Assignment for Fashion Design o Nieznany (2)

TEKO Design+Business

Birk Centerpark 5

www.viauc.dk/teko

VIA University College

7400 Herning

BA FASHION DESIGN, 5

SEMESTER 2013

RESEARCH PROJECT:

Purpose:

1) to obtain knowledge of fashion history, art and other cultures/subcultures as a necessary
element of contemporary design
2) to develop general research methods and identify new areas of research that can express
future concepts in a creative way
3) to develop a research library as a starting point for a future personal design universe
4) to develop research as a starting point for your own personal design universe to the
Women's Wear project autumn 2013

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Select 4 different research areas:

1. A contemporary designer with international importance; it is essential that there is

sufficient relevant research material to illustrate what is unique and inspiring in their
"Design DNA". Ex. Nicholas Gheskiere for Balenciaga, Rei Kawabuko for Commes des
Garcon, or Raff Simons or Jill Sander...

2. An international designer from the past, who has influenced their time and posterity. Ex.

one of the classics, Poiret (20’s), Chanel (30’s), Dior, Balenciaga (50’s) YSL (70’s), or a
lesser-known person as Rudi Gernreich, Paco Rabanne, Mary Quant, Claire McCardel,
Patou ... where their "Design DNA" was so innovative that what they brought to their
contemporaries has resulted in something which for you is universal and innovative…

3. A time / style era (20, s, 30s, etc. ...) that with advantage could correspond with the

international designer from point 2) and where you feel that the time era is “talking to
your beliefs as individuals... it is important to gather visual information about art,
clothing, visual form language, etc. ...

4. An artist/architect/photographer (past or present) that bring an aesthetic and a

universe to their present and future, and where you feel that their work is related to your
own aesthetics and philosophy. Your choice can relate to the era you are choosing, but
it can also be another era...

THE PROJECT IS DIVIDED IN 3 PHASES:

Phase 1 is independent work during the summer and should be ready for first tutorial in week
34. For the guidance you have to prepare the following material (not final): images, photos,
prints, articles, maybe vintage clothes. Pictures etc. can be assembled in A4 folders, preferably
in plastic pockets.
Phase 2: Follow-up on the first tutorial, in-depth research in relation to the feedback from the
first tutorial. Runs in parallel with other BA projects over the fall and must be ready for second
tutorial in week 40-41. Bring further developed and detailed research material.

TEKO Design+Business

Birk Centerpark 5

www.viauc.dk/teko

VIA University College

7400 Herning

Phase 3: In preparation for the upcoming Women's Wear project, use your research to create a
personal design universe that can be used as a starting point for development of your Women's
Wear project. Material must be ready for the third and final guidance in week 47.

INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH:

For most designers research is an invaluable tool for start-up and development of personal
creative projects. To research in the past impart knowledge of fashion history and an
understanding of design development. Researching in the present is instrumental in the
understanding of contemporary context and can lead to innovative and creative suggestions for
the future.

Spend a few days at the library and online, where you seek wide before you make the final
choice within the 4 areas. Research is an organic analytical-intuitive way of working where it
isn’t necessarily the start or end that is interesting, but the unpredictable organic working
process that you develop along the way.

If you are fascinated by something specific hold on to the idea/concept until you have studied
it from every possible angle in order to see the concept's many facets.

RESEARCH can be found:

- Recycling/vintage shops

> objects and clothes

- flea markets

> objects and clothes

- Second-hand dealers

> objects and clothes

- Your past

> memories and things that have influenced you

- Art

> work processes, inspiration, methods

- fashion (past & present)

> understanding of what creates good design

- art history

> style history

- music

> fashion and subcultures

- sub cultures

> understanding of how sub cultures affect their time

Designers must be able to argue intellectually for their ideas and be persuasive. But it may be
difficult to bring the ideas into a reality and visualize it in a convincing way ... especially if there
is not enough backup research to document and argue for what we believe.

It is therefore important that you find some names that really interest you and that can be the
basis for creating a strong and personal research project.

RESEARCH METHODS:

It is important that you gather as much visual research as possible to argue convincingly for
your idea/concept. It is also important that there is enough material for the first tutorial, so
there is enough substance, so the tutorial is as valuable as possible. It is not enough that you
find 1 book and simply photocopy the things you find. RESEARCH is as archeology and it is your
task to find new personal angles to a known issue...

TEKO Design+Business

Birk Centerpark 5

www.viauc.dk/teko

VIA University College

7400 Herning

The world needs designers who can find interesting and original documentation for their design
vision. If you're not used to it, now is the time to take off the blinkers and expand your horizons,
because otherwise your research project doesn’t become interesting enough.

RESEARCH means the following:
- Look where you can (Books, magazines, Museums, libraries, bookstores, second-hand
dealers, flea markets ...)
- Take pictures, layout your images in a visual form, so we can see your "design thinking" how
you develop concepts, shaping ideas visually...
- Photograph and photocopy (IN DIVERSITY) what you find along your path and present it in a
form so it makes sense ... Maybe a binder with plastic pockets or boxes. But think about that
what might not seem particularly coherent today, may be meaningful tomorrow.
- Be open for new ideas, and roads, use your intuition, not just intellect.
- Look not only for what you know, but come across something you didn’t expect, surprise not
only yourself but also the receiver!

It is important that each of you has an individual presentation of your found research that can
be presented in a coherent form. Research is best assembled in an A4 or A3 folder because
you can add a lot of A4 pages in an order which is narrative and develop your visual perception
of what you find interesting. Do not work with 'sketchbook' and collages, it is to final, and you
are not supposed to end up with the same projects, but finding and developing your own
identity through individual research and presentation methods.

Research may eventually be presented in many different ways, but do not bother with
Photoshop, etc... Research is organic, and you should be able to look it through quickly and
select the interesting things ... Therefore, think about how your research will be presented???
Is it in a folder, a box, a DVD, or video....? But beware that the form fit the content. Sumptuous
visual wrapping don’t help if the content is absent from scratch. It is fine to make it original, but
not amateurish. Use your imagination and find a visual idiom that suits your aesthetics, identity
and especially the content.

If you are fascinated by a specific contemporary designer, seek always back to the root of the
style and create your own version of their design universe and process.

Research is not to take a visual history developed from a bloggers pinterest - you should the
story should I even develop. The Internet is really good to first research and to find the most
famous images around a topic, which you then have to search further in depth with the above
elements.
You should not base contemporary design only on visual images. You will often find, that as a
form of cultural ethnic archeology you will get more out of studying and analyzing the details
and design of an object (clothing or object), which has been found at the flea market or in a
recycling shop, than by simply looking at the online material and surface photographs from
contemporary fashion magazines, which often can’t inspire to a personal universe