Branding Project

Sonia Rykiel

As an external brief for this unit I have chosen to design and produce a range of knitted samples for the French fashion knitwear brand Sonia Rykiel. Named 'Queen of knits', Sonia Rykiel has been generating ready-to-wear, beautifully feminine garments since the late sixties, creating innovative collections that were both fun and alluring. the brand strongly believes in generating clothes that enable the women to have freedom of movement, and encourages all to be comfortable in their own style and be unique.

"Sonia Rykiel urged women to be eccentric, seductive, mysterious, and to create their own style".

The concept of this live brief is different to my self initiated brief as I wanted to keep them seperate in order to push myself into creating work that differenciates from what I would normally produce. In terms of my practice I believe that having a versatile body of work and proving to myself that I can work in both a conceptual way that is personal to me, and for a client or brand.

 The key words that I associate with Sonia Rykiel's brand is femininity, fluidity and freedom to wear light knitwear that is shaped to fit the body perfectly. From these words I thought of the concept of floating feathers, bird's wings and the elegance of these forms.  

 Researching a brand and generating work that is relevant to that brand is important and I intend on conducting research based on previous collections, who my consumer is and what is the market level. All of these elements will enable me to produce samples that represent the brand as a whole.

I have decided to design a collection of samples for spring/summer 2016 as I believe that this season will be best suited for the delicacy and lightness of my concept.

Locating

Concept and ideas

 

As this brief asked us to write our own project proposals, I was eager to create a concept that interested me, an idea that had depth and potential to be developed further. I started by researching political issues such as feminism, identity politics and relevant issues that concern our society today such as consumerism and capitalism. These particular areas interested me however I found it difficult to conduct primary research and produce drawings that represented a political concept.

In terms of context I found myself concetrating too much on what other artists and designers were creating instead of starting too create individual work of my own that related to my initial ideas. I conducted research on artists such as Grayson Perry and Frida Kahlo as their worked involves a range of political issues, howvever I felt that I was simply regurgitating the history of their art instead of taking away from it what was appropriate for my research.  Between thinking of an appropriate concept and trying to relate it to a context was a difficult process. Over the Christmas period I will need to think of a concept that enables me to generate research that does not involve recreating a certain artist's style or ideas. I want my concept to be individual and creatively challenging.

Intentions Evaluation

During this unit I believe that I have maintained an element of risk taking and experimentation whilst conducting visual research and generating a concept, as I have taken all of these initial factors to create the final outcomes of this project. I used my research and concept to achieve my final outcomes by refining my decisions in terms of colour, learning from the mistakes I made when it came to proportion and choosing the appropriate colours that appeared in my visual research. Reflecting on my work has proved to be a crucial aspect during the development process of this unit as I have been able to look upon my work critically, depicting the strengths and weaknesses of what I was creating.

Although my concept gave me freedom to create imagery from imagination, developing the idea of visualising sound proved to be difficult especially when producing the final collection of fabrics as I tried my best to explain my concept through the process, more could of been done to evoke the mood of my drawings and translate it into the samples. Despite of this I enjoyed working with a concept that allowed me to create abstract and expressive work that led me to artistic influences such as Cy Twombly and Barbara Rae.         

I believe that I have approached the use of process creatively throughout my development samples and in my final collection. Discovering which processes were the most suitable for the outcome I wanted to achieve was down to recording and reflecting how it would relate to my context. I established that e-wrapping and intarsia were the techniques that defined my context as these processes allowed me combine colours, create textures and produce a body of work that also permitted me to be as experimental as I wanted. 

By contextualising my own practice I have gained useful knowledge of contemporary textile practitioners that exist in the knitwear industry and beyond in the wider creative world, making the process of locating my work and establishing a direction for my practice easier. Knitwear labels such as Leutton Postle and Sibling interest and influence me as I can see how my work could fit into this diverse and unique style of fashion knitwear.  

I intend on developing my work further for the next unit by conducting more in depth research in terms of context, concentrating on fashion knitwear and gaining more ideas on generating individual and craft led samples that will interest my intended audience. Taking more notice and having a more reflective approach on the work in my sketchbook will be an area that will require attention in the next unit, guaranteeing that my work as a whole links together fluidly. Experimenting with new techniques on both the domestic and dubied knitting machines will also be important factors in the coming units, as I intend on strengthening my skills and knowledge of various processes in order to obtain an element of diversity in my work.  

Generating Final Samples

The purpose of this week was to start producing samples for my final collection of fabrics. Utilising my time efficiently has been a key aspect this week as I was able to create samples and depict which ones work well as a collection, giving myself time to refine and develop further final samples for the last week of the unit. Finding the exact colours in the right types of yarn has been crucial as I want my fabrics to be of good quality and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I have decided to use cotton and wool as they are dependable and easy to work with.

The main technique that appears in all of my final samples is intarsia as it proved to be the process that best explains my concept. This technique has allowed me to vary the backgrounds of my knit, making it possible to contrast the pastel colours with the darker tones without having a stripe of colour along the width of the fabric. The weakness of the samples that include e-wrapping with mohair is that after steaming the tassels lose their volume and become very flat, therefore I shall continue by using mercerised cotton to create a textured surface. 

My aim is that every individual sample has something different to portray in order for the collection as a whole to be varied. In order to improve the samples I am currently producing I need to make more connections between the work in my sketchbook, not being afraid of including large blocks of colour side by side with the intricate intarsia work as I have done so in my drawings.  

Throughout the week I have been evaluating the samples I have created, laying them out and assessing what the next sample should include in order to have a collection that reflects every aspect of my concept and context. The idea behind the collection is that some of the samples will be very loud and textured, whilst others will be more refined, giving a deliberate contrast that links back to my concept of visualising sound. 

Leutton Postle A/W 11

The luxury knitwear label Leutton Postle has been an inspiration for my own practice throughout this unit and furthermore has influenced my final collection of fabrics. Their adventurous and experimental use of techniques and processes succeed to create elaborate pieces that has transformed the way I interpreted knitwear, therefore giving me the confidence to generate samples that are bold and exciting by using a variation of skillful techniques.    

Concentrating on Colour

This week gave me the opportunity to refine the choices I make in terms of colour and proportion. In previous weeks I have struggled to communicate the exact colours that appear in my sketchbook ideas and development. As I continued to develop my ideas it became easier to depict the balance between the soft pastel and darker colours. 

My goal this week was to also connect my samples with my intended audience, making sure that I produce work that will interested them in terms of techniques and colour. I have established that my final collection will aim towards an unique audience of fashion knitwear for women as my samples evoke elements of individuality and creativity. I have contextualised my work towards fashion knitwear labels such as Leutton Postle and Sibling because their work is based on presenting knitwear in an exciting and innovative way.    

 Creating more yarn wrappings based on colour placement and proportion aided me when designing new sample ideas. The wrappings also assisted me when making decision based on what type of yarns work together well to create a sample that communicates with all the elements in my visual research, from my drawings to the context of my work.  

In terms of presentation I need to improve the way the samples are displayed as the sides tend to curl inwards, making it difficult to see the piece as a whole. When producing final samples I intend on steaming both sides of the fabric to ensure that they lay perfectly flat when mounted onto card. 

As I enter next week my intentions will be to improve and refine the samples I created this week by applying their strengths to start producing final samples, which are the broad use of techniques and intense colours. The coated PVC circles knitted into the samples will also be included in my final collection as they contribute an element of fun and individuality that relates to concept and context. I will also work on the weaknesses of the samples by varying the background colours, using intarsia to create a staggered effect that breaks the plain one colour background of the samples above. 

  I have introduced darker colours such as navy and deep purple into my knit samples to make the vibrant hints of orange and florescent pink stand out as unexpected colours, incorporating the idea of interrupting, unanticipated sounds of everyday life. This technique can also be interpreted as a way of depicting the difference between conscious and subconscious sounds that appear in my concept, utilising the contrast in colours as a means of creating this divergence. 

In previous weeks I have struggled with my colour combinations, using only light and subtle coloured yarns that failed to give my bright florescent colours the desired effect of standing out as interrupted, loud colours. Therefore the artist that has been relevant to the context of my work this week is Barbara Rae as I could relate my samples to her abstract paintings of the Scottish landscape. I found inspiration in the way she employs dark colours to make the bright colours seem more vivid and lively.   

Translating Ideas into Knit

In order to move forward with my work this week I started by scanning my drawings, zooming into areas, rearranging and deconstructing them to produce new compositions. This method was useful when generating ideas for knit as I could concentrate on the key areas of my drawings, highlighting the significant parts that successfully represent my concept.

 In addition to this I created carefully constructed knit ideas to help me with the knitting process, labelling them appropriately with what techniques I intended on using for that specific sample. Planning ahead proved useful when knitting as I already made informed decisions in terms of proportion and colour, which resulted in using my time efficiently.

 I have decided to emphasise on creating a textural surface on my knit samples in order to interpret the visualisation of sound, producing loud and lively samples as a means of translating concept into process, whilst the subtle colours will reflect upon the quiet and subconscious aspects of my concept. E-wrapping is a technique that I have incorporated in order to achieve a textured surface as I have been using a mohair yarn for volume and mercerised cotton for a sharp injection of colour.    

Background colour knitted with own dyed yarn

I received the feedback that the man-made acrylic yarns that I used last week were too dull for the standard and vibrancy of colour in my sketchbook. This week I have only worked with cotton, wool and mohair in order to succeed in attaining a more desirable quality of colour. 

I wanted to experiment with dyeing my own yarn to see if I could create an accurate colour that related to my drawings. The lambs wool that I used absorbed the dye well however produced a slightly more purple shade of blue than I was hoping for, and the dip dyed pink needed longer in the dye bath in order to form a brighter colour. As I started to work with my dyed yarns I felt that they did not epitomise my colour palette, therefore I decided to foil my yarn in an attempt to make them more interesting and relatable to my work.     

I propose to refine my colour choices once again in the coming weeks as I discovered from editing the samples on photoshop that I need to further intensify the colours that I choose to knit with. I have learnt that I need to make important decisions based on both yarn quality and colour in order to create successful samples that fully represent my work. In order to obtain accurate colours I have sourced my own bright pink and blue yarns that relate to my colour palette. 

I found that Ashley Golderg's work related well with how I design my knit samples, using block colours to create an interesting pattern and contrasting light and dark colours in order to have a satisfying balance of colour proportion.   

Defining Context and Process

 

This week my intentions were to establish a context for my work, and knitting samples that represent the work I have been producing in my sketchbook. I started by generating more drawings, maintaining the same concept however incorporating a more figurative approach using shapes to annotate more of the everyday common sounds of the city such as passing traffic and loud sirens.

  

Creating a yarn wrapping proved useful as it aided me to make decisions in terms of proportions of colour and placement. It consists of mainly soft pink and blue as the background colours of my knit samples that relate to the subtlety of my drawings, and hints of vibrant orange and fuchsia to represent the interrupting sounds of everyday life.

The yarn wrapping itself is intentionally not in clear and precise rows of colour as I wanted it to be representational of the structure of my work.

In terms of producing work in my sketchbook I have been struggling to move forward with my drawings, producing more of the same instead of developing my initial ideas further in order to improve them. Therefore next week I will aim to broaden the way in which I work in my sketchbook, allowing me to make more informed decisions when knitting.

The samples above are two examples of how I have been transferring my drawings into knit. My intentions were to replicate the shapes and patterns that occur in my sketchbook, attempting to use knit as a drawing tool. The difficulties I faced this week was establishing the appropriate types of yarn for the effect that I wanted to achieve. I have been working mostly with cottons and manmade yarns, and although the colours are successful in certain aspects, I believe the quality of the yarn weakens the appearance.

I intend on improving my knit samples by utilising a wider range of techniques instead of only using e-wrapping as a form of applying hints of texture and colour, and developing a more considered approach to process. Designing my own punch card would make my samples more individual, and will allow me to apply more detailed and figurative shapes to my knitting.

Researching designers has helped me to relate my samples to a particular audience, and this week I discovered the knitwear label Leutton Postle. The intricacy and detail gone into their wearable knitwear has encouraged me to produce samples that requires a lot of skill but which also brim with creativity. By contextualising my practice I have been able to generate ideas with an audience in mind, using the appropriate processes and finishes in order to make them interested in what I am producing.
  

Sarah Boyts

The artist that has inspired me in terms of drawing and colour this week is Sarah Boyts. The subtle way in which she introduces flashes of florescent colour creates an instant atmosphere of intensity in her work. I will incorporate this technique when knitting as it will be a tool of representing the hints of interrupting colours that derive from my concept. 

Developing a Concept

This week commenced with a beneficial personal development tutorial as I gained new ideas and ways of interpreting my concept of sound and vision. In terms of drawing I was encouraged to expand on my use of background colour when working in my sketchbook, utilising colours other than white in order to see how they react to one another. In the image below I incorporated this new technique and realised that it changed the way I perceived colour and how I use it, making me more aware of colour balance and proportion.    

Developing a clearer concept was also an aspect that needed to be addressed as I was struggling to make connections between the context of my work and how the concept would interested my intended audience. I wanted to continue with the idea of sound and vision, of making invisible things visible. My way of interpreting this is through colour, and how it represents the invisibility of sound. Abstraction is a key element, as I will be working from my imagination and interpretation of sound instead of imagery.

The distortion of sound is an interesting aspect to incorporate, the images and drawings above are based on the idea of hearing sounds when underwater, and how they alternate into muffled almost warped noises. To coincide with the non figurative nature of the concept, the drawings that I create are abstracted interpretations of how I see sound. The colours are kept almost muted when the sound is subconscious, the soft pink colours reflect the calming atmosphere and the blues symbolise the tranquility of the muted sounds heard under water.

The mundane sounds that we hear from day to day will be the basis of my work, as I will attempt to portray the ordinary in an extraordinary way. From hearing ourselves breathe to the sound of muffled voices, we hear these sounds in the background of our everyday lives. The drawings above are drawings based on subliminal sounds, such as breathing, as it is always happening however not always heard. The cut out shapes represent the inhaling and exhaling, whilst the almost non-existent colours symbolise the subtlety of the act.

The weakness of this concept is its complexity, it will be difficult to translate my ideas into knit, however by developing my drawings, and defining a colour palette, I intend on producing a body of work that is representative of my concept. To succeed in doing so it will be essential that I use processes creatively, demonstrating a reflective approach to my concept.

Cy Twombly

As I have taken a conceptual approach to my drawings and the ideology behind them, the work I have been generating is experimental and expressive and is inspired by abstract expressionist artists such as Cy Twombly. I am influenced by his creative use of colour and his capability to create a certain atmosphere within his paintings.

Sound and Vision 
Evaluating Exercises

The exercise called 'Story of the ink' had more of an illustrative approach, asking us to consider the lyrics or the title of the song and bring it to life with visual imagery. I decided to include a mixture of typography and illustration to capture the essence of the song 'Night Terror' by Laura Marling. This task proved to be a little easier as I was able to incorporate lyrics to convey the mood instead of solely depending on basic patterns. 
 

'Imaginary lines' was a beneficial task because it forced me to create a painting within a certain amount of time, allowing me to work freely without over thinking the process. I listened to an unusual instrumental song 'Jardin' by Actress. I worked in time with the music, concentrating on a different layer each time. After creating four drawings based on the various elements that I heard in the track, I scanned them and cut them up to create a collage that ultimately generated a piece of work that was representational of the whole track.

'Theme from Retro' was the exercise I found least inspiring as I could not decipher the connection between an old piece of music and interpreting it in the way that I had been approaching the other exercises. I attempted at creating a piece based on an art nouveau style design as I chose to listen to 'La Vie en Rose' by Edith Piaf. 

The last exercise was all about repetition, recreating a pattern with only the slightest of variation. Listening to Steve Reich 'Piano Phase' throughout was a task in itself, however enduring the repetitive nature of the music was favourable as I created conceptual pieces of work that engaged with the music. The colour yellow is used to represent the brisk but happy nature of the piano.  

Sound and Vision

Evaluating Exercises

The first task was to listen to a song of choice and create a list of objects that the track evoked. I chose to listen to DJ Shadow's 'Midnight in a Perfect World', the work I produced was primarily based on shapes and patterns that I associated with the night. This was the first time that I had ever drawn from music, I found the exercise challenging however it broadened my way of thinking in terms of mark making from imagination and drawing the unseen.

 

'Colour fields' was one of the most expressive exercises as it asked to simultaneously listen to a song and draw the colours that came to mind. I took to the task with a painterly approach as I found that it gave me freedom to be abstract and fluid. The factors that I will be taking away from this task and into the development of my work will be the associations made between music and colour, and the power that colour has to depict a certain mood or atmosphere.  

Developing our own unique way of annotating music proved to be an exercise that helped me develop my current theme of the composition of patterns and shapes. I chose to annotate the rather quirky and psychedelic song 'Sidewalk Serfer Girl' by the Super Furry Animals because of the unusual instrumental changes, and 'California' by Joni Mitchell because of her high pitched voice that translated into florescent cut outs. This task asked for a very imaginative mind set which allowed me to develop a unique composition of patterns, therefore creating an individual visual spectrum of sound and an artistic approach to how music is written.