MY APPROACH TO THE
TRADITIONAL CORSET
This project is a true rendition of how influential my mother is toward my passion for fashion. Her previous career and study in costume design are so fascinating to me, and because of it, I have spent countless hours digging through her old portfolios. Her work truly inspires me, and although I study fashion, rather than costume design, I take more of an interest in the non-ready-to-wear clothes. In this design process, I brainstormed the route I wanted to take when constructing the physical corset, which turned out to look a lot like the corset my mother made in college. The color and fabric reminded me a lot of ballet slippers, so I chose to design a garment surrounding that theme. The flat sketches allow viewers (or manufacturers, which in this case would be me) to know where all of the seams, boning, and eyelets should go. This came in great handy for the construction phase.
The construction of this garment was the most difficult process I have ever been through in my three years of fashion. When I finally finished, it was extremely rewarding to see my vision come to life and come out exactly as planned. It took over a month of non-stop sewing and poking pins into my fingers to finally complete. When I stepped back from my work, my mind resorted right back to my original inspiration, Egar Degas and my mother. From a very young age, she would always take me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at the ballerina paintings. I adored them so much and will never forget those moments of joy that forever stick to my mind when creating my art.
In addition to the corset, I decided to follow my original inspiration and make a tutu. Within the layers of tule and wire hoop lies a bed of roses. The creative freedom I had with this project allowed me to run wild with initial passionate thoughts and excitement.
BRAINSTORMING
The first step of my design process is creating mood boards to keep track of my inspiration. In this case, I began with my mother's corset in mind. As previously mentioned, she is a major catalyst in my creativity and love for clothing, as she studied costume design in college. I initially included the main points in this first mood board that came to mind when assigned this project: the grace of ballet and Rococo fashion.
I then began drawing my garment ideas with various markers and colored pencils but came across another inspiration. How could I forget, Edward Degas! I suddenly began mapping out a new mood board that left me a lot more satisfied and truly expressed what direction I was going for.
From here, I began gathering fabric and creating flat back views in Adobe Illustrator. I found a sewing pattern that matched my design idea and began drafting in muslin to fit it to my body.
