Lectra

A new program that we have started to use, to aid design and manufacture(CAD) and (CAM) in the textile and fashion industry. We have begun to use this program to create pattern pieces to  make a jersey t-shirt. At the start i was quite nervous about using this equipment as it looked quite scary and complicated, still not confident  about using the program i am getting increasingly aware of the tools and what you can achieve with the machinery. Knowing how the program works and once you have got to grips with the different functions and what they do i can see that it would really speed up the the design and manufacturing processes saving companies a large amount of money.

Last week we were visited by a Lecta representative, she gave a presentation on the other products the company offered and the constant  research they were undertaking  to create new products and to update current equipment for the textile and fashion industry sector. From this it is cleat that Lectra is defiantly leading in this type of technology and seems like it will do for some time, making the jobs for the people in this industry sector quicker and more accurate  .

http://www.lectra.com/en/index.html

Here is an example of the design program by Lectra (top left)

Buying and Merchandizing

With the introduction of the buying and merchandizing unit my initial thoughts were that i really didn't think it was for me, however within the first half hour i became griped and really interested in the different careers that were available in a fashion companies head office. Jo's experience as a buyer makes the lessons very interesting, i feel we get a personal insight to the world of a fashion buyer from the stories she tells and the lessons learnt. So far we have covered the roles of a buyer, merchandizer and garment tech, the role of the garment tock has really appealed to me as it involves working with the buyer and merchandizer as well as work doing work/adapting pattern blocks, checking garments and where they are produced. This has attracted me so that i have now tock it upon myself in finding out more about this role and have started looking for placements in this area of work. 

With the hotel accommodation now all booked and sorted out i am really looking forward to helping out at london fashion week with On/Off. We are staying in a guest house just a short walk from the science museum where the event is tacking place, there are a few of us sharing a family room so we hope we have time to go out and have some fun as well as getting experience from working at the show. This weekend i received an e-mail from the On/Off organizers informing me that i will be working at front of house, required to wear a lab jacket and take on the role of a scientist..wearing funky glasses etc .......  how exciting!

london Fashion week

I am soooo excited about the new off helping out at london fashion week. Currently sorting out accommodation....stressfull

New Project

The new project Sports v Fashion is something i have never really thought about in the past and have never had a real interest in sport wear. to be honest at the start i wasn't really very motivated at the start of the project, however when going the the sports V fashion exhibition and the V&A  in London it really inspired me.

from then i have started researching and i am currently e-mailing the classic sports brands to see if they could send me any information...fingers crossed!

I have also started to experiment making new shapes of garments using existing and recycling garments- photo shown. 

First day back after Christmas

Last week we had a Lecture about current issues around the fashion industry which opened out into several different debates etc. Points that stood out me,  was realizing that the creative industries currently at the forefront due to the current economic issues. People are now looking for new and innovative designs that stand out from the rest. 

Question that arose:

Does what we wear define us?

There were lots of views on this and we talked about groups including Goths and Chaves.

My personal opinion on this is that the clothes we wear define who we want to be rather that who we are.

Quotes that also left me feeling inspired included:

"Clothes create a wordless means of communication that we all understand"

"Fashion is an endless popularity contest"

From this lecture it has inspired me to build a file of designers reference and also a trend research sketch book. 

Communicate, reuse and reinvent

This is my final design from the philosophy project, where i set out to communicate and recycle clothes that are of no use.