Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I have been snowed under with work and applying to Uni. Who knew digital portfolios could be so stressful and time consuming! In this post I thought I would share my latest project with you. Re Inventing the Classic White Shirt. In the early days the shirt had neither collar nor cuffs. In the 1930's to 1960's the shirt with a fixed collar revived and the chest pocket was introduced. The white shirt has always been a key piece in every woman's wardrobe and has played a huge role in the status of women. They were worn by powerful and historic women such as Marlene Dietrich and Wallis Simpson, thus not only showing power but also femininity.
Before brainstorming ideas, I knew almost immediately I wanted to change the colour and look of the fabric rather than concentrating on the shape and form of the shirt. The Nicole Farhi dresses above inspired me. I like the way she has used colour , almost like a tie dye effect. She has also incorporated drawing and digital printing into her work, both of which I am extremely interested in.
I began looking at surrealism and the way people perceived things. I wanted to create an image that would make people look again to figure out it's meaning. I decided to change the idea of what is seen as 'beautiful', and what is hidden and viewed as 'grotesque'. I liked the concept of bringing the interior to the exterior. For example putting an image of something we tend to cover up and keep hidden on something that can be seen.
Once I had come up with the print to put on the back, I decided i wanted to keep the shirt simple so I cropped it and cut off the sleeves to give it a younger, fresher look, thus in keeping with the concept of a new way of thinking.
I found a shoot in Pidgeons and Peacocks that gave me inspiration on the styling and look for the shoot. It was dark and grungy which I feel suited my shirt well.
My shirt was kindly modelled by the beautiful Minna.
