Process: Summer Assignment #1 Planning

I have to thank Robert Wun's Fall Winter 2024 Collection, "Time," for truly kickstarting this project. In this couture collection, Wun explored clothing's ability to represent a moment in time; he embroidered dresses with white beads, as if snow had freshly fallen all over his garments, and added moths to old, decaying coats, as if the insects were actively destroying his creations. I found Wun's perspective on fashion and clothing incredibly interesting, and I wanted to further explore the idea in my own work.

After considering various events that could physically change clothing, from messy baking to a muddy, rainy day, I finally decided that I wanted to depict a garment as if it had left the washing machine mid-cycle, sopping wet and covered in bubbles. Although Dimitra Petsa's "wet dresses" have become very popular in the last decade, I still wanted to explore this specific moment in a garment's life, as I thought the concept also connected to the environmental impacts of fashion. Citizens wash their clothes many times before donating them or throwing them away, but I feel that the impact of our water usage is never very clear. Citizens can't see the visible effects of their water consumption, but by depicting a dress as if it had just been washed, the true magnitude of water consumption would be harder to ignore.

From there, I gathered images of water, bubbles, laundry baskets, and cleaning supplies as immediate inspiration for the work. While sketching out possible designs, it was difficult for me to determine how to demonstrate the rawness and vulnerability that comes with wearing a wet piece of clothing. I considered using sheer fabrics or drawing inspiration from historical undergarments, but both ideas felt unoriginal and overused in the fashion industry. I ended by taking cues from the human body itself, specifically the muscular system, to determine key shapes and style lines in the garment. I also incorporated bubbles, "wet" draping techniques, and a sponge into my final design.

With most of the details ironed out, I finished my paper design and started draping the actual garment.