ELEANOR LYON
Fashion, many people don’t realize that fashion is an art. It goes through the same process; the same creativity is required and the end product is just as beautiful as any painting or sculpture. For my creative works project, I am creating a formal dress that is decorated with roses made of plastic bags. I wanted to add the roses to raise awareness to pollution and the dangers of single-use plastics. The mediums I chose to work with were sketching, fabric and origami (plastic bag roses). I chose to work with fabric to learn the skill of sewing, which is an amazing skill for the future. I also wanted to work with a medium I maybe wasn’t very familiar with. I wanted to also be able to draw my design on paper, so sketching was another medium that had to be incorporated. I wanted to use the medium of sketching so that I could improve my sketching skills, to put all my ideas on paper and explain my creative thinking through pictures. The process of creating this dress starts with the design. I worked for over 2 weeks on the design of the dress and when I finally came up with it I was so excited to start the actual composition part. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but no matter what I am so glad I was able to have this experience.
One of the biggest challenges with the creation of the dress was the choosing of the fabric. I had decided on a gorgeous royal green but there were only seven yards of fabric when we needed nine. I modified the colour choice to use a very light baby pink but that fabric was mangled. Fortunately, I spotted a very pretty navy almost royal blue with enough fabric to create the dress. We also got a practice fabric so we could make one practice dress. Another challenging aspect of creating this dress was the final decision on the design. I kept seeing amazing designs on social media and was worried mine would not look as good and I also was having trouble finalizing the bodice part of the dress. My greatest success will be that I get to wear this gorgeous dress, that I made, to formal events.
While designing this dress I was inspired by Monique Lhuillier and Alex Perry. Monique Lhuiller is an amazing bridal gown designer. She uses elegant and fashionable styles for all of her dresses. This inspired me to try and create an elegant and dress that would be decorated with roses. I was also inspired by the simplicity and colors of Alex Perry’s designer dresses. I enjoyed the process of taking inspiration from these two talented designers and can’t wait to see what it becomes. Also during the process of designing, I was very inspired by the story of Coco Chanel and how she became one of the most well-known fashion brands. So, to give Coco some recognition in my artistic process I designed a hat that was inspired by her original hats from the 20th century. I will not construct the hat for this project, but maybe for another project. Thank you, Monique, Alex and Coco for the amazing ideas.
By starting this project I have been able to improve so many helpful skills, that I will need in life. The making of this dress has pushed me to become better at time management. I have had to set aside time in my day to sew, cut and fit pieces of the dress. I am so thankful for the help of my grandma, while at home she has been able to get done things I can’t while at school. She has also taught me how to sew and other very necessary skill for making a dress. This dress project is also teaching me about getting something done by a deadline. I have a lot to do in a little bit of time so I better get a move on. Another thing this project has taught me is how expensive it is to make a dress with all the materials and workload, it is a minimum of $600 and hours of work.
By creating this dress I hope to show people that fashion is a huge part of art, but it is an art we get to see every day. Fashion can help people express themselves and show people their true colors. I wanted to bring awareness to pollution and the dangers of single-use plastics, so I hope that I can convey this message through the plastic bag roses that decorate the dress. I also want to show people that anyone can make something that they think will make them feel beautiful. I am so excited to show people this amazing dress and show them all the work that went into it.