Leggings designs

The decision was made to create two separate collections if I was to continue with the bright colour palette that I have been trying to create and have an older collection with the golds and leathers. After seeing the Brights patterns on a model I have decided it needs more with the composition as the large all over prints skew the print slightly so you cannot see all of the other layers.
The Brights collection was insired bu the BlackMilk leggings with the all over prints.

The older range was inspired by the audience need for less all over prints and more engineerd prints as after some market research the older woman prefers to were more subtle prints for work that are more toned down and 'controlled'. Thus making just one section printed it creates a less daunting design.

Humpties

Brief:

 

 Board:

Website - http://www.humpties.com/

The brief insited that they would like to include a bit about the designer and their logo to stay with their phoilosophy of using upcomming and new designers deigns on their Humtpties. From this I designed a logo thinking about simplicity and look for inspiration from other designers logos such as http://www.dashboutiqueclothing.com/. This logo was quite rushed however, so more thought and time needed to be put into it., I also need to look at logos that are relevent to the market level that I am aiminig for to create the right look for it.

 

I have taken from this competition, the skills of creating to the correct shape the client needs (perfectly measured circles and boarders) so that it prints out perfectly, and a new mode to work in; the brief stated that it was to be in LAB colour in 8-bit at 300dpi Link to Template

 

 

 This competition has also helped in making me think about how I would present my work and the layout on boards that I would use.

Website

I decided to use Wix as it is an easy tool to use to create and customise your own webiste for free, I think this will be suitable as a starting point as I have never done much website programming before. Wix was found after looking for website creators through word of mouth. Looking at the layout I was aiming at a simple, and minimal look so the focus is on the products and prints, so placing it on a black background for most of the designs will make the prints stand out, but also create a united look.

Looking at how other artists use websites to showcase their work and include their CV and online portfolio. An example below of Lee Fieldman's online portfolio:

http://leefieldman.wix.com/lsfportfolio#!portfolio/cwvn

Looking at her website it makes me think of how I would showcase my work and get attention from buyers, for example creating shows or exhibitions of my work and thinking of how I would display it.

Work Experience Search

Searching for work experience in existing industries is good for furthering industry awareness and can possibly pick up some tips to help with future designs and trends.
Using search engines such as the Jobs Hub in the university or other universities makes job searching for undergraduates a little bit easier.

After finding a potential one to apply for a cover letter and CV is needed for the application process.

Layers Design Development and Sustainability Research

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Thinking about the idea of layers on my designs, I have decided to look into materials that I can potentially laser cut in replace of the free machine stitch. As the free machine stitching tend to get caught a lot and is not practical. Thus I decided to look at existing bag designs and I automatically liked this backpack design below by Topshop, after some market research I gathered that girls around the age of 16-22 have been wearing backpacks a lot lately.

High end fashion designers are also reintroducing the backpack in a more 'satchel-bag-gone-backpack' look. A lot of them tend to be black canvas drawstring backpacks.

Plastic Suppliers

Other websites:
http://www.greenantplasticrecycling.co.uk/current-stock/
http://www.theplasticshop.co.uk/samples-3-pack-3600-0.html
http://www.plasticsuppliers.com/index.php?p=filmguide#ETHYSection
http://www.amariplastics.com/amariplastics/products/productview.asp?tid=118

Large suppliers companies have a small range of plastic  that you can buy in large quantities, however with all the technical terminology it's hard to find exactly what I need as many of these websites tend to create plastics for commercial needs for example plastic packing.

Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/167958081/00078-002-mm-pvc-by-the-yard?ref=favs_view_2
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/124875828/1-metre-of-clear-uv-pvc?ref=favs_view_5

Screenshot of contact with one of the etsy users that eventually managed to help me order a large sample of PVC.

Etsy have quite a range of fabric suppliers that are more than willing to send out samples most of the time so is a great way to get some samples to get an idea of what I want. As they are small companies they may not be able to send large orders out, for example this store shown above I will only be able to order 4 yards at a time it to be possible to send through the post.
I have sent out some requests for some PVC samples.

Recycling and Sustainability

As plastic is a man made material it only certain plastics can be melted down to be recycled, thus it isn't exactly the most environmentally friendly material, and being in an age where consumers what to be informed of where their products and food comes from, an alternative material may have to be considered. From this I have decided to look into a similar kind of thickness of fabric and a common material to make bags out of is leather, as it is a fabric that doesn't limit to a certain age group, and is easy to maintain depending on the type and coating.

In response to looking for more eco friendly fabrics, the closest fabric that I have found so far that is simmilar to leather is cork. It has been described as eco-friendly and vegan friendly, which is reaching a wider audience that includes not only people that prefer faux fur, but potentially vegans too. At £7.92 for a half square metre (0.5m x 0.5m) it is also much cheaper than leather hind that is approx £17.89 for roughly half a metre of leather hind.

I have also found 'Eco Fabric' that is made with recycled bottles, in a heavy sack weave, that is recomended for wall tapestry. However, it's quite a fluid fabric that can be used like a thick cotton (weight: 160 gsm). It is also 1.59m x 1.61 m and can be sub-dyed.

Development

By layering laser cut and foiled leather it redefines the digital prints I have made, and the contrast of gold and black makes the colours pop. This colour palette will be used for the slightly older womens range and the bright colours used in my other prints will be more suitable for a younger range.