Sleeves, Zips and Pockets

I started off the project by analysing different parts of the space suit itself, starting with the sleeves. I love the layered shoulder that goes half way down the sleeve on one of the suits and decided to recreate it out of paper onto a mannequin. The layering gives the outfit the iconic volume and oversized-ness that is so well recognised. The other key feature on the sleeves that I looked at was pockets and way of storing items within the suit. You can tell from looking at the image that every aspect of the design is there for a purpose, and that’s what I want to incorporate into my designs. Not just adding things for aesthetics and to make it visually pleasing, but so that they are practical as well as look good. 

There are many ways that a space suit is connected, clasps, Velcro, but most commonly zips are used. I didn't want to use them in the regular way that people tend to, straight down the middle, but actually this didn't seem to occur in the suits I looked at. I took 2 long zips and played around with the on mannequins drawing the jackets around them afterwards to see what effect it would give. Personally I think it worked really well, they look imaginative but still really simple. I thought the way that it pulls the jacket in in certain places changes the whole appearance of the torso. 

I previously spoke about how the pockets on the arms were there for practical use, and decided to look into it into more detail. Different types of pockets are used for different parts of the garment, these can be reinterpreted into something that turns a plain piece of clothing into something really interesting. 

The Moon Landing

After looking at different moments in history I decided to focus on the Moon Landing in 1969. This is because of the astronaut suits that they had to wear and the amount of different details and functionalities that are packed into the suit. The different type of pockets and accessories that are attached to it, are perfect for this project. 

Part of the brief states that we are suppose to be creating an autumn/winter daywear collection, but I have decided to create sportswear (skiwear) collection as I think it would work really well with the astronaut theme, the puffiness and padding are so revenant to the type of gear worn for skiing. 

Detailing

For this project we are focusing on details within certain pieces of clothing. My first impressions of the project is that I think its going to be extremely helpful after degree level when it comes to seeking employment as it is starting to get us ready for what a real job as a designer entails.

Another reason why I am quite excited to work on this project is that I usually tend to focus on the silhouette and shape of the garment, using block colours to decorate. This project will steer me away from that and force me to create a collection that is not only a lot more interesting to look at but also will teach me to spend more time thinking about what the garments need to be more functional.

At the moment I have a very positive attitude towards this projects, as I believe it could be very successful, as long as I choose the right moment in history to use. My initial thoughts was to look into the Russian revolution and the fall of the Tsar but when I started doing some research into the fashion, I wasn't as interested as I thought I would be.