Creating a Garment

As part of the exhibition, I am making a garment to explore the techniques of design development, which is something that I never really had nor learn before and the production of a garment; from pattern cutting, making a toile and sewing it to create the piece.
I started doing an experimentation on design development ideas with Marilyn during the previous workshop week. Basically, I was putting and mixing several already-made garment from home and playing along with it. Twisting some parts of it, turned it upside-down, inside-out, folding it backwards, making different shapes from it and see whether there was an interesting silhouette or shapes from it.
I also started to putting it all together on an image of a body and see how it would fit on a body, play around more with it and basically just finding more and more inspirations and ideas from this little yet reallu useful experimentation.
So I ended up with the dress that I have for the exhibition.
In a way, the theme and concepts from this dress is not based on Indonesia, but, in the other hand, it is still part of my Big Idea of what I'm aiming to do during this course; which is to explore in the techniques and materials on producing a garment.
I also played along with different materials for the garment, I used Neoprene as the fabric and added beads and sheer paper fabric as the decoration for this dress. I also learned the different techniques in sewing, whether it's machine or hand-stitching.
This whole experience have broaden my knowledge and I have finally reached one of my goals before coming to this course; which is to learn how to create a garment from scratch.

indonesian art presentation

i had to make a presentation regarding indonesian art, in which i showed several pictures on the arts, dances, architectures and the facts itself.

Academic Tutorial Projects

Based on the academic tutorial, I was assigned to make different types of prints on fabric; digital prints, traditional print and a combination of both. I used Lectra and Adobe Photoshop to make the lay out and the image of the print and used cotton and silk as the fabric.

Nanotechnology Idea

A trip one day to Nanoforce at Queen Mary University in Mile End area with Dorota and the other fashion girls has opened our eyes that there are many other possibilites in producing new things and using new technologies. Nanoforce Technology Limited is a company set up through the Micro and Nanotechnology (MNT) funding from the Department of Trade and Industry (now the Technology Strategy Board) and the London Development Agency to exploit and disseminate nano technology to the creative industries and beyond.

Nanotechnology: refers to a field whose theme is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.
Nanotechnology is extremely diverse, ranging from novel extensions of conventional device physics, to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, to developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale, even to speculation on whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale.

We spoke to a representative who offered to help us to make a proposal if we have any idea in using Nanotechnology into our garment, in which they would help us to make and fund the project. I think this is a really really great opportunity; having a help in funding to do my project as well as the technology and the chance to make something different.
I had several ideas regarding nanotechnology, which is to make the 3D fabric using nanotechnology and/or making a light emitting fabric in which I could put a Wayang show into a fabric (garment) and that, when everytime the model walks, the motifs on the fabric moves around (in this case, the wayang show moves around and creates some sort of Wayang show on the garment). I think I might have to work on the animation then nanotechnology would play the role as the fibres that makes the Wayang move around. I saw this similar technology which was made by Phillips, the light company in which they made a LED T-shirt.

Januari Di Kota Dili

This is one of the most influential song for me, it reminds me of Indonesia so much, with its characteristic and lyrics of a love story in Dili, East Timor. This song was made when East Timor was not yet separated from Indonesia, it was really popular in 1997-1998, it was one of my favourite song from childhood. I found it one day through a friend and realizes how "Indonesia" this song is..It made me want to go back home and everytime I listen to it, I'm just triggered to do more research on Indonesia, it sounds weird, but it is some influence I have here..

Concept and Technical Idea

Besides wayang,I also checked on Indonesian art on wood carving and relief, which came to my mind to create some sort of 3D effect on a fabric using several techniques like laser cutting with materials from rubber/leather/silicone/neoprene/etc; as seen on the Balenciaga garments.
So I came up with an idea to make that sort of garment, because instead of having a 2D pattern on fabric, why not make a 3D one, besides, I don't really see it oftenly. And to put a concept of Indonesian art as its theme would be a great way for me as my basic idea is to explore and promote them.

So there are 2 concepts that I have for my big idea:
1. Exploring and promoting Indonesian art -> in terms of concept/theme.
2. Exploring on the technique of making a 3D shapes or motifs on a fabric which will be then make into a garment -> in terms of technique.

Wayang Show "Wayang Kulit (Dewa Ruci by Ki Manteb)"