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Experimental artist/designer, showcased my work for the first time yesterday!

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  • nolanboat
    Junior Member
    • Jan 2015
    • 8

    Experimental artist/designer, showcased my work for the first time yesterday!

    Hello, I've been composing/performing experimental music and visual art for over a year in the Seattle, WA area and in the last six months or so I've ventured into fashion and design
    Yesterday I performed at a local music festival and during my set I was able to showcase three outfits I designed and created myself!

    A picture I took during rehearsal -


    and during the performance -


    closer look at two of the models -


    The look on the left I created completely from scratch, cut the fabric without using any patterns and sewn completely by hand. The top is a white cotton with a stripe of floral fabric down the middle and the bottom (which you can't see very well) is a double layer skirt made from a black Ponte knit

    The middle look is a blazer and pair of dress pants cut horizontally (the jacket cut on a slant) and a heavy chain sewn onto the top of the jacket and pant legs with the bottom pieces hanging suspended from the chains. I thrifted both the blazer and pants but cut and sewed the chains on by hand

    The look on the right is a denim shirt covered with pieces of a broken mirror, glued on. The bottom is regular raw denim with a heavy taper and entirely painted by hand with three layers of white paint

    Really proud of how it turned out! It ended up coming out exactly how I pictured in my head which is rare, especially for experimental artists

    I'd love constructive feedback/criticism as design is absolutely something I'm looking to improve and further myself in and I lack traditional schooling in the area.
  • nolanboat
    Junior Member
    • Jan 2015
    • 8

    #2
    oh and here are some pics of the pieces individually -



    Last edited by nolanboat; 06-28-2015, 05:48 PM.

    Comment

    • Bleu1950
      Member
      • Jan 2013
      • 72

      #3
      you have an interesting eye for model....the guy in the middle is crossed eye and receding hair line.... as for the clothes i have no commenst

      Comment

      • nolanboat
        Junior Member
        • Jan 2015
        • 8

        #4
        Originally posted by Bleu1950 View Post
        you have an interesting eye for model....the guy in the middle is crossed eye and receding hair line.... as for the clothes i have no commenst
        I didn't go through an agency or anything because I wanted to highlight nontraditional beauty. I think they all look great

        And I know the clothes are not practical at all, I never intended them to be. But artistically it manifests exactly the ideas and motions I felt and wanted to portray so I'm very proud of how it turned out in that aspect
        Last edited by nolanboat; 06-29-2015, 05:31 PM.

        Comment

        • upsilonkng
          Senior Member
          • May 2010
          • 874

          #5
          it's cool that all 3 of ur posts are about u... why didn't u just use instagram or fb for this?

          Comment

          • ClockworkRabbit
            Junior Member
            • May 2015
            • 15

            #6
            I only really like the one on the left, but I think even that one needs some work. The top completely overshadows the skirt to the point where you can barely see it, maybe styling it with pants would look better with that kind of oversize look. If you want to keep the skirt I think you might have to slim down the silhouette in the waist and shorten it, as it is it doesn't have any defined lines or contrast aside from the center strip. The other 2 seem to be more costume than clothing to me.

            Comment

            • nolanboat
              Junior Member
              • Jan 2015
              • 8

              #7
              Originally posted by upsilonkng View Post
              it's cool that all 3 of ur posts are about u... why didn't u just use instagram or fb for this?
              I'm usually on the classified sections so most of my words are in private messages
              I shared it on my personal social media too, but I posted it here because again I'm proud of this and looking to share it, and get criticism/feedback

              I absolutely can't stand the people on reddit and 4chan and facebook groups so I thought this would be the best place to share

              Comment

              • nolanboat
                Junior Member
                • Jan 2015
                • 8

                #8
                Originally posted by ClockworkRabbit View Post
                I only really like the one on the left, but I think even that one needs some work. The top completely overshadows the skirt to the point where you can barely see it, maybe styling it with pants would look better with that kind of oversize look. If you want to keep the skirt I think you might have to slim down the silhouette in the waist and shorten it, as it is it doesn't have any defined lines or contrast aside from the center strip. The other 2 seem to be more costume than clothing to me.
                Thanks for the feedback! The middle and right looks definitely aren't intended for daily wear except for the painted jeans

                The model on the left, she's obviously short which is I think why the skirt is so overshadowed. I want to sew pockets on before I start wearing it, and I'd definitely work it into an outfit differently

                Comment

                • Resonkuken
                  Senior Member
                  • Oct 2012
                  • 408

                  #9
                  Harsh but true. This seems like wacky DYI with no real aim. Just 3 pieces all completely different and more in the lines of what one would do with a little bit of time not a whole lot of ideas.

                  Comment

                  • nolanboat
                    Junior Member
                    • Jan 2015
                    • 8

                    #10
                    woo god damn

                    Comment

                    • Aurum
                      Member
                      • Dec 2013
                      • 40

                      #11
                      Interesting project! Everyone has to begin somewhere. Some thoughts:

                      I've used mirror fragments in theatre costume. If you use real glass (as opposed to plastic) mirror, it's safest for your model if you use a fine metal file to take the edge off of each individual plane before attaching them to the garment.

                      In order to better communicate your intended message, it might be beneficial to post video of the performance, or to write a statement to accompany the images. If the costumes were incorporated into the performance, how did they contribute? Did your models stand like mannequin, or did they mime, dance, or interact with one another or the audience?

                      Comment

                      • nolanboat
                        Junior Member
                        • Jan 2015
                        • 8

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Aurum View Post
                        Interesting project! Everyone has to begin somewhere. Some thoughts:

                        I've used mirror fragments in theatre costume. If you use real glass (as opposed to plastic) mirror, it's safest for your model if you use a fine metal file to take the edge off of each individual plane before attaching them to the garment.

                        In order to better communicate your intended message, it might be beneficial to post video of the performance, or to write a statement to accompany the images. If the costumes were incorporated into the performance, how did they contribute? Did your models stand like mannequin, or did they mime, dance, or interact with one another or the audience?
                        Thanks! Safety was not really my priority haha... I did accidentally cut my hands open once or twice but thankfully my model stayed safe. Will probably take more precautions in the future

                        A video would be nice, I would have had to hired somebody myself to take video as no one in the audience did, and that's something I didn't think to do.

                        They stood like mannequins. It was a fifteen minute performance, for the first five minutes they were all standing facing forwards, then they turned 180 and had their backs facing the audience for the next five, then after ten minutes they turned back around until the end. The picture I posted was taken in the last five minutes

                        Originally I thought including paragraphs about my artistic intent in the OP would have been a bit presumptuous. That is where I absolutely disagree with the previous feedback, as saying I had no aim or ideas could not be farther from the truth. Whether or not I should have included my ideas originally or not I'm not sure but whatever


                        For the formal outfit with the chains in the middle, I started by wanting to explore the theme of dissecting the modern formal man, a theme usually seen in Yohji and Ann D's runway shows - but with more of industrial take, as exemplified with the heavy chains
                        The more specific meaning it ended taking to me is how wearing it seems allegorical to insecure masculinity and repressed emotions; it's like the man is chaining himself down. I didn't start with this idea originally, but I found it in the process of sewing and alterations

                        In regards to the mirror shirt - I think whenever you look at someone walking by on the street or on campus or whatever, looking at the clothes they're wearing n how they wear it is in a way looking inside the person... where their mind is at, what they're trying to say about themselves

                        and that's not really a bad thing at all, I mean that's one of the largest functions of fashion - but with looking at someone wearing this jacket, in a v literal way your gaze is turned around and back at you - that's what I think is interesting, playing w the dynamic of the observer and observee and flipping it on it's head

                        Comment

                        • casem
                          Senior Member
                          • Sep 2006
                          • 2590

                          #13
                          Keep going, keep creating and refining your work, be open to criticism but stick to your guns when you feel you're really on to something. Right now it seems you are at an early stage so the work is pretty amateur/diy compared to the level SZ'ers are used to, but don't let all the criticism deter you. Your enthusiasm and the fact that you're already organizing events is a great sign, keep going and don't become jaded like the old queens on this forum!

                          P.S. maybe hold off on calling yourself "artist/designer" at this stage, it will soften the criticism you receive if you come from a more humble place.
                          music

                          Comment

                          • nolanboat
                            Junior Member
                            • Jan 2015
                            • 8

                            #14
                            Originally posted by casem View Post
                            Keep going, keep creating and refining your work, be open to criticism but stick to your guns when you feel you're really on to something. Right now it seems you are at an early stage so the work is pretty amateur/diy compared to the level SZ'ers are used to, but don't let all the criticism deter you. Your enthusiasm and the fact that you're already organizing events is a great sign, keep going and don't become jaded like the old queens on this forum!

                            P.S. maybe hold off on calling yourself "artist/designer" at this stage, it will soften the criticism you receive if you come from a more humble place.
                            Thanks! That's really nice and refreshing to hear
                            I've been working in other mediums for much longer, I have five albums and two films and I've been performing for more a few years. This is just my first public venture with fashion design. I totally get what you mean though

                            Comment

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