Art 2 Wear is an annual fashion show held by North Carolina State University's College of Design. The show challenges designers to imagine, create, and inspire by expressing their point of view through wearable art. The theme for 2024's show was Dimensions.
To me, therefore, dimensions translated to the transitions of how I defined being a designer for myself. As someone who designs primarily in the digital space, this project tested my design process when it came to producing a tactile outcome.
Studio
Fibers Studio ADN 400
Role
Designer, Seamstress
Vibes
Difficult, but Rewarding Outcome
PRE-PRODUCTION
Establishing the Vision & Sketching
The first thing my professor instructed us to do was create an inspo board that had to be printed out. In forcing us to print out our inspiration boards, I noticed that I was more intentional with my selection. My areas of inspiration came from snakes and Hindu divinity. Snakes are seen as bad omen or bringers of sin Western, Christian perspective, but in Hinduism, snakes embody good and evil in their motivations. I was drawn to the multi-faceted nature of serpents and snakes in Hinduism and built my board and sketches around that theme.
Inspiration Board
I was specifically drawn to the first avataram, incarnation, of the Lord Vishnu — Matsya Narayan. This incarnation of Lord Vishnu was half-fish and half-man, who brought the knowledge of the Vedas, the sacred knowledge of the Hindu faith, from the depths of the ocean when the world was submerged in water. I was drawn to the scale aspect of snakes, and began to think about different ways I could show a scale-like texture with fabric.
Sketching
In my sketch explorations, I investigated how scales could build and expand into other aspects of my costume. For instance, could I have an attachment to the back, could I build something off to the side, or should I focus on the craft of a dress pattern and have an instance of delight with smocked details? In the end, I decided to focus on the craft of the dress and basically free styled what I made (this isn't usually how I role, but this project promoted a lot of on the spot thinking that forced me to recalibrate as I went through the process).
PRODUCTION
Fabric & Sewing
Selecting fabric was truly a scavenger hunt. Color on material is harder to pin down than color in a digital space. The process of narrowing down a fabric that represent the dual nature of snakes was long, but when I found this delicate double-sided pink fabric, I knew I found what I was looking for. After that, I began that actual sewing process for my design.
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