BA (Hons) FASHION AND TEXTILES
Student name: Sophie Sprittles
PDP BRIEF – FINAL MAJOR PROJECT PROPOSAL
Title of Brief: Urban Equipment
part 1: outline of ambition for third year of study
In the realisation of my final major project, I aim to produce a collection of 6 outfits which demonstrate my strengths as an emerging designer. My collection will showcase my depth of technical and creative design skills which I have developed to an industry standard during my progression on the degree. In the production of my final collection, I will demonstrate my specialisms in innovative fashion construction and alternative materials. I intend my final major project to portray an extensive and considered body of work, demonstrating focused research and critical development, and fashion collection outcome supported by a professional standard portfolio.
I aim to specifically tailor my final major project to support my future ambitions in my progression to industry. My design internship at Harrods of London enabled to consider my preferred position as a designer within the fashion industry. My future ambition is to design for a high-end, high fashion brand, and therefore I will build this direction of market and consumer into my brief. This will enable my final major project to demonstrate my skills as luxury commercial designer and increase my chances of securing employment in this sector of the industry.
Alongside the physical outcomes of my final major project, I intend to support my body of work with a considered self promotion plan – realised through a photoshoot, fashion show, New Designers and self-marketing through social media platforms. A considered and implemented plan of self-promotion, combined with the continuous support of my mentor, will enable me to make connections with industry throughout my final major project and support the achievement of my future career ambitions.
My aim is to design and realise a unisex collection of six outerwear focused high-fashion looks – supported by an industry standard portfolio, extensive body of work and a successful self-promotion plan. I intend to achieve this through the collation of focused primary and secondary research, and an extensive and continuously critically and innovative progress of investigation and design development. It will be essential for me to work to a planned time schedule, attend university consistently five days a week throughout the project and have frequent contact and feedback from tutors.
My final major project is response to WGSN’s trend ‘Urban Equipment’ (Worldhood AW18/19). I will take inspiration from elements of this trend to initiate my research for this project, in which design direction is taken from urban objects. My primary research will therefore be sourced through a series of photography in urban environments and town centres. Secondly, I plan to focus my technical research on extreme and high performance garments. This will include exploration of civic workwear, military clothing, emergency service uniforms and specialist cycle wear – analysing materials, construction techniques and design details to rework in a high-fashion context. In designer focused research, I plan to take inspiration from relevant upcoming brands, specifically Vetements. I will conduct a case study on Craig Green AW17 – analysing the components as structure of a current designer collection, while my trend aware project will take inspiration from the prominent menswear SS17 trends in relation to ‘Urban Equipment’ as noted by WGSN.
The working methods and technical skills appropriate to fashion design are essential to the successful outcome of my project. Fashion construction will require me to apply a high level of understanding of pattern cutting, practical construction ability and sensitively to alternative materials to design and realise my collection. An extensive process of toiling and sampling construction method and exploration of materials will be necessary to the technical success of my collection. Digital design is also a vital working method. My advanced photoshop and illustrator skills are essential to my realisation of my final major project. My technical fashion specification drawings and the production of an industry standard portfolio will rely heavily on my CAD skills.
In addition to technical skill, the application of specific materials and design processes are essential to the development and innovative outcome of my final major project. I plan to use alternative, functional, industrial, high performance and found materials. This will include trunk liner carpet, plastic, reflective surfaces, and mesh materials. I intended for my collection to feature extreme hardware and design details, therefore I will thoroughly consider the alternative sourcing of trim and fastenings. A focus on materials is a significant part of my final major project proposal. I plan to carry out extensive research into both non-fashion materials and high end fabrics, including fastenings and trim. The sourcing of both materials and design components are reliant on my suppliers. Following pre-collection in which I maintained a list of appropriate contacts, I have initially considered Misan Textiles, Broadwick Fabrics, The Cloth Shop, The Cheap Shop, hardware stores and Kliens as targeted suppliers for this project. I ill explore how I can rework functional materials though directional pattern cutting, to create an extreme aesthetic within a luxury fashion context. The realisation of sourced materials into fashion outcomes will require specific resources. A focus on innovative fashion construction in my project presents the fashion construction workshop – in particular industrial machines, leather machine (heavyweight and alternative materials) the overlocker as essential resources.
I intend for my unisex collection to be directed at AW18/19 in a luxury, high fashion market. In the research development of my FMP, alongside creative research I will build a commercial understanding of my market, through conducting a focused shop report, analysis of comparative brand competitors and awareness of my target customer. I propose for my collection to hypothetically be retailed at Dover Street Market internationally. I visualise my final collection to be marketed in a collective retail space that explores visual installation and presented alongside emerging high fashion brands with similar customer focus, price point and design concept. My specified customer is the emerging youth scene of cities worldwide. It is not gender specific. This consumer embodies fashion as a statement – a means of purpose and self-expression. As our urban environments rapidly adapt and we are desensitised to seasonal trends, the inhabitants – and therefore my consumer – demand fashion to forge a parallel with constantly advancing cities. Sensitivity to the environment becomes crucial to the evolution of fashion. The audience I aim to design for is concerned with the fast-fashion industry and therefore invests in garments with an equally high level of function and quality, as well as an extreme and trend conscious aesthetic.
part 2: social networking, critical analysis of FMP research and future career direction
In conjunction with the realisation of my final major project, I have implemented a considered self promotion plan throughout my third year in the preparation for upcoming graduate shows, to gain industry recognition and promote myself as an emerging graduate designer: making wider connections which could lead to future career opportunities. In the current industry, social media has a huge influence on the job prospects of creatives and this was something I was highly aware of when planning my self promotional proposal.
I have used a number of social media platforms to websites to broaden my online presence as un undergraduate designer. These include professional Instagram account (@sophiesprittlesdesign), my blog via WordPress – which directs viewers to my Linkedin profile and CV. I also have used Artsthread as an effective platform to showcase my portfolio. I addition I have built a website to provide a professional online presence for my design work and final collection (www.sophiesprittles.co.uk). Through engaging with a range of social media, I have effectively marketed myself as an emerging designer, created wider awareness of my work, while successfully connecting with industry professionals.
My online presence has enabled me to connect with a wider audience and make professionals and peers aware of my work prior to the upcoming graduate exhibitions – New Designers and the Degree Show. My exhibition planning and presentation proposal is a vital part of my self promotion plan in effective conjunction with my social media presence. I have conducted research into the organisations behind New Designers, and the awards and competitions at the exhibitions, outlining particular opportunities which I meet the criteria for. In the preparation for New Designers I have read the handbook, while my visit in 2016 gave me awareness of the show, the national standard of graduate work and ideas for exhibition presentation. I propose for my installation to showcase a considered refinement of my work: garments, portfolio and photoshoot images, and use industrial fixtures and urban objects to reflect the mood of my project, enable my work to stand out amongst competitor graduates. In addition to my exhibition planning, my self promotion plan included professional photoshoots and fashion show, providing me with strong imagery of my collection to use as a promotion tool on my social media platforms, brochure and postcards, portfolio and at gradate exhibitions.
In critical analysis of my research for my final major project, I feel that I implemented a focused, relevant and thorough body of research. In discussion of my visual research, my collective primary imagery sourced through photography of urban environments provided me with interesting imagery to inform colour, form, structure, surface and construction. In reflection I feel this imagery could have been refined further. I could have used film to document this imagery, which would encourage a more considered selection of imagery. In analysis of my technical research, I felt this effectively informed the development of my design processes. The exploration of extreme non-fashion garments enabled me to collate specific research into construction, design details and materials which I could effectively apply to my fashion ideas, re-contextualising functional research into high fashion outcomes.
My technical research was also informed by my thorough exploration of functional and fashion materials. I feel that my awareness of alternative materials and considered fabric research was essential to the success of my collection. Trend lead research was also a critical part of my research for the final major project. Through the analysis of emerging menswear trends, I was able to design a collection which is visually and conceptually on trend. This research lead trend awareness has enabled me to demonstrate my understanding of current trends and forward thinking design approach. As a result, I feel this will enable my work to stand out though its innovation and contemporary trend conscious aesthetic at the graduate shows.
The work of others was an equally vital part of my final major project research. I found conducting a case study in Craig Green’s AW17 gave me a critical awareness of the composition of a professional fashion collection. I applied this knowledge to the planning and development of my final collection. This was an effective part of my research process and contributed to the overall success of my fashion collection. In final critical analysis of my research for the final major project, my creative research was highly supported by market awareness. The commercial consideration and research into my customer and market actioned by visiting Dover Street Market, effectively enabled me to support my innovative design direction with an commercial concept and direct my collection to the specific sector of the industry that I aim to pursue a career.
Throughout the third year of the degree – especially during my final major project, I have considered my future plans and career pathway post graduation. My internship at Harrods of London confirmed my ambitions to work as a womenswear or menswear designer for a high end brand, in which the designers have a strong influence over the design process and collections produced. I therefore tailored my FMP to directly apply to the sector of the industry I wish to target: high end – specifically small high fashion brands which are forward thinking and directional where commerciality remains relevant.
Through my work placement and industry mentor I have secured a graduate job as Design Assistant at Harrods of London. My plan of action in the next six months is to start the role at Harrods in July and move to London shortly after. In terms of my career pathway, I plan to gain industry design experience in London and in time progress to higher responsibility as designer within a brand. My long term ambition – in ten years time – is to be Head of Design in a directional fashion brand. I aspire to work for an upcoming fashion forward and luxury brand based in London, for example Vetements or Reconstruct Collective.
In overall evaluation, I am confident that I have conducted my personal development plan effectively and professionally throughout my final major project. This has been evidenced through my blog, and implemented via a considered self promotion plan, use of social media platforms, exhibition research and proposal, critical analysis of my research, analysis of the work of others, the industry mentor scheme, collation of professional contacts, my internship at Harrods of London and future career direction.
sophie sprittles 