The Cutting Class

Danielle Scutt, SS12.

There was an interesting mix of high end / lo-fi street references in the recent Danielle Scutt collection for Spring-Summer 2012. On the one hand there was a certain youthful quality to the vibrant polka dots and disjointed checks and on the other hand this was balanced out by the more conservative monochrome tailoring. It felt very wearable and very street, from the hipster denim to the t-shirts and bleached out jerseys, but at no point did it feel scungy like an unwashed teenager. At the points where the subculture references could have crossed into a naive, coming of age territory, the crisp shirting and considered drape of the folds and tucks helped to reign the collection in.

In a quote on Vogue.co.uk, Scutt described the collection as being very personal and perhaps this was best reflected in the varying levels of complexity that were seen in the pieces. We can only assume that while a younger teenage Scutt may have been satisfied with a slogan tee, the older Scutt would get a kick out of the more complex pattern cutting. Which is probably why the low/high references tied together - the basic idea of rebellion was the same whether executed in oversized metallic cocoons, mid grey suiting or rope dress overlays.

Images from Vogue.co.uk».

Giles, SS12.

Lasercutting fabrics and leather is a clever technique that can be used to create lace-like effects out of more solid base cloths. The effect of laser cutting fabric completely changes the drape of the fabric, in the same way that a fabric with a wider looser weave is more fluid, so too is lasercut fabric effected in a similar way.

In the images above and below from the Giles show, the cutouts are used to great effect in combination with the highly metallic surface of what appears to be a silver coated leather. There also appears to be small studs, or beads that puncture the designs which helps to break up the flatness of the surface and make the fabric look more like a piece of metal with small rivets.

The jagged cut out designs are also echoed in woven fabrics, while the mirrored effect is also used in simpler garments with accents of red provided through small amounts of contrast binds from the digital print of a swan.

When working with lasercutting, you should always do tests on small pieces of your chosen base cloth before going ahead with the full design, as different fabrics will leave different amounts of burned outlines around the edges of the cut holes. Some fabrics will be effected more than others, and like with any experimental technique it is worth ensuring that you get the effect that you want before you invest a large amount of time and money into the wrong material. Some fabrics will end up with better sealed edges than others as well, while others may end up becoming more tattered and frayed - which can be useful depending on the effect that you want.

Images from Vogue.co.uk».

Pam Hogg, AW11.

The Autumn-Winter 2011 collection by Pam Hogg had a darkly whimsical quality to it, combining disparate elements to create catwalk characters. On the one hand there were dresses, coats and panelled bodysuits out of black leather with buckles and belts fastening the garments closed across the body. Then the bodysuits appeared again but this time in multicoloured woodgrain prints that were shown in many variations, almost as though it was an experiment in how the woodgrain texture and panel shapes could be used to create movement and effect proprotions across the curves of the body.

From these two stories the garments seemed to combine to create barely there jumpsuits made out of leather strapping, whilst Hogg also took the silhouette to the other extreme, with dresses that ballooned out in the skirt shapes that appeared to be supported by a type of hoop skirt.

The result was an interesting mix of colours and proportions that played off each other with surreal styling elements such as raven shoulder pieces and oversize head pieces.

Images from Vogue.co.uk».

Vivienne Westwood Red Label, AW11 and Bas Kosters, AW11.

The smudged up make-up used in the Autumn-Winter 2011 collections by Vivienne Westwood and Bas Kosters had a painterly, impressionistic quality that used vibrant smudges of colours to contort the models features. It was almost as though someone had attacked the models faces with a box of oil pastels, or as though a pack of kids had gotten into mum’s make up, with naive blocks of colour for blue on eyes, red on lips and big black stripes for eye brows. It was all very reminiscent of those amazing Cindy Sherman self-portrait photographs that show a similar use of texture, though Sherman tends to use a more subversive colour palette.

Cindy Sherman photographs via Dan Ponting’s Blog». Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk».

Shaun Samson, Central Saint Martins MA, AW10.

While the realm of menswear can often appear more limiting then womenswear, there are still so many experiments to be had by manipulating the fabrics and materials to create new textures. Shaun Samson is one menswear designer who is building his collections on techniques such as smocking, used to draw sections of the fabric together, and felting, used to blend together different fibres into one continuous piece.

The images above and below show the work that Samson has created in the past for his Central Saint Martins BA and MA collections utilising these techniques and he is also expected to show on schedule at London Fashion Week in September. While many student designers use fabric manipulations in their work it is not always done with quite the finesse required to keep the collection looking resolved. But in the MA images in particular the felting and oversized silhouettes have been drawn together with effective use of colour and pattern to make the garments feel very contemporary. The added dynamics of the traditional knitwear and the checks help to fuel the interest created along the blend lines of the fabrics.

Shaun Samson, Central Saint Martins MA, AW10.

Shaun Samson, Central Saint Martins BA, 2010.

Images from Totem» and Dazed Digital».

Felicity Brown, SS11.

Designers have very different approaches to designing each new collection. While some are continually trying out new directions, others work continuously at an idea to make it their signature, building season after season to work it towards a state of perfection. For designer Felicity Brown, the idea that has her enchanted is the use of beautifully coloured layers of silk. At times these layers build up in simple shapes while at other times, they create voluminous, bloom-like ruffles, that appear to be thick and vibrant like freshly squeezed oil paint.

While her Autumn-Winter 2011 collection introduced some interesting print ideas, it is her Spring-Summer 2011 collection that remains the most striking. On first viewing of this collection the order of the early looks can be somewhat distracting - while many collections build in intensity towards a finale piece, Felicity Brown’s show seemed to see-saw between the most extravagant couture pieces and the most simplified shift shapes. In the end, the use of the contrast is actually what makes the show most memorable, as each idea almost seems to be presented twice, simultaneously at its most extravagant and at its most reduced. This idea of contrast is most pronounced in the few looks and it is here that the idea is most successful. After that the idea is continued but becomes more about the contrast within the looks themselves, an overblown top paired with a simply cut skirt for example, and then dissolves into full blown texture towards the end.

The images below give a better sense of the sheer volume of layers required to create this dense ruffle. It is also interesting to note how raw the edges look and that this is actually part of what makes the garment look more luxurious and expensive. If each individual edge had been finished Brown would not have achieved the same sense of movement and flow about the whole collection. Sometimes, an unfinished edge can actually make for a more at ease and resolved garment.

Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk».

It’s always good to revisit collections when you’ve got more time to appreciate the work that has gone into the details and the fabrics, and some collections stand out because they have the depth to withstand deeper scrutiny.

The bright colours and lampshade silhouettes used for the recent Mary Katrantzou collection help to dazzle from far away, but the fact that the prints hold so many stories gives the collection a more interesting dynamic. 

There is a fantastic interplay between the 2D and the 3D in this collection, the real and the unreal as little scenes are vignetted between seamlines, and flowers grow off the body in the form of beading and jewels. I especially like the teapot which seems to be sitting inside the stomach of one of the models.

Mary Katrantzou, AW11.

When sheer fabrics are used the seam finish needs to be carefully considered since it can be seen from the outside of the garment. One of the most common ways of finishing seams for sheer and very fine fabrics is by using french seams.

French seams are basically like sewing a normal seam twice, and the seam allowance ends up encased inside a fold.

The steps below outline the instructions for sewing a French Seam:

1. Take two pieces of fabric where the seam allowance has been marked with a very small cut into the edge of the fabric. 
2. Place the two pieces of fabric with wrong sides together and so that the edges and small seam allowance notches match up. It is important to note that where you would sew the fabric with wrong sides together for a normal seam - you must sew the seam with wrong sides together for a french seam.
3. Sew the pieces together from the notch and parallel to the edge of the fabric. The distance of your stitch from the edge of the fabric will depend on the seam allowance that you have allowed. Typically I have seen french seams done allowing for 1.2cm of seam allowance, in this case you will first sew about 5-6mm from the edge.
4. Then you will unfold both pieces of the fabric.
5. When you place the fabric flat you will have the right side up and the seam allowance facing out towards the right side of the fabric.
6. It may be necessary to trim down a little of the seam allowance and especially to trim away any frayed edges. This step will make more sense once you have sewn this type of seam before and you will get a feel for what needs to be trimmed.
7. Then fold both pieces of fabric back around the seam allowance.
8. Then you will have the seam allowance folded between the two sides. For most fabrics you may find it easiest to press the seam at this stage to help with the next step.
9. Then sew another line of stitching parallel to the edge through both layers of fabric and to one side of the seam allowance, encasing the seam allowance between the two layers.
10. When finished it should look like a normal seam from the outside and a folded seam on the inside. There should be no seam allowance or fraying showing through the seam on the outside of the garment.

Although it is hard to tell for sure whether or not french seams were used on the images below from Simone Rocha, they would typically be used on such fine mesh fabrics and fabrics such as silks, organzas, chiffons and other fine fabrics which fray easily.

Simone Rocha, AW11. Images from Vogue.co.uk.