Coach Fall 2015 Collection

The Coach Fall 2015 collection features a wide range of fastenings on their jackets including toggles, zips, double breasted buttons and single rows of buttons. The fabrics used in the entire collection vary greatly also, from furs to wool to leather. A monochrome colour palette mainly features but the fabric weight differs, with both sheer and heavy fabrics used. Deep pockets feature on almost every garment, with and without flaps and button detailing.

Flat Drawings

These are my flat drawings of the jeans and the jacket I'm using for this project.

Things Come Apart - Todd McLellan

Todd McLellan is an artist who has created the set of images 'Things Come Apart' as an extension of his 'Disassembly Series'. The following pictures show a bicycle and a chainsaw disassembled with the components laid out in a logical way. I found it interesting to look at other objects deconstructed as well as clothes.

Project Encylopedia

I came across this set of Fashion Terms and Styles for Women's Garments here and thought it would come in useful throughout my project.

Garment Research - Part One

From left to right: Topshop, J Brand, Stella McCartney

Topshop - £38.00
MOTO Vintage Rinse Leigh Jeans
Super-soft skinny ankle grazer jeans with five pockets and authentic trims.
89% Cotton, 8% Polyester, 3% Elastane.
Machine wash.

J Brand - £160.00
811 Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans
Dark-blue stretch-denim.
Button and concealed zip fastening at front.
77% Cotton, 21% Polyester, 2% Elastane.
Machine wash cold inside out to avoid colour transfer.

Stella McCartney - £195.00
Low-Rise Skinny Jeans
Navy stretch-denim.
Button and concealed zip fastening at front.
93% Cotton, 5% Polyester, 2% Elastane.
Machine wash inside out to avoid colour transfer.

It's hard to distinguish why the prices of these jeans differ so drastically. They all feature the same two pockets on the front and back, with the same concealed zip and button fastening on the front. It cannot be said that the higher the Cotton percentage, the higher the price, because Topshop's offering has a higher Cotton percentage than J Brand, yet are £120 cheaper. However, the Dorothy Perkins jeans I have chosen to deconstruct have are 33% Polyester and feel a lot cheaper than Topshop's jeans for example.

J Brand and Stella McCartney are both stocked on online luxury retailer Net-A-Porter, where it is expected for prices to be high. For high street stores such as Dorothy Perkins and Topshop the prices are a lot cheaper, but Topshop's are still almost double the price of Dorothy Perkins'. It can be presumed that the price difference is mostly down to the name of the brand and the quality of the production.

From left to right: Biker jacket, Boxy jacket, Summer jacket

River Island - £60.00
Green Leather-Look Zip Biker Jacket
Silver tone hardware and multiple zips.
100% Polyurethane.
Hand wash only.

River Island - £60.00
Blue Abstract Print Tailored Boxy Jacket
Structured cut with an unfastened front, long sleeves and zipped front pockets.
98% Cotton, 2% Elastane.
Professional dry clean only.

River Island - £60.00
Red Stripe Cropped Draped Summer Jacket
Relaxed fit piece left unfastened and is complete with side seam pockets..
6% Acrylic, 76% Cotton, 18% Polyester.
Professional dry clean only.

Here is an example of three different jackets from the same brand all priced equal, and slightly more than the jacket I purchased from ASOS. The materials are all different but they are all lined and feature pockets, albeit it different types.

Jackets vary so greatly from brand to brand. Even if you can find two of the same style, they will probably be made of slightly different materials or feature different pockets or fastenings. As with the jeans above, I believe the price point mostly comes down to the name of the brand and the quality of the product.

The Jeans

The trousers I have chosen are a pair of 66% Cotton, 33% Polyester and 1% Elastane skinny-fit jeans from Dorothy Perkins. I bought them in the sale for £10.00 and I believe the original price was around £22. They feature a standard zip and button closure on the front with pockets on both the front and the back of the jeans, as well as belt loops. It is recommended to wash them with inside out with similar colours and to iron on the reverse side.

Front and back view

Close up front view

Close up back view

The Jacket

The jacket I have chosen is a lined 53% Cotton 47% Polyester blazer-style jacket from online retailer ASOS. It originally retailed for £55.00 but I bought it in the sale for £12.00. Matching trousers were available. It features notched lapels, an asymmetric press stud closure, a zip pocket detail and a floral jacquard design. It has a regular fit and is quite structured thanks to the stiff material. It is recommended to dry clean only.

Front and back view

Close up front view

Close up back view

View of popper fastenings

View of inside and lining

Deconstruction In Art

Above are some images I found when searching for 'deconstruction' on Pinterest. The ballerina is part of the 'Deconstructed Series' by sculptor Regardt van der Meueln, and the butterfly part of artist Anne Ten Donkelaar's 'Broken Butterflies' project. I was unable to find the credit for the make-up but I found the way it sculpted and mapped out the model's face really interesting to look at.

Anne Ten Donkelaar had a collection of butterflies with broken wings and bodies that she decided to repair according to its needs. The butterfly pictured above ('The Tread Tensioner') has had the construction of it's wings recreated with thread and pins, outlining the veins and allowing us to see more clearly the different sections that make up the butterfly's wing. This can relate to the deconstruction of a garment, as different pieces are made up to create the item of clothing also.

Regardt van der Meueln's work is slightly less relevant, as it was inspired by the decaying of human life, and the series is a metaphor for "not only the vulnerability of one's physical body but also one's emotional and mental state". The sculpture displays a different meaning to the term 'deconstruction' but is thought provoking none the less.

Introduction

This blog will be used as a platform to document my work for my 'Deconstruction' project for university. The aim of the module is to develop understanding and practical experiences of the technologies that underpin fashion and clothing design and making processes and techniques. The four main tasks of the project are as follows:

Task 1
Create a blog to be used as a platform to document your project.

Task 2
Make detailed annotated flat drawings of your chosen garments.

Task 3
Physically unpick the garments and develop a full technical breakdown, recording the process in drawings and photographs.

Task 4
Produce a second set of flat drawings suggesting different seam finishes, pocket types, fastenings and an alternative fabric.

My personal aim of this project is to explore all of the aspects of deconstruction in fashion and art to gain an understanding of how things are put together and taken apart. I wish to increase my knowledge of types of pockets, fastenings and stitching and undertake a practical approach of deconstruction itself.