‘‘Push/pull’ …cloth directed”. Exploring possible draping techniques based on Madame Gres’ method to create shape and fo

This study is concerned with the development of a method for creating shapes and form in clothing with minimum exertion on the cloth, using simple construction techniques. It is an exploration of an approach to producing clothing in a less familiar manner to the usual way of working which involves, almost always, drafting or flat-pattern making. With the expression of the movement of the textile around the body as the main aim, the ‘push/pull’ principle is employed to direct its flow in both a symmetric and asymmetric fashion. It is a principle inspired by Madame Gres, the French designer of the 1930s to 1980s, famous for her neo-classic inspired gowns. The textile, usually a rectangle, is manipulated without cutting into it but by pushing and pulling first, through the upper limbs of the body, and then ‘worked’ around the rest of the body, using draping and pleating to create shapes which are spontaneous, elaborate and not pre-determined. Furthermore, the approach explores the aesthetic potential of draping and combining the Filter 80 PPI, an industrial textile used for filtering, with conventional clothing materials, linen and/or cotton in this case. The parallels and constasts of this mix are noted, together with the distinct expressions, which nonetheless both display a simple approach in construction, minimal manipulation of the textile, the use of the upper limbs as natural obstacles, and the ‘no-cut’ principle of the rectangular piece of cloth. With free form construction and reflection, one discovers expressions possible only through the use of an experimental approach in working.
Program: Master Programme in Fashion and Textile Design