My Fantastic Fifteen...

This selection of images shows the best pieces of work, from many of my units, throughout the year. They include a variety of types of media, photography, CAD manipulation and garment making. From all of the work I have produced, I am especially pleased with these, as it shows my progression, with new skills I have learnt and has helped me to decide what pathway I want to choose next year. These are techniques that I will be using next year, and also will develop these skills further.

PPD1- 15 Best Pieces Of Work...

Tied & Twisted- Hand Rendered Image -

I was happy with the comments that were made by my peers. It shows the method, I feel, I work best with when drawing- pen and wash.

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Tied & Twisted- Half Scale Design

For the time we were given to complete this task, I was pleased, with the materials I used, the outcome that I achieved.

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Subcultures & Style- Dress Pattern

This pattern that I did on the sewing machine really works well and stands out on the dress within the final photograph of Subcultures & Style.

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Subcultures & Style- Final Photograph

Using the pattern, as shown above, looks striking on the final photograph. This is the best individual outcome I have achieved this year. I think it looks effective and gives the right statement I wanted to state. Upon the website, it looks vivid and eye catching, on the welcome page.

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String Tree

This was completed with my first unit- 15 different types of media use. From one piece of string I designed the tree shape. I feel, although it is freehand but still delivers upon what I wanted it to look like. Using brown string gives it that scruffy, bark like effect.

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SLR Camera Photograph

Within the SLR camera induction, this was one of my final outcomes. This being my favorite image, I really like the visual look of it- the flower being very bold within the greenery.

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Shop Report

I really enjoyed completing the research for this shop report. I was interesting to find out about all the different areas of the business it takes to sell a garment, and how much is planned to make sure it is sold to the right people in the right market.

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Photo Montage

I have done this kind of David Hockney photo montage before, within my A-Level. I enjoyed taking the photos that complete the image and putting them together, like a puzzle- making the image seem not perfect to the eye, but the flawed look is interesting and makes it look much more realistic.

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Tied & Twisted- Paper Dress

This innovative idea worked really well when built upon the mannequin. The different colours of the newspaper, when knotted and plaited worked really together and showed through the monochrome of the newsprint.

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Metamorphosis- Final Garment

This was my final garment I produced this year. I really liked the shape I made upon the shoulders, along with the iridescent material to the rear and upon the scales- which really give it that chameleon-esque look. The panelled apron worked particularly well, using the different methods of fabric manipulation.

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'It Fell From The Sky...' -Final Photograph

I think I captured the futuristic look that I wanted to achieve within this photograph. The white garment, in contrast to the black background gives the harsh look I wanted.

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Final Line Up- 'Motion In The Ocean'

From the design ideas I completed, these were the ones which would work well with the Topshop market I was within. The colours worked well with the shell and scales idea that I based all the designs upon.

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Final Hat- Millinery Elective

I was particularly proud with this outcome, as it was a painful process to undertake! The mad hatter theme I was going for really is accented with the feminine veiling.

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Calico Dress- Imitating A Garment

This being my first garment that I have made, using flat pattern cutting techniques, I was very proud as to what I achieved. From what I learnt, the basic dress I made, taught me many skills, some of which I am still learning.

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CAD Manipulation- Paper Dress

This was my best outcome, using CAD. I like the different colours and changing the contrast of the image.

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When I Grow Up...

...I want to be a Visual Merchandiser.

It is an area that I have always had an interest in, as it is a big part of the presentation of final outcomes of the garments and is essential for the sales for the business.

To achieve this I would have to gain more computer skills in order to design floor plans and 3D ideas. I would also have to gain more knowledge into the promotion of fashion and research how visual merchandising is being completed by different businesses in different markets.

Careers- Visual Merchandiser

A visual merchandiser creates window and interior displays in shops and department stores. They are responsible for the look of the store, making it attractive to customers and therefore increasing sales.

Their job would entail many tasks, including- conducting research to find out the latest trends, sketching ideas, deciding the placement of objects within store- mannequins, lighting, etc, and creating ideas that could be brought into all the stores and would suit their position, place in the market and its customers.

Hours would vary, as weekend and late evening work would be needed to put up displays, as to to minimise disruption for customers and the store itself.

The starting salary for a visual merchandiser is £14,000-£16,000 rising to £20,000 with experience on board.

You would work with staff in the stores where displays are present, head office to finalize ideas and other visual merchandisers to help come up with a vision. This job can be antisocial, for its hours but ultimately, you would gain satisfaction in having your displays around the country and knowing you would be attracting people to the store.

Careers- Pattern Cutter

In this job, the pattern cutter is responsible for turning a designer’s sketch into a working pattern, which can be used when constructing the garment.

On a day to day basis, their task would be to create a working pattern using a variety of techniques- moulage, CAD and flat pattern cutting.

General working hours would be between 37 and 39 hours a week. Overtime hours may be required when working to deadlines.

To succeed within this area of work, it would be useful to have a good ability to interpret designers working drawings, a good knowledge of garment construction and good IT skills to work to your best potential.

The drawbacks would include, the garment design changing many times over, meaning to change the cut of the pattern at a moments notice and not having a full opinion on what designs you are cutting.

Most pattern cutters would work individually but as part an overall team, creating individual designs with a designers collection. They would work with other fashion designers, machinists and pattern graders.

The salary starts from £11,000 and £18,000 a year. Culminating in over £20,000 a year for experienced pattern cutters.

Careers- High Street Fashion Designer

The main aim for this type of fashion design is to create a designer ready to wear product that can be produced as a high street version in less than 6 weeks. They design garments that can be produced in their thousands, with a quick turnaround in the design process, as fashion is fast moving and can change day by day.

Salary's start from £14,000-£18,000, £30,000 to £35,000 for junior designers right up to £30,000-£60,000 for head designers.

There is usually extra hours for when deadlines need to be met. These can be antisocial with times when it may not suit the designer, but would suit the business. Working alongside pattern cutters, machinists, other designers and buyers to create the final garment.

You have to be able to handle criticism and can be a hard position to be hired into- within the current economic climate.

However, it is a creative job, with lots of potential to be imaginative. It can also be rewarding, seeing people wearing your garment that you helped create- being sold to a massive high street market.

Shadowing A Third Year...

For the past 4 weeks I have been helping a third year with the preparation for their final degree show. Rav Matharu based his collection- 'End Of The Beginning' upon urban street wear with a classic, smart touch.

He has his own website http://www.clothsurgeon.com/ where you can find lots more about him, his work and his label.

He gave me many tasks to do including styling one of his test photoshoots for his lookbook, displaying leaflets about his collection around college and lots of pattern cutting for his final hand in.

Shadowing him gave me some idea as to what it is like in the third year, the work and the ideas, showing me just how much needs to be done to complete the final collection. It leaves me being a bit more prepared a for my second year, as that is a massive influence upon my third year also.

The Mad Hatter...

During my half term week at college, I took part in my Millinery elective. At first it seemed like it wouldn't take me a week to produce a basic hat. I was wrong. The felt took a life time to mould and stretch into place, and along with the bendiest pins in the world, at the time it seemed impossible to think it would ever get finished. My thumbs were bruised and my hands ached, but after three days it started to take shape- a mad hatter inspired hat with netting, for a feminine touch.


To make a hat takes alot of skill, patience and expertise. It is something that would take longer than a week to learn to a high standard, but, from what I was taught in the space of 4 days is something I will always remember and would be able to recreate again. I would defiantly want to explore this further, as I find the whole processes fascinating- hand made hats are delicate. I would like to experiment with different ideas and techniques to progress and make another one in the future.

Karma Chameleon...

This being the final project brief for the year I wanted to make sure I took all that I have learnt from this year, about myself and my work, and produce a unit that each area was done to its highest. Before I started the unit, I had a fabric manipulation workshop, exploring wax pots, heat press and general sewing techniques to create different, interesting fabrics that could be used within our final designs. I really enjoyed this as it was a different way of experimenting, figuring out what would work, and what, would be a total disaster.

Within my research, I did many sheets that were about a variety of things to do with Metamorphosis, but from the manipulated fabrics I made, I was drawn to focus upon chameleons, and more upon their skin- how it changes colour and can adapt as a camouflage for the animal.

I also completed a workshop upon moulage pattern cutting. This involved flattening calico upon a mannequin and cutting areas out to create the garment. Then, when taken off the mannequin, it is layed out and a pattern is drawn. I instantly was drawn to this technique, as I liked the way in which the garment is created. I chose to use this idea within my final garment as it was another skill that I had learnt this year.

I wanted to make something that would use the ideas I has took from the fabric workshops, taking certain ideas that reflected the chameleons scale like skin. I decided upon a dress with an removable skirt/apron, that would be reversible, to camouflage itself.

I was pleased with this unit, as I found I controlled my time much better. I made lists and notes about what to do and when for. I spread my work out more over time and in the end, I was not rushed into the final stages of the work. This made me enjoy creating my work more and, I feel, created a better outcome, when being handed in.