates in.  Curvaceous.  It was a really interesting brief they were given.

So, it was a collaboration between the V & A and the students, which looks at undergarments and their influence on contemporary design.  Just what the theme of this blog is about.  The students were briefed to use 19th C corsets, crinolines, bustles and brassieres from the V & A collection, as inspiration to create contemporary designs.  Their results were just fabulously creative.

These are photos I took.  The models strolled around the V & A halls, which was such a cool way to view the designs.  It was part of the Friday night events the V & A ran, "Fashion in Motion"  It might be possible to find a good web site which gives better images. Try this one.    http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/f/fashion-in-motion-curvaceous/   

This is the design that won the competition.  I thought it was a wonderful concept although I overheard one woman say to her companion..."Who would wear that!".  It all comes down to what you understand about the design and the designers inspiration.  The designer has tried to create the shape a corset created, within the structure of the garment.

 

I tell you what, I'd wear it on prize-giving day!  I like how it is reminiscent of an academic gown.

A fabulous Comme des Garcons collection that delivered on this blog theme was the A/W2001/02 RTW one.  It was all about undergarments becoming amazing overgarments.  Petticoats, slips, bras, corsets, they all took on a different way to be used and worn.  Rei sent out these cool bulky bras worn over shirts, dresses and jackets.  She worked deconstructed corsets which left just an aspect that reminded you of the original....like curved shapes....top stitching.  It was sort of about "the allure of the unseen".  Cool concept.

Isn't it wonderful, petticoats become dresses and trench coats...a corset is presented in half form...bras/bustiers look great worn over jackets, and there is lots of the use of lace, which is very reminiscent of undergarments.

I really loved that bustier/bra.  Had a go at creating my own one

I scrunched up my two fabrics, underlayer and mesh overlayer, tied and steamed them to heat set the creases.  ( I kinda look like I'm trying to pump myself up in the GIF image, don't I!)

Another inspiration from this collection is this one...

What I was on about with this skirt was combining the idea of a petticoat and girdle. It's difficult to see in the photo, but I've tried to create the panel effect and the skirt fastens with hooks and eyes, which is" so so" effective.  Worn with a bustier. 

And some more bustier styles I've created.

The fabric manipulation for the scrunched up bustiers is roughly explained in these 4 images.  I love fabric manipulation, there are some fabulous books on this subject....or no doubt, just google it!

Another play with the unerwear overwear look..playing with bra and slip, worn over a sheath dress, under a sheath dress or with no sheath dress!  The middle dress needs a pink belt, I think.

Another approach, concerning the influence of underwear, e.g. a corset is this creation...

I have created a mesh corset on top of a fitted shirt.  I played with this idea with another series of shirts I created, but worked with the corset in a shorter form.  The idea was inspired by this CdG coat...

  

This is a skirt and top outfit I made. The t-shirt top is constructed to resemble a corset.

Working a half corset idea

Thinking about lace petticoat trenchcoat idea.

.

Here is one of my lovely Yr. 11 students, Caryl.  She is working on a boned corset styled dress garment.  I thought it fitting to conclude with her work.  She is doing a marvellous job creating shape and structure in her design which is inspired by her Filipino heritage.

















Remember at the end of my previous blog, I had an image of a garment I was working on...

This is the finished result, my pantskirt......it's kinda the concept of pants that are heaps too big and wrapped around to fit...

That concept is very CdG....like a trenchcoat that has simply been cut off at the waist to create a jacket........

Well, that'll do for now.
The design idea of underwear becoming outerwear is lots of fun.  It can be very bold or it can be more subtle.  May not be every one, but you never know.

Anyway, until next time
SLTSLTBsigning off.