Cut and paste : exploring two-dimensional material collages for the use in clothing.

Abstract: This work explores how the idea of collage as ”components put together to create a new whole” can be used in the creation of garments and visual expressions in fashion design. As collage in fashion often is reduced to mere decoration in e.g. print design added to predetermined shapes, this work wishes to have the collage be the dominant factor in the creation of the garments in this collection. By two-dimensional material collages this exploration aims to investigate composition of material, colour, surfaces and shapes in dress. The technique of fusing is used to attach the different materials to each other using the material Vliesofix and heat. The garments are created flat with the possibility to enter in-between the layers of the materials and give shape on the body. By collaging with materials this work tries to bring the creation of material and construction closer together in the design process as well as bring the sketch closer to the final result by sketching directly in the material. The potential of having the material development be present in all the design steps is that it creates a greater relation between the material and shape. The result is a collection of eight outfits proposing new ways of constructing garments at the same time as exploring materials and the technique of fusing. The garments are somewhere in-between sketches and final results and the collection can be looked upon as a fashion collection or as a series of examples of possible outcomes from working with this method.