Footage of Charles in his workshop measuring a mannequin, ca. 1946.
Vionnet – Retrospective Exhibition
Madeleine Vionnet retrospective exhibition, curated by Pamela Golbin, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 2009
Isabella Coraça
Research – Body in motion (poses)
In this instalment of ‘body in motion’, we look at footages of fashionable poses during the 1920s and 40s. This research will help to inform the animations of the digital visualisations.
Research – Body in motion (modelling)
In this is the second instalment in the research series ‘body in motion’ we look at the training of models throughout the 20th century. This research will help to inform the animations of the digital visualisations.
Research – body in motion (runway shows)
The first fittings for the Charles James toile marked a pivotal moment within the project, it officially moved us from stage one (archival research and dress selection) to stage two (making process). In the research context, it also moved us to the next stage, that is thinking of the garments in relation to the body and movement. When Kitty, our fit model, first walked the Charles James toile across the corridor of the MA Fashion studio, she allowed us to identify not only the flaws in the toile that needed to be addressed, but also the importance of movement in achieving the right effect. Kitty is used to walking the current runway walk, with fast and strong steps coming from the hips (click on the link below).
Research – shoes
This pictorial shoe research was conducted to inform the height of the 3D avatars (‘bodies’) that will wear the digital visualisations. It aimed to identify what kind of shoes were worn with the chosen dresses, looking at both photographs of models/clients wearing our designers’ creations (not necessarily the chosen ones) and contemporary shoes in the online databases of the Victoria & Albert Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The selected shoes range from 3 years prior to 3 years post the creation date of our chosen dresses. For instance, the Charles James dress dates 1945, so we looked at shoes ranging from 1942 to 1948. This allowance reflected the slower changes in footwear styles, mostly in the early 20th century.
Charles James – Fitting
Here is a video of Kitty (our fit model) during one of the Charles James fittings.
VR180
Filmed using Google’s new VR180 technology, this video forms part of the projects experimentation with new digital technologies, knitting together two single channel videos to create a 3D image.
Liam Leslie
3D Imaging
Created using 3D imaging software combined with an iPhone camera, this virtual model was created within the museum archive. Utilising emergent technologies as a means of quickly capturing a 3-dimensional visualisation in the archive space. Continue reading “3D Imaging”
Work in progress – toiles
During the summer, when Central Saint Martins was relatively quiet (albeit for a few short courses) Patrick and Esme were on full speed working on the toiles. They managed to create 7 in total – 3 for Charles James, 2 for Halston and 2 for Comme des Garçons.