THE CONCEPT FOR THIS PROJECT WAS TO CREATE A COLLECTION FROM UPHOLSTERY FOAM FOR THE CONCEPTUAL FASHION BRAND, COMME DES GARCONS.  I FOUND IT INTERESTING USING A MATERIAL WHICH IS USUALLY NOT INTENDED TO BE SEEN AS THE FOCUS OF THE COLLECTION. I AIMED FOR THE COLLECTION TO BE FUN, PLAYFUL AND TACTILE THROUGH THE USE OF COLOUR, SHAPE AND FABRIC MANIPULATION.  ALTHOUGH THE FOAM COULD BE LIMITING, I FOUND THAT IT HAD MANY EXCITING POSSIBILITIES WHICH I REPRESENTED IN THE DESIGN OF THE FINAL COLLECTION.

 

WHEN LAYERING THE SHEETS OF FOAM, IT REMINDED ME OF THE LAYERS OF ROCK SEEN IN IMAGES OF ROCK EROSION.  I USED IMAGES OF ROCK EROSION TO INSPIRE THE FABRIC MANIPULATION SUCH AS LASER CUTTING, QUILTING AND GATHERING.  I LASER CUT LINES INTO THE FOAM, MIMICKING THE LAYERS SEEN IN THE IMAGES OF ROCK EROSION ALLOWING THE MATERIAL TO DRAPE ON THE BODY.  AS WELL AS THIS, I QUILTED THE FOAM BY STITCHING LONG LINES CROSSING OVER ONE ANOTHER, ALSO INSPIRED BY THE PATTERN IN THE RESEARCH IMAGES.  I ALSO DESIGNED MY OWN DIGITALLY PRINTED SILK.  THE PRINT WAS A REPEAT PATTERN OF THE RECONSTITUTED FOAM WHICH IS MADE FROM RECYCLED FOAM.  BY DESIGNING THE PRINT, IT ALLOWED ME TO INCORPORATE THIS FOAM INTO THE COLLECTION WHICH WOULD OTHERWSIE BE TOO BRITTLE TO WORK WITH.  I GATHERED THE SILK TO THE FOAM PANELS, REFLECTING THE TEXTURAL QUALITY SEEN IN THE ROCK EROSION IMAGERY.