This year’s Exhibit Ambush Phase 2 at the Port Pavilion was a
success! After months of hard work from the team, we were all able to pull
together and present amazing art, performances, and design to the public. This year, I presented my collection titled Specimen made with white plastic trash bags. My outline of the process for this collection is below.
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| Photo by David Del Valle |
To begin, the creative process starts with brainstorming, direction, and
what I like to call inspirational hoarding. The initial direction and the the finished designs are almost never consistent. The creative evolution
that takes place along the way is usually a means of finding common ground
between what you intend to create and what you are actually creating. Believe it or not,
there is a big difference between both.
The direction for this particular collection began with moods. I wanted to convey a sense of unease and
discomfort in my collection while having it aesthetically pleasing and refined.
I began writing up a character profile as a starting point. As I continued
drawing upon concepts and ideas, the incorporation of literature and art was
inevitable. I began to draw ideas from
Mannerist paintings, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein,
and John Fowles’ The Collector. I was inspired by moths, minimal colors, and linear
textures. Ultimately, what most influenced the designs of this this collection were moths, The
Collector, and Kimbra’s song, Good
Intent.
After refining the designs, the initial work process is all
experimentation. The challenge of working
with unconventional materials is the fact that one has to get used to the
medium and see how it works. It is very
much akin to getting to know a person, the individual in this case being trash bags.
Processes and work methods are then
developed in order to manipulate this medium into what you want. So, after a long period of trial and error, we
learned to get along.
The upside of working with plastic is that it behaves similar to
leather and vinyl fabrics. The only difference of course is the thin and
fragile texture. Because of this, I was
able to utilize many methods used in leather and vinyl textiles and those I
learned constructing my first Ambush collection, Recurrence. In addition, I was
also able to apply much of the priceless hand sewing, fitting, and crafting techniques
I picked up working at the theatre during the spring.
The downside to working with thin plastic is the careful methods
required during construction. Sewing machines are usually too rough to use with
single sheets of the trash bags because the speed of the machine rips through
the stitch lines. Because of this, a lot of hand stitching is involved meaning,
slow and meticulous work. Admittedly,
hand sewing is utilized in much of the finishing processes for conventional
garments as well, mostly in high fashion, costuming, and couture pieces.
The day of the show, I was still working on polishing up these
garments with hand sewing. Without the
help of such an incredible collaborative team backstage, my garments, though
they may have looked finished, would not be as “on point” as it ultimately
was. Special thanks to my fellow
designers, amazing volunteers and dressers, my backstage support team, and my
incredible models. This inter-dependency and
the collaboration involved in executing a well-produced show never fails to
develop within me an immense amount of gratitude towards everyone involved and
it is truly what I love most about this industry and these events.
Live, breathe, and create art.
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