Corset Project

Introduction
The corset is a perennial fashion item it is reinvented season after season by many designers.
The rationale for this project is to give the student the opportunity to explore a fashion item in depth and to discipline the design process by focusing on a particular item, the corset.

Design brief:

Research and collect photographic examples of:

1) 20th century design history of corsets, include in your research the particular pattern making and construction methods required for corsets.

2) How current designers are using corsets or corsetry in there collections

• From this research design a capsule collection of high fashion corsets, your collection must include some form of surface embellishment, this could be in the form of embroidery, printing, painting, beading etc. etc, in particular you are encouraged to explore no traditional forms of embellishment or use a combination of traditional embellishments.
• 3 storyboards to be produced one based on your historical research, one on contemporary design and the third to be your own collection.

Outline of Project:
• Research and design development
• Research historical and current trends in corsets
• Research fabrics, trims and the accessories required to make corsets
• Research forms and methods of embellishment
• From your research develop your designs.
• Annotate your research you are also required to keep a bibliography of the sources of your research, including books, magazines, websites etc.
• A minimum of 8 pages of research and design development

Design:
• Design a capsule collection of 5 embellished corsets. You may want to consider recycling, by using existing garments or embellishments to make this garment.
• Designs to be presented on figures as detailed drawings, with fit and construction details, embellishment details, to include front and back views and to include fabric samples

'Creativity is built on discipline and focus and driven by internal motivation and not external goals'

Construction:
• Construct a prototype garment in suitable sample fabric, prototype to include all components necessary to produce a corset, such as boning, cups, shape well and fusing.
• On completion and correction of prototype garment a final garment is to be produced..

'the idea is not everything you must have technique'

Assessment requirements
• Research and design development folio, your research folio must contain extensive historical research as well as contemporary fashion and embellishment photographic images.
• 3 Storyboards
1. Historical influences
2. Current fashion influences
3. Own designs detailed front and back views, with fabric samples.
• Prototype garment
• Final garment

The Design Process:
• Preparation: research, inspiration, ideas, the agenda for the design, having a logical and practical approach to your work
• Incubation: the conscious and unconscious dwells over the design problem trying a variety of different directions to find the solution.
• Illumination: Is when the design idea becomes clear and the steps to move forward with the design become clear.
• Realization: the 2D and 3D realization of the design and the production of a prototype.
• Revision and reflection of the prototype
• The final design product

Embellishments