Alienation!
I really want this collection to represent feelings of alienation or not fitting in through literally looking like an alien. Odd color and texture combinations, summer and winter clothing combined, and an undertone of glam, are what make this collection appear as something hyper femme and out-of-this-world! I drew this idea from the Romantic Naturalism themed room, being inspired by the alien like designs of Alexander Mcqueen's plato's Atlantis. I want to evoke the feeling of being separate from a group by standing out, forcefully alienate yourself.
Customer profile - MADDie zott:
- Internet celebrity with a maximalist style. Perhaps they are a fashion blogger? She could be very interested in promoting that it's okay to be different to her audience and want to show that through her clothes. Mid 20's, a queer woman with a bachelors in journalism. She lives in New York City and is invited to a lot of fashion events due to networking from her video fashion blog.
- High budget due to creator fund and interviews on red carpets.
- She tends to overdress on the daily as it is her job to look extreme.
- Season: A/W
Background research
Journal
Week One - 8/28/2025
WGSN RESEARCH: Fandom Foodies
This trend consists of having cute but slightly ugly stuffed animals wearing food themed clothes or even having their designs altered to look more like different foods has different groups of fandoms all over the world hooked. These fandoms range from Squishmallows in the Us, Chiikawa in Japan, and most notably the Labubu in China. I am personally a very big fan of this trend because I am able to use these characters as a form of maximalism by hanging on several keychains or pins to contrast my typically dark colored outfits. I also believe this trend has branched off from the huge cute-core movement, also known as kawaii, but due to the addition of slightly ugly or odd creatures, such as Fugglers. Due to the newfound vagueness of cuts items, this trend is now popular in more fandoms than it ever has been before.
Vogue Research Collection: Francoise
This collection is not only photographed in a way that makes the viewer feel as if they are in a dream sequence, but the fashion itself is extremely feminine in an alternative way that I really enjoy. The dresses are all shaped very feminine and elegant, but the edgy colors and conflicting textures really add something to the entire collection. I appreciate that even with the wide variety of outfit styles, with these same underlying alternative attributes the outfits still maintain a high level of cohesiveness. I also think the designer showcased a large range of techniques from ruffles to a bow, more form-fitting clothes to layered patterned skirts. It is very clear that the designer had a clear idea in mind for what they wanted to create, and the story definitely carries throughout all the garments.
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty notes
The romantic mind:
Exhibit was inside a concrete room which was meant to represent the rawness in the garments in the room. McQueen used fashion as a vehicle to express complex ideas. I really enjoyed the look of the large bold graphic print on a complex suit.
Romantic gothic:
This exhibit was lined with aged mirrors to mimic Edgar Allen Poes “the Fall of the House of Usher” because McQueen called himself the Edgar Allen Poe of fashion. Gothic styles were a reoccuring theme in McQueen’s work. He was inspired by the cult of death, vampires, antiheros, highwaymen, etc.
Cabinet of curiosities:
This area represented the 18th and 19th century practice of collecting objects from natural history as a way to view the world, storing items in cabinets to view them in a historical way. In this collection of items, it is clear that nature and primitivism inspired him. This room also features ten iconic moments from McQueen’s runway shows.
Romantic nationalism:
This exhibit was marketry designed to reflect McQueen tartan. McQueen was a storyteller, mainly focused on narrating his own life. He was proud of his scottish heritage and loved british history, so this exhibit was set up creating a face off between those two. Highland rape was seen as provacitive, but it was interpreted wrong and was meant to talk about the violence between these two countries in a particular time in period. In the finale area of this exhibit, a hologram is shown next to a creation of the actual dress made of silk organza.
Romantic exotisism:
This exhibit was themed around a music box, it used mirrors to give a feeling of infinity as well as having mannequins on spinning turntables. This exhibit really highlights how McQueen looked for inspiration in different cultures, especially Japan, China, and India.
Romantic Primitivism:
This exhibit was created with rusty metal to look like a sunken skip. This is to match with one of McQueen’s collections, Irere which is showcasing a shipwreck at sea and landfall in the Amazon.
Romantic Naturalism:
The first portion of the exhibit was drawing was done by McQueen blown up large to be a wallpaper. Nature was the most prominent theme within McQueen’s work due to the fact that in so many of his garments, McQueen used raw materials. Platos Atlantis was the last collection McQueen ever created which summarized all major themes in his career including nature and technology. McQueen also featured Platos Atlantis in fashion show that was shown online during a livestream, which was the first time that was ever done.
The title "Savage Beauty" highlights the years and years of contrasting work that McQueen has produced. Every single collection featured highlights two or more ideas and shows how they can both work together and work separate from each other, which fits really well with the powerful title given to this showcase. Savage represents the large amount of work McQueen has themed around animals, plants, animal prints, using raw natural materials in his garments, and his historical or gruesome theming. Beauty represents the elegance within all of his work, the minimalist or simple fabrics or textures that contrasted the primitive side entirely.
Week 2 - 9/4/2025
Romantic Naturalism: Alienation
Week 3 - 9/11/2025
How to develop ideas and themes for a fashion design collection:
- Ideas come from history, context, and culture.
- Theme can affect style, material, silhouette, and texture. Carry the theme through and understand how it affects the design.
- Gather inspiration from things other than just clothes, especially with visual research.
- Think about market and season.
- Trend forecasting
- Who is your customer? Demographics are important
- Document creative process
9/25/2025 Week 5 - Fabric Workshop and Museum- The Living Temple: The World of Moki Cherry
10/10/2025 - Week 7:
- How would you define Fashion Design and what is important to you as a fashion designer? Fashion design is a form of creativity focused on both imagining and creating both singular garments and entire collections. Being as eco-friendly as possible is important to me as a fashion designer. I want to be friendly to the environment in all ways including reducing textile waste, avoiding generative-ai due to its negative impact on both the fashion community as a whole and all the ecological impacts that marginalized communities are facing from the increase of waste and pollution being exerted by the data centers, and finally I aim to use mainly recycled or donated fabrics in my work.
- Who is Monica Miller, and how did she influence the Superfine Exhibition? What was important to you about this exhibition? She was the author of the book Slaves to Fashion, which was a cultural pioneer in analyzing the history of black dandyism. Black designers being highlighted in this exhibition are extremely important to me. In my opinion, black designers are underrepresented and rarely given the spotlight they deserve to show off their work.
- Why was China through the looking Glass, a controversial Fashion/Costume Exhibition at the Met? It was clear there was a lack of research done on the actual Chinese culture and the collection treated the culture as a fantasized aesthetic.
- Describe each of the sections in the Fashion Market Pyramid diagram and name a few brands with visual examples for each market.
1. Haute Couture: Most expensive, most room for creativity. Considered pieces of art.
2. Ready to Wear: Still expensive, still creative and seen as the designer's expression on a runway. More common in developing a theme for a brand on a daily basis.
3. Diffusion/Bridge: Inspired by RTW but is more commonly produced. It is more casual with a larger audience. Sold completely in retail. The gap between high end and low end.
4. Mass Market: Combination of high street and fast fashion. Aimed at a larger market but loses out on quality.
- Fast Fashion: Unethical, mass produced based on social media.
- Describe the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM), and why is it important? The official governing body for the French fashion industry. It is important because it solidifies Paris as a fashion capital of the world and works to promote French fashion culture.
- Watch the 5 Min Video: Inside Thom Browne’s Haute Couture Design Studio,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsQj0Qgy8pI What did you find the most interesting about his fashion designs and his Parisian atelier? The most interesting thing about his designs is his passion for putting such love and care into his work. His interest in taking care of these garments is palpable, and the way he carries himself speaking about his designs is mesmerizing. I thought it was awesome that he has offices both in New York and Paris!
Week 8 - 10/16/2025 Research:
Madame Grès, also known as Alix Barton was a leading French couturier and costume designer, founder of haute couture fashion house Grès, focused on the tiny details of her work and was seen as a workaholic with a secretive personal life. Born in Paris, France, she was seen as a master of draping fabric and her attention to and respect for the female body have had a lasting effect on the haute couture and fashion industry, inspiring a number of recent designers. She was born November 30th 1903 and passed away November 24th, 1993.
I really admire her experiments with draping, and while that was a common theme within her craft, she still had the ability to produce something entirely new each time. Each garment has an entirely different feel and overall color story, and her frequent use of bright colored fabrics is something I enjoy.
Born in Spain, Fortuny was born into a family of painters, but his design style is much more tactile. He spent most of his life in Italy where he grew a very successful design and textile business. His methods of pleating are still a mystery today, but his gowns are absolutely beautifully designed and I found myself very interested in his work. These pleats are much tighter together than typical pleating, and the fabric being able to hold that position is impressive.
Born in Manhattan, NYC, McFadden was a costume designer. Shortly after being born she moved onto her father's cotton farm before later in life moving back to New York, this time on Long Island. It is interesting to me that both McFadden and Fortuny were inspired by Greek clothing and architecture to create their garments. McFadden's pleated dresses were described to drip like gold.
Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake's designs are much more modern than the previous designers. While the other designers seemed to have inspiration from the past, Miyake's designs feel inspired by the otherworldly. Born in Hiroshima, Miyake was known for combining both eastern and western styles to bring something entirely new to his designs.