6. Jacture

For our subject specific practice, we were given the option to sit in on a tailoring module for pattern cutting and construction, having previous experience of drafting tailored garments I was more interested in the complex infrastructure, canvasses, pad stitching, tapes, shoulder pads, sleeve head rolls and interlinings. Looking at a box of shaping structures of shoulder pads and sleeve head rolls was fascinating, consisting of layers of canvas and padding, muslin, and horsehair they had a sculptural quality of their own merit.

My  interest is to create a jacket, a sleeve, a cover for the rest of my work. The workshop to design a book cover assimilated these concepts. An interesting exercise in terms of thinking of how to encapsulate our research, what single image would ‘make the invisible visible’ (patrick, 2022). Despite not having the time to complete the task, taking the concept of how to present the work was useful. Relating tailoring to my project as a self-portrait – not only a visual reference to drawings and photographs of myself but also a synopsis of my creativity – expression, skill, craft, a merging of the artistic and technical. A jacket cover to the rest of the more specific and intimate gestures of focused core strength of corsetry, movement, and body consciousness.

I took several of my drawings, selecting the area of the body to create the seam lines of a jacket. I began drafting the lines from a flat pattern but concluded it would save time to model such a design that doesn’t follow the conventional rectilinear geometry of flat pattern construction.

During our workshops with Debbie Moorhouse, we began to model on the stand – a way of drafting a pattern directly onto a mannequin to create an accurate close fit. Having previously modelled straight cut and bias blocks on a conventional stand I decided to use the lingerie mannequin to get an even more ergonomic shaping. We went on to model the  the iconic Christian Dior ‘Bar’ jacket of the New Look, a post-war revolution of ostentatiousness, setting the scene to play out fashions ’Golden Era of the 1950’s.

Closely studying images of the garment, we built the shaping with wadding for the nipped in waist and exaggerated hip line, and placed drafting tape marking out the seamlines. One of the skills of a pattern cutter is to be able to assess, scale and cut from an image, the type of fabrics and the direction of the cut. This can only be gained through knowledge and understanding of experience. This exercise gave me a deeper insight and satisfaction into shaping cloth around the body, particularly when modelling a two-piece sleeve from a drafted one-piece block, each nuance of pinch and slash naturally forming the pre- determined shapes found in the rules of flat pattern drafting.

As the Creative Directors at Christian Dior change, each one creates their own version of this iconic look, I decided this would be my version. Common practice in the fashion industry is to make up a half body toile and sample to save time and material costs. Adhering to this, I have thought about how this could be shown as a piece, could it free stand alone as a sculpture? Can I show the internal structure? Would it be possible for the internal structure to make up the other half of the garment?

After having used the chrome mannequins at the University for the photo shoot I have previously thought of marking out the expressive style found in the drawings on the mannequins. Seeing the displays of many exhibitions of designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga and Christian Dior, and having viewed the video of the Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty exhibition, the mannequins were quite conventional. Particularly in comparison to McQueen’s holistic soul bearing visions that he manifested, from make up to hair, accessories to the stance of the model, the looks were never just ‘an outfit’. Why was the body to display not taken into more consideration?

How would I display my work? I feel a striking look could be achieved with an open wired mannequin in the sketchy linear style of my drawings.

Looking at fabric choices and thinking of sustainability, I have selected from my large supply of saved fabrics and surplus remnants patiently waiting for a use, deciding to not buy anything new and engage in creativity working around our limitations. I had a supply of duchesse satin pieces used to show customers bridal colour palettes which weren’t large enough for the unusual pattern shapes but were pieced together to use for the toile.

The main fabrics that would be used for a finished piece would be a fine wool suiting, a checked semi-sheer cotton seersucker, printed interior fabrics and remnants of crinkle cotton and a silk and metal organza. The cotton seersucker will be too fine to use on its own so will need backing but rather than using a conventional interfacing or interlining, the printed cottons would be used. Sourced from colour palette furnishing sample books, the prints would emphasise transparency and add a subtle infusion of sketchy coloured lines.

‘Jacture’ (jacket/sculpture) would need some internal structure shaping, particularly around the extended pocket area leading to an inspection of the canvas and interlining supplies at Dugdale’s Textile Merchants in Huddersfield. I would also like to test some of these to see if they dye well, as I may wish to make a feature of some of the sculptural infrastructure.

The ‘working drawing’ is the most essential data for a pattern cutter, giving scale, proportion, and accuracy without the need for a written language of instruction. Following this diagram the pattern was cut along the seamlines carefully judged to cross key curves and hollows which is essential for effective pattern making. I cut and traced a complex notch coded pattern, meticulously checking, and calculating its construction with functioning pockets, revers and pleats.

Making up the toile, notch matched notch and the pieces molded to the more defined shape of the lingerie dummy. Cutting on the bias worked well to cling to the torso, the interfacing backing of the fabric kept the form, better than expected.

But the toile sewing together so well, leads me to feel this isn’t pushing my skills enough. Calculating how the pattern is fixed together, required instinct and the ability to transform 2D to 3D. The result, satisfying as the construction and perfect fit has been, is too safe, slightly reserved. Is this apprehension on my part? I feel my previous efforts in the Professional Practice Module were more satisfactory in creating something new. This type of pattern cutting is such a close ergonomic formation of seamlines, that it would be more relevant to the corsetry and body consciousness pieces.

How do I break this sculpted but safe mold? The interpretation is too literal. To go from the free expressive drawings to such a technical assemblage of design is not the concept of my study. The drawings are my observations and the body my canvas. The technical drawings to copy are creating a formalised architecture sticking to rules and hierarchically imposed regulations when I wish to apply the Gaudi principles of organic creation to make a Sagrada Familia in Fashion.

The pattern pieces themselves were inspiring shapes, a complete divergence from the usual jacket pattern geometry and have the potential to be reworked as garments themselves or to use as aesthetic digitally manipulated props to back the research into process.

Looking into the work of Rei Kawakubo, the simplicity of some of the fashion sketches directed me to my more expressive drawings of movement, particularly those of a simplistic line. Is it the ‘designing’ that is restricting my interpretation – producing technical working drawings to then try and make an Avant Garde piece of work? Too much literal interpretation of line into technique is holding me back.

Save the technical for the construction of the pattern. Disseminate the images to pivot around the core, experiment with overlaying and separation of the sketchy quality of line and draw directly onto the mannequin with fabric to shape and cut new concepts.

Images

1. Six shaping shoulderpads and sleeve head rolls.
2. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Five Close-ups of sketches. [Pencil or pen on paper].
3. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Jacture Working Drawing – Front. [Pen on paper].
4. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Jacture Working Drawing – Back. [Pen on paper].
5. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Book cover ideas. [Pen and pencil on paper].
6. Dior, C. (1947). Bar Ensemble [Haute Couture Spring/Summer]. In Cullen, O. & Karol Burks, C. (2019). Christian Dior (p.25). V&A Publications.
7. Ferre, G. (1991). Forcement Dress [Haute Couture, Spring/summer, Christian Dior]. In Cullen, O. & Karol Burks, C. (2019). Christian Dior (p.29). V&A Publications.
8. Galliano, J. (2009). Look 17 ensemble [Haute Couture, Spring/Summer, Christian Dior]. In Cullen, O. & Karol Burks, C. (2019). Christian Dior (p.31). V&A Publications.
9. Grazia Chiuri, M. (2017). Look 43 ensemble [Ready to Wear, Spring/summer, Christian Dior]. In Cullen, O. & Karol Burks, C. (2019). Christian Dior (p.32). V&A Publications.
10. Six stages of modelling on the stand, building shape, denoting seam lines, overlaying fabric to create pattern pieces.
11. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Jacture Toile, Front. [Calico and modelluing tape].
12. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Jacture Toile, Side. [Calico and modelluing tape].
13. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Jacture Toile, Back. [Calico and modelluing tape].
14. Five photographs of the ‘Jacture’ pattern pieces.
15. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Mannequin design 1 [Pencil on paper].
16. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Mannequin design 2 [Pencil on paper].
17. Three photographs of fabric choices available from, saved collection, remnant samples and purchased ‘Deadstock’ fabrics.
18. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Jacture Coded Working Drawings. [Pen on paper]. .
19. Three pattern pieces window mounted to show unusual shaping.
20. Slashing and fanning of pattern pieces with shaped inserts, inspired by shapes from drawings, shown when window mounting.
21. Two photo’s of window mounted pattern pieces.
22. Sivinska McCartan (2022) Sectional Composition for Jacture design. [Digital Manipulations of pen and pencil drawings on Paper].
23. Kawakubo, R. (2014). Drawing of MONSTER A/W 2014 [Drawing]. In Bolton, A. (2017). Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garcons; The Art of The Inbetween (p.165). The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
24. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Cobra. [Image on Drawing tablet].
25. Kawakubo, R. (1987). White shirt + pants, Khaki, Lili Maneen, A/W 1987/88 [Jacket]. In Bolton, A. (2017). Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garcons; The Art of The Inbetween (p.113). The Metropolitan Museum of Art Kawakubo, R. (2015).
26. Kawakubo, R. (2004) Abstract Excellence, S/S, 2004) in Bolton, A. (2017). Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garcons; The Art of The Inbetween (p.61). The Metropolitan Museum of Art.