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Reflexions and Researches

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On this page I will describe the different steps and states of mind I will come across during these 3 months.

3 months totally devoted to this Final Project, the ultime goal of Fabricademy !!! I feel quite scared about it. And fear is not a good friend of creativity.

So let's try to remain confident and particularly SELF-CONFIDENT which is very hard for me when I'm working alone...

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Keep in mind that I am very lucky and happy to live this great experience, through which I will learn a lot on me and on my professionnal goals.

During these first weeks of the year, I spent most of my time making researches and catching up the skills I miss for this project.

🔥 Let's have a look on what I discovered and learnt during this first period 🔥

Fabrics, Innovation & Sustainability

Bye certainty, hello doubt

From the beginning, the crucial point, which is almost turning into an obsession, is the choice of the fabric.

I have manifold criterias, those I want to respect following the philosophy of my project, and those I have to, considering that it is a party dress that I want to natural dye.

At first, I have been instinctly thinking of using silk. As a natural fiber, you can't dream better for its glowy effect, its softness, its precious aspect... and it works very well with vegetal dying !

Somehow, after a few researches, I had to admit that this was a subject ! There are plenty of different silks, and the major part of those you can easily find and afford do absolutely not respect the sustainability aspects I fixed as a common thread !!!

At that moment, I felt a bit lost and disappointed. Shall I let silk down ? In fact, it seems really difficult to be sure of the sourcing of a fabric, even more when you're not a big company.

Then I came across an article that mentionned the nettle fabric.

At first, it looks like hemp, so I thought it won't have the "silky" touch.

But then I read this article which explains that nettle coul become a subsitute to silk !...wahouuuu, so interesting !

Why nettle could be the perfect alternative to silk, thanks to the article I found on the Lampoon magasine Article :

I have tried to contact those 2 companies to find suppliers. Hope it will work !!!

More information for Nettle fabric lovers :

NETTLES FOR TEXTILES from Allan Brown on Vimeo.

Here's a recitation from Fabricademy 20-21, about the Nesselkraft Project :

Fabricademy 20-21 Recitations - Nesselkraft from Fabricademy, Textile Academy on Vimeo.

Discovering the nettle fabric and the various possibilities of it gave me the motivation to push my research further.

At that point, I have to redefine things and make priorities : it is very clear that I don't want to buy a fabric that don't respect the philosophy I fixed for this project (but also in my professionnal and personnal activities), and I really hate being deceived or cheated on the product I buy.

So, before buying a fabric, I have to answer those questions :

What are the different types of fabrics I could use to make my party-dress, that are respectfull of environment and human rights, and that can be natural dyied ?

Are there innovative fabrics like milk fibers or bamboo fibers that could be a better solution ? and if so, where can I find them ?

To be able to make an enlightened choice, I have to gather all the different informations I find about the way fabrics are made. This demands to spend a lot of time on it, but I think it's really worth it !!!

On this board below, to help making my decision about the type of fabric I will use depending on sustainable and technical criterias and related the information sources, as well as suppliers when I found them.

Note that this board is still in progress, I will complete it as soon as possible :)

Another discovery : Brewed Protein

" The DNA sequence that codes for Brewed Protein isn’t found in nature. Instead, it’s the result of a data-driven approach to create a protein with specific, controllable properties. This was partly accomplished by a team of researchers, fondly known as the “Material Hunting Team,” according to Ayana Nakajima, Spiber’s Communications Coordinator. The team tracked down spiders in the jungles of Japan to gather information on the silk proteins in the natural world.

Brewed Protein is produced by genetically engineered microbes in a fermentation process exactly like brewing beer. In nature, spider silk is well known for its softness and strength. These properties are also inherent in Brewed Protein. The fibers’ comfort and durability, along with their sustainability, give these polymers a significant edge against petroleum-based materials.

Spiber isn’t just tackling fast fashion. The protein powder is like a biological building block that can be sculpted for different applications. Different types of spider silk have different strengths and elasticities, so the same goes for Brewed Protein — automobile parts and medical devices made from variations of the ingredient might be on the horizon."

Information found in this website

Yuima NAKAZATO, made a collaboration with the company Spiber, pioneers in the Brewed Protein textile making, speaks about his 21 Collection:

Pioneers in this field :

To resume

I have 3 options :

  • Find a brand / website which is transparent on its fabric sourcing, and provides a natural fabric that corresponds to my project
  • Work with dormant stocks fabrics
  • Use a fabric in my own stock: I have some that could be ok to make a party dress, like viscose or satin polyester, but they are not really sustainable from a fiber point of view. On the other hand, that would prevent me from buying another fabric, which would allow GreenHouse Gas savings !!

Ressources

On Technics

I intend to use natural dying technics on the garment I will make. In fact, I really loved the week on biochromes and would like to push the experience a little bit further, with vegetables, but if I can manage, with indigo and bacteries !!

Biochromes

Colours AnaĂŻs Guery and her work with Indigo

Find furnitures :

Bacterial Dyeing

Softwares

During the first part of this project, I have to improve my knowledges on some softwares that will be useful for this project. I have to begin with Inkscape, because I never ever used Illustrator and that I realise how you can not do without it !! Then I will go on those who are more reserved to fashion designers and pattern makers, and I'm really excited about that !! I've chosen to do the tutorial on Seamly 2D, and to learn more about CLO 3D.

Inkscape

Learning thanks to this tutorial, made by Josep Marti during Fabricademy 2021.

Seamly 2D

Learning thanks to this tutorial , made by Sara Savian during Fabricademy 2020.

CLO 3D

I followed many tutorials, among them those proposed by Yolaine LUCAS on Youtube, in French

Zero Waste Pattern Design

Inspiration

Making a zero waste pattern is a crucial point for me. I really want to learn more about the process!

I've already made several garments with ZW patterns So far, like those from Milan AV JC, or from Brigitta Helmerson.

But I've never tried to do one on my own. I've learnt to construct traditional pattern, based on tailor-made methods so I have to forget about that, and turn my mind into this incredibly creative process !!!

Here are some of the designers that inspire me a lot

About the process

Ressources are nowadays quite various and rich for anyone who wants to learn on the subject, or find pdf pattern, which are quite avalaible or free for some of them !

The ZWDO Association has the objective to democratise this process by gathering people from all over the world

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ZW Pattern shape

References

Here are some of the designers, brands, associations that have developped ZW methods.

All of them are a great source of inspiration for me !!!

Holly Mc Quillian, and her brand Make Use

Timo Rissanen

Mylene L'Orguilloux, who created Milan AV-JC and several garments like the Trouser (which I love !!), the wrap dress (incredibly clever !) and some other that you can discover here

The ZWDO association where you will find lots of information and courses on line, among which Danielle Elsener's Courses.

Carlos Villamil

Elbe Textiles

Nastasia

Kamelion Couture

Maison Deis

Brigitta Helmersson

Liz Haywood

Mark Liu

Creative Moodboard

This is another moodboard I made, before the exercise of the Frankenstein.

At that time, I still don't have make my choice for the kind of fabric I will use. I imagine a red dress, made in a vapourous and light fabric like chiffon.

Let's hope the exercise of the Frankenstein will help me in choose the good direction ...🙏🙏🙏

Planning

I worked on the Monday.com Plateform, below you can follow the different tasks on the main table :

Yous can have also a view of the timeline activities on the Gantt Diagramm here

Inspiration & ressources

Some famous Haute-Couture Artists

  • Yuima NAKAZATO who works with Brewed Protein and the brand Spiber who developed it.

  • Metamorphosing dresses by Hussein Chalayan, follow this this link to learn about his work

Books

From my personnal library

Those I intend to buy

  • Poetic cloth, by Hannah Lamb is about how cloth, stitch and surface create personal meaning in textile art.

  • Organic Embroidery, by Meredith Woolnough

  • Fabric Manipulation, Ruth Singer

Last update: 2022-05-10