What Inspires You ... How Would You Use it in Your Designs?

[laudavinci]

As fashion enthusiasts and artists its very easy to become distracted in the current state our favorite genres of this vast industry. Many of us are sharing in forums such as these for inspiration. Do you have any inspiring thoughts to share? What project Ideas have you found to be most rewarding in your portfolio?
and no honey, I dont mean another oriental themed corseted mess of a graduate assignment. I mean a conversation, a movie, a word, anything that has inspired you outside of the minds eye of your muse. Something of context and not content.

 

[laudavinci]

function

considering I started this let me be the first to contribute.

Ive always wanted to design a collection of clothing that you could wear bacwards and forwards. just imagine how you would have to come up with how the model were to put it on or what material would it have to be made of (would you have to come up with a stretchy material for the piece so that it fits comfortably?).

 

[Fiancee]

hey there, not sure if this is exactly what you mean but i took this thread to be about ideas that you are inspired to follow through with at some point... for me i have always dreamed of designing beautiful, one of a kind lingerie. when i am sketching ideas i find mythical and romantic themes really inspire me... like botticelli's 'the birth of venus' or snakes, or the number 8...things that seem to have a mystery and timeless appeal. the lingerie wouldnt be functional, it would be extremely light and delicate, almost like a fine web or gauze.

I hope this isnt completely off track

 

[gius]

^i think she is looking for more abstract ideas..
it wouldn't be like saying you were 'inspired' by a painter and using his paintings as prints or inspired by the sixties and taking the fashion from that period and making it 'modern'--these are more physical things..

for me design, would be based on needs, function as the driving force.
There is a good book out called Techno Fashion by Bradley Quinn, which talks about some of the ways designers have approached fashion.. fashion meeting technology. A lot of it is based on fuction--for example, Hussein Chalayan's idea of having clothing have more than one function. he had made a skirt that could function as a skirt that you could wear but it could also turn into a table (it was made of wooden panels).
As for the idea of clothing that can be worn forwards or backwards, i wonder about it too since people's bodies are shaped differently.. like my back is more rounded than the front, so i would really need completely different pieces. Anyway the stretchy material would be interesting--you could just find some way of attaching it to something else, maybe pants, so it would 'hold' its shape. There are also fabrics now being developed with metal in them and so, you can mould them yourself.. fold or twist the fabric and it will retain its shape

 

[laudavinci]

I think the lingerie idea sounds pretty ace. I sort of picture it in a sort of MC Escher type of design--->http://www.poster.net/escher-mc/escher-mc-mobius-ii-7400003.jpg


as far as you ,Guis, you sort of hit the mark for me. Ive seen Hussein Chalayan's table/skirt. I think its really amazing. Yet I want to create something that does not sacrifice comfort; something that is convenient. As much as I appreciate innovative Ideas I also feel I have to take in account the commercial aspect of what I'm making.

I'm excited to hear about the metallic textiles. It leaves allot of room for interpretation. Everyone has a unique preference for fit. Maybe that will help with the solution to the backwards/forwards idea. I really appreciate your response.

 

[fourboltmain]

Ive always wanted to design a collection of clothing that you could wear bacwards and forwards.

Think like Legos.

 

[gius]

^that's a cool idea, fbm I have seen one designer who created a top like a jigsaw puzzle.. You can create your own garments with these pieces this way

laudavinci haha, i know what you mean.. so i'll think of another example. hmm i remember seeing a thread at TFS on dresses which also function as bags. they're black bags and inside you can pull out a dress, and the outer covering of the bag, it becomes part of the dress... i'll see if i can find it again

 

[fourboltmain]

I was thinking more along the lines of interchangeable parts, a more modular design were pieces can be worn different ways and serves many purposes. But back to function.

Ever wonder why biker jackets have all kinds of zippers and latches? Zippers allowed for ventilation and the latches and buttons let you cinch the garment closer to your body to reduce wind resistance and noise at high speeds. And they're leather so when you lay your bike down you can roll a few feet with too much road rash.

schottnyc.com

 

[Neddie]

Interesting thread, I'm going to give it a try!

At the moment I am very inspired by fresh and light things. A summer breeze, fresh lemon water, crispy white sheets, easy Daniel Lemma music, sun on my skin. Do you get the feeling?

I am thinking of pale blue and very very light yellow colours with some extra but very soft colour attached to it. This idea is very small but I am working on it, I hope I will be able to design some nice things which will express my light but beautiful feeling

 

[laudavinci]

I like the lego Idea. Im very inspired by my little brothers gundam toys.

Ive also seen the dress/bag Idea. there is a windbreaker jacket at american apparel that sort of functions the same way.

http://store.americanapparel.net/rsan401.html

 

[gius]

thanks for the info fbm. I didn't know that at all about motorcycle jackets! Giving me ideas now on winter jackets I need something warm for the fall and the whole 'cinching' thing sounds good.. Brings me to the link laudavinci gave. I had been wondering for some time what material they use for those jackets that you can fold into a pouch! I think the Japanese designer that does the same idea, he pushes it a little forward by designing the bag look like an actual bag, like a leather bag with nice decor on the outside than just a pouch like you see in American Apparel's.
Anyway a few days ago I found some jackets at golferkit.co.uk which can be folded into bags as well, BUT! they are winter jackets and waterproof and warm.. Wonder what they use for that. According to the website it's some specially developed fabric--I guess I won't be able to find it myself at a fabric shop

What I like about being able to fold it into a bag is that it means it's quite portable and also lightweight. Very important for me since I'm moving around a lot, especially once fall comes along--it would be great to be able to carry your wardrobe in a single bag
I have a schoolmate also who has a vest which she says is very light-weight, 'feels like nothing' she says, but it's very warm. She won't let me open it to see what's inside I'm thinking it has some type of stuffing, maybe goose down

Nice ideas you have, neddie. I find Marni give this similar feeling in their collections. I think I saw a suit jacket by Jil Sander for next spring with vents across the torso, like around the areas of princess seams. Seems neat

 

[lola belle]

Lately I've been really inspired by food. I've gone vegan again, so I've been buying all kinds of fruits and vegetables and the colors are all so vibrant and radically different and sometimes I love to play around arranging them more than actually eating them. A few weeks ago, I went to dinner than a concert and at dinner I had a cranberry juice with a lime served in a really tall, thin glass. It was a resteraunt on the water, so natural light came in from outside, and the reds looked so intense and the green really bright and I've been drawing from these colors a lot.

Oh yeah, and then two hours later Damien Rice performed a song in front of a bright, deep pink/red background and was illuminated in bright green! And those colors + how incredibly emotional his performances are (they are insane, even if you hate him, I'd highly reccomend them) have created some powerful imagery. So Damien Rice and fruit juice are my current muses, as weird as that may sound.