01/06/17 | Exhibition plan

01/06/17

Before the deadline, today I decided to make the exhibition plan. I thought about my theme and the idea just came up with the laundry which was through the whole project. So I decided to use the element which is related to the laundry. I thought I will hang on the garment and put the holder in the midlle of the board and another side I will put the board which shows the final photo. 
In the evening, we went to the BA Fashion show. I was so good, we had a good time. I picked up several outfit which I like the most. The last photo showed the collection which attracted my eyes. I am not sure about the theme, but based on my observation I found he/she used a lot ties and play with it. The idea is quite like my project, and it gave my some inspiration as well. 

FMP Evaluation

Back to the beginning of the final major project, I still remember that was so exciting when I first time got the project form. Because this time we can choose two themes, besides, we have 12 weeks to do the project, which means we have more time to deeper research the themes and develop the ideas. But or put it to another way, due to 12 weeks such a long time, so we need to allocate time properly, also at the beginning we needed to search both two themes. However, the most important thing at the beginning was that chose two themes, which we were enjoyable and also it’s full of content to research.

At first, I started to think about two themes. However, it was not a straight way and so confusing to choose. I with my friends went to Nottingham to travel during the half term, we lived in a house where had a wall full of mirrors, I got some inspiration. Furthermore, I thought about the painting that is Not to be Reproduced by Rene Magritte. The painting shows a man stand in front of the mirror but the weird thing is that the mirror shows the back of the man. Besides there also is a book on the table, but the book is normal which means the direction of the book is correct. So I think my theme can extend to illusions, because the theme “mirrors” is too specific and the reflection of the mirror also is another type of illusion.

About the second theme, I inspired from a music video, “Yes No Maybe” by a Korean singer Suzy. There is a scene that depicts a girl sitting in front of the laundry and watching the washing machine rotating. Then I came up with the idea, that we put the messy things in the washing machine, soak, rotate, squeeze, dehydrate and dry. After a series of processes, we get clean clothing. However, the clothes are disordered as well, because maybe the socks are in the coat pocket, the trousers and shirts are entwined. In different situations, the state of clothing is different. Maybe there is a lot of foam or it’s wet and the colour of the clothing becomes darker. There are so many different possibility and plenty of combination of different garment. So I want to pick up the texture from the washing routine and rearrange them.

After I decided two themes, I started from the theme “illusion”, I searched a range of mirrors, which had different texture and shapes. Besides, There are many optical illusions, which are really interesting and magical, for instance, GRID, the original version of this illusion was first reported by German physiologist Ludimar Hermann in 1870. It simply involves a white grid on a black background. As you move your eyes around the image, dark dots quickly appear and disappear at the intersections. However, whenever you look directly on any intersection, the dark dots vanish. I will search some information about Yonatan Frimer who combined the maze and illusion. Rocio Montoya who is a photography and graphic designer also combined the illusion into her works. I went to school’s library to get some inspiration. I found a series of picture which played with the reflection material, I also made a mood board in my way and I tried to use the really metal to make a experiment piece. From this project, because we have more time, so when I found a idea or related work, I tried to make some artwork using the similar images but in my way, I tried to think about more and expanded more.

Then I moved to the theme “indistinct”. One of my ideas is about the laundry, so I started from the history of laundry, I searched how the ancient washed clothes, what tools did they use. Furthermore, I paid more attention to the hand washing, so I searched a range of information about hand washing and I got some primary research through I washed clothes by myself, I asked my friends to help me take photo when I was washing the clothes and I sat in front of the washing machine to observe how the washing machine works to see what different between those two. I found washing clothed by hand there are a lot of processes, so I searched more into it, I developed each process, based on the observation I made some experiment. Until here, my mind was clear, but after I finished each steps about the hand washing, I was a little bit lost.

Fortunately, we went to Barcelona and we went to a lot of exhibition and museum, so I got a lot of fresh ideas. In MACBA Museum, I found plenty of painting that only used the pants as the main character. There are plenty of trousers of different shapes. Based on the painting, I recreated a painting which is full of trousers. In Dali Museum, there were several painting that the texture are like the reflection of the surface of water. I draw on the small sketchbook. Besides, I found a painting called Salvador Figure. We can see the triple silhouette of head, with the suggestive and descriptive shadows. I inspired from the triple silhouette, I think it’s a good idea to use in the design. In addition, I also got some primary research for theme “illusion”.  There are a lot of exhibition booths that it have 4 sides, the two sides which are in the middle are mirrors, another two are two similar images. I played with it and brought it into the design.

After the trip, I was sure that I wanted to do theme “indistinct”. So I continued to research about “indistinct”.  There are some designer’s work related to the theme, for instance, Viktor & Rolf 2016, Maison Martin Margiela 2011, and the Hongkong designer XimonLee 2017 collection, he used the fabric which mixed the Denim and PVC, so the garment have a special texture.

Then I started to think about developing the idea which based on the research. I went to fabric shop several times, first time I just want to got some idea about the fabric, because at that time I was a little bit step, I didn’t know the direction of the development. So I thought that maybe when I saw the fabric, I could get some ideas. At the beginning, I tried to find more special fabric like PVC, because some of them are translucent and the textures are quite special. But I another fabric caught my eye that is Denim. It’s a very common fabric, we wear almost everyday, however, the denim are processed and after we washed again and again, it can be seen clearly after a long period of wear, it will fade and wear down. So I decided to use it as the main fabric, then I played with the denim fabric, I made a lot of fabric experiments. For example, I cut it to pieces and sewed them together or scrubbed them, or I mixed several different colour denim fabrics and also combined the reflection PVC fabric. Next, I used them to drape on the mannequin.

I separated my draping into three parts. The first part I used the fabric sample to drape. I moved around the body to think about which part is more suitable. I left quite long time to develop my design idea, because in my previous work, I considered that I was not really think about the detail about the design, due to this time we have more time so I wanted to push myself more and improve dealing with the details. I thought about each fabric sample I made and all design several garment. Then I also tried to bring several fabric sample together, I mixed the check pattern with the knitting piece.

In addition, I went to the second hand shop and brought some pieces for draping. Then I moved into the second part of draping. I wanted to imitate the messy status when we washed the clothes, so I thought about using the second hand shop’s clothes that it’s an easy way to do and also I can task how different texture fabric match together. After I draped, I draw them down and also colour them. Actually, I didn’t draw them very particularly, because I just wanted to give myself some inspiration.

Based on the twice draping, I started to design, I drew a range of design and also I drew both of the front and back. I tried to bring the ideas from twice draping and the research I’ve done. At this time, I was thinking about the 3D effect, because the garment should try on the body, so I decided to do draping again. I chose three of my design and made the pattern. For the final design, the main elements I chose the waistbands and pockets, using the pattern moved around the body to test. The pants I brought two design together, I used two jeans and overlapped them, the inset is the normal state but the outside the jeans I design it opened. The bottom of pants made up of plenty of waistbands. Moved to making part, actually this part didn’t spend me a long time, I’ve already made the top pattern, so it’s more easy to make it. The pants I used the second hand shop’s jeans and put the textile piece which I made.

When I though about the photography idea, the first idea is shooting in the laundry room, I tried to ask my friends and also searched on the Internet to find a nice laundry room, but unfortunately I can’t find a nice piece, so I just used the studio. The background I choose the blue, because it matched my garment’s colour. I used the Photoshop to edit, I added more graphic element into my final photo.

12 weeks is not a short time, I was lost and confused, so many day and night fought for the problems and myself, however the result is pleasuring, I was enjoying doing my project. Through the project it expanded my view and improved my understanding of every part. Besides, I also learned about time management and analyzing my work. Hope the method I’ve learned can help me improve in the future.

26/05/17 | photography day

Today it’s time to take the final photography. I’ve booked the studio of the fashion promotion, because there are more options of the colour background, and also the light are more professional. My model is Jone. I went there about 11 o’clock, then I sat the light and the background, I chose the blue one, however, to be honest, I want to use the green one as well, but we didn’t have enough time to take too much photo, so I chose the blues one. After he arrived, we just directly started taking photo. At the beginning, we both felt embarrassing, because he was a little bit shy to camera, so I tried to encouraged him to release pressure and move the body. however, it didn’t work, so I thought about maybe play the music can help him to release stresses. Actually, it seems like a good idea. We both felt more relaxed, I asked him to sway with the music.

25/05/17 | photography plan

I’ve already finished the final garment, so I planed to shoot the final photography.

I searched some images from the internet to give me some inspiration. I want to do the final photography in the laundry room. Because the idea about the laundry through the whole project. I asked friends to take photo of the laundry where they lived, I also tried to find nice laundry room in other place.

However, almost the laundry room are too small to take photo, also the light are not good, it’s too dark, so it can not show the garment very clearly.

So I decided to take the final photo in the studio. I booked the fashion promotion’s studio, because they have more colourful background. I wanted to use the blue background to match my garment.

24/05/17 | Making garment

24/05/17

I’ve already prepared a range of waist bands, so I started to sewed them on the jeans. However, because the texture of jeans is too thick and it can’t use sewing machine, so I decided to sew them by hand.

In addition, I designed a detail on the bottom of left leg. I cut two spaces and made it asymmetrical.

22/05/17| Making garment

22/05/17

Started to make the pants. I bought two jeans from second hands shop. I cut one of them. Connected two jeans together and sewed two sides together. Besides, I wanted the outside jeans which is opened, so I also sewed the edges.

In the back of the jeans, there are two pockets. I picked uptown pockets. In the original position left two dark pocket marks. I didn’t throw the two pockets, I collected them and sewed them together. Besides, I thought about the design, I sewed them in one side and sewed some folds.

C&CS final essay

Title: How did the invention of the washing machine advance the cause of feminism?

Student name: Yuqin Huang

CEG08034406

Course name: Fashion

Collage name: Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts

Date: 22/05/17

 

Introduction

The development of the laundry has gone thought a long way, in this essay I talked about the history of the laundry through the past to now. People washed clothes by hands before, however the appearance of washing machines has changed people’s lives. We can see from the period of Pop Art, the painting by Richard Hamilton showed a range of automatically products, it means that the 1950s were pivotal for the American automobile industry. Besides, the post-World War II era brought a wide range of new technologies to the automobile consumer. Due to the lack of male labor, women had opportunity to work. The collage called “Rosie the Riveter” by J. Howard Miller showed a women raised her flexed arm and said “We can do it.” This reflected the right of women improved a lot at that time. However, after the World War II men returned home and eventually their occupations were occupied. Furthermore, clothing has long been considered a badge of cultural identity. And feminism itself has undergone significant change since the rise of second-wave feminism in the late 1960s. Female started to fight for wearing pants, how did women fight for the right of wearing? How did the fact vigorously promoted the process of the feminism? So in this essay I talked about how did the revolution of the laundry reflect feminism step by step?

 

Body

Once upon a time, the way of tackling laundry is that washing in the river with a metal washboard and bar of hard soap. Washing clothes in the river is the normal way of doing laundry in many less-developed parts of the world. Even in prosperous parts of the world riverside washing went on well into the 19th century, or longer in rural areas – even when the river was frozen. Sometimes there are so many dirty clothes, so they may take special tools to the river to help the work: like a washing bat or a board to scrub on. At that time, due to the heavy housework and the responsibility of looking after kids, female didn’t have more leisure time to do what they really want. Nevertheless, washing machine is the basic appliances in our daily life, but the invention of washing machine went thought a long history.

Image from History of Laundry – after 1800, 2010

 

Actually, the earliest washing “machine” was the scrub board or wash board, invented in 1797. Then, American James King patented the first washing machine to use a drum in 1851 — the drum made King’s machine resemble a modern machine; however, it was still hand-powered.

 

The idea of washing by machine traced back to a long way, three early designs take turns being put forward as “first washing machine ever”. An early 17th century book by Jacopo Strada’s grandson Ottavio showed his 15th century idea for a washing machine, probably intended for use in textile manufacturing. Then in the 1670s John Hoskins experimented with putting fine laundry into a thick bag that could be soaked before squeezing with a “wheel and cylinder” mechanism. A 1691 English patent referred to an “engine” with a long list of possible uses, including clothes washing. But it is unlikely to get the royal approval. It’s not until the mid-1700s that we see signs of progress with labour-saving washing machines. In 1858, Hamilton Smith patented the rotary washing machine. In 1874, William Blackstone of Indiana built a birthday present for his wife. It was a machine which removed and washed away dirt from clothes. This was the first washing machine designed for convenient use in the home.

Image from History of Washing Machines up to 1800, 2011

 

It was a long way of development of laundry from the hand washing to the washing machine, it kind of reflected how hard it is for women to cope with housework, but the appearance of washing machine saved plenty of time, which have a opportunity for women to do they want.

Besides, from some art work that we can see the evidence how the development of the washing machine. The collage called Just What is it That Makes Today’s Home So different, So Appealing?, which is by an English printer and collage artist Richard Hamilton, ” The artist has combined cut-up photographs and cuttings from magazined to create a consumer paradise”( Butler, 1994) It shows the a range of the automatic product, such as the radio, the cleaners and telephone. Actually we can’t find the washing machine on the collage, so I won’t give the definitive answer to say that it’s necessary to use the washing machine at that time, but I am sure about the collage showed the culture of the 20 century, which the automatic products developed significantly and it has already exerted a subtle influence on people’s daily life.

 

Image from Just What is it That Makes Today’s Home So different, So Appealing?, Richard Hamilton

 

Technology played a significant role in World War II. Many wars had major effects on the technologies that we use in our daily lives. However, women also played a crucial role in America as their male counterparts were dispatched on multiple foreign fronts in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. With an abundance of opportunities available, women filled the jobs that were mostly occupied by men.  Many women began working in factories, manufacturing airplanes and working in shipyards; proving that women could perform “men’s work.”  Just as women’s role changed during World War II, it would change after the war was over and continue to evolve even today.

One of the common images associated with women during World War II is “Rosie the Riveter”, which is by J. Howard Miller. The image showed a women raised her flexed arm and said “We can do it.” The illustration was a way which the government to boost morale and recruit women into workforce.

 

Image from Gender Goles in A Post-War America, 2013

 

At that period, women worked in the industries and played a important role, so we can know the right of women improve a lot and people more respected the female. However, it’s unfortunate that the good time doesn’t last long, soon after the end of World War II, men returned home and eventually assumed their pre-war occupations that some women were occupying. So that some of women were compelled to go back home as a housewife and to take care of the kids while the husband went to work. As women were forced out of their wartime occupations and into the domesticity of the new American nuclear family, many women felt disenfranchised. Some women wanted to work, because they felt more passionate when they were working. I consider that female also have the right to choose the life they want.

 

Although I am doing menswear in my final major project, I want to talk about how women fight for the right of wearing “men’s wear”. In addition, my theme is about the “Indistinct”, which is means that not clear defined. It’s like the status of menswear and womenswear, I think there are no definite boundaries for men’s and women’s wear. Nowadays a lot of women wear the power suit and they consider that wearing unisex is a kind of way to show the personality, but we can’t believe how hard it is for women to fight for the right of wearing in the past, even just wore which was a very dangerous thing.

For instance, Mary Walker, military doctor, several times to wear trousers and was arrested until Congress passed legislation to give her privilege – the United States approved the military doctor Mary Edward Walker wear pants at work. She is the first woman to wear pants in the World War I. After the war she has been committed to women’s improvement, promotion of women’s rights movement. Furthermore, in 1932, the United States movie star Marlene Dieti also wear pants walking in the streets of Paris, the police detained her on a “bad style” accusation, after the feminist demonstrations in the police, the police were forced to release her. Until World War II completely broke the women to wear pants deadlock.

Image from YSL’s Le Smoking Suit, 1966, Helmut Newton

 

Feminist advanced the change of women’s wear. In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent promoted the famous “Le smoking”, which is the first female tail coats. It has indicated that the era of women wearing trousers is coming. Or put it to another way, wearing unisex clothes also advanced the development of feminism. Due to the unisex design like the thickened shoulder pads and stiff trousers, gave a power for female to fight for the right of women. Although previous the meaning of “human rights” is only the right of men. (the French Declaration of Human Rights in 1789) Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are not women’s rights. From the women’s citizenship declaration began, starting from the women’s conference, out of the pursuit of equal human rights, the wave of feminism began. Since then, the change of modern women has begun.

Traced back to the origin of the laundry, we can see how hard it is for the women to live and the development of washing machine went through a long process. Due to the invention of the washing machine, it saved more time and gave women a chance to “have a break”, so that in the World War II women had the opportunity to work in the industry, which showed the ability of women that they are not worse than men. Women strive for more equal right through their own efforts. Despite the development of feminism was not a straight way and I can’t say the invention of washing machine advanced the development of feminism directly, but to some extent, society gave more esteem to the women, which the contemporary women have raised the cultural consciousness and self-confidence. However, the fact that there are so many unfair to women, a struggle for feminism is still a long and difficult attempt to achieve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

Adam, Butler. The Art Book. London, Phaidon, 1994.

Bellis, Mary. “Check Out This History of Washing Machines.” ThoughtCo, 12 Apr. 2017, http://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-washing-machines-1992666. Accessed 13 May 2017.

“History of Laundry – after 1800.” Laundry History 1800s, Washing Clothes in the 19th Century, Victorian and Edwardian Laundering, 30 Sept. 2010, http://www.oldandinteresting.com/history-of-washing-clothes.aspx. Accessed 2 May 2017.

“History of Laundry.” Laundry History, Washing Clothes in Middle Ages, Renaissance, Tudor, Restoration, Colonial, Georgian Times, 13 June 2010, http://www.oldandinteresting.com/history-of-laundry.aspx. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

“History of Washing Machines up to 1800.” History of Earliest Washing Machines, Schäffer, Beetham’s Washing Mill, First Inventions, 14 Apr. 2011, http://www.oldandinteresting.com/history-washing-machines.aspx. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Lewis, Jone Johnson. “Did Olympe De Gouges Spark Women’s Rights in France?” ThoughtCo, http://www.thoughtco.com/olympe-de-gouges-rights-of-woman-3529894. Accessed 13 May 2017.

Kgeorge, “Gender Goles in A Post-War America.” ThirdSight History, 13 April 2013, social.rollins.edu/wpsites/thirdsight/2013/04/13/gender-roles-in-a-post-war-america/. Accessed 9 May 2017.

Shardlow, Estella. “How Yves Saint Laurent Revolutionized Women’s Fashion By Popularizing The ‘Le Smoking’ Suit.” Business Insider, 8 Aug. 2011, http://www.businessinsider.com/ysls-greatest-fashion-hits-2011-8?IR=T. Accessed 21 May 2017.

 

Image List.

http://www.oldandinteresting.com

http://www.oldandinteresting.com/history-washing-machines.aspx

The Art Book

social.rollins.edu/wpsites/thirdsight/2013/04/13/gender-roles-in-a-post-war-america/

http://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/yves-saint-laurent-le-smoking-suit

19/05/17 | Making garment

19/05/17

Almost done to adjustment, but I found that after I deleted the waist bands, the back design is somewhat empty. So I added one more pocked and slo I chose the translucent fabric. Because I wanted to give my design more feeling of “indistinct”. Besides, I realised that  the front is too flat, so I added some folds.

 

18/05/17 | Making garment

18/05/17

I asked someone to try on the garment again. This time I really thought about the design. I felt that it’s to mach waist bands in my design, so I decided to deleted the waist bands at the bottom.

I found the shoulder part still isn’t suitable for the body. So I arranged it again. I adjusted the innermost line a little bit loose and the outmost line more tighter. So the outmost line will not fall off and leave some space for the arm to move.