In order to develop work from the Practice unit with injections of new inspiration for concept, colour and context, I thought London would be the place to go, visiting Savile Row and Harrods for the high-end Menswear. Going in to boutiques such as Etro, Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford gave me the opportunity to see the fabrics up close looking at the size of the checks or jacquard patterns and feel the quality of the fabrics combined with the impeccable tailoring which makes these garments so special.
Quality is a factor that I approached towards the end of the last unit by using 100% silk, rather than 50% silk, 50% viscose. Having looked closely at the intended context for my work which is high-end Menswear I have decided to use 100% merino wool in order to gain the soft, flannel qualities that I have seen on Savile Row.
My previous concept has been about creating a fabric with a sense of energy and movement depicting the busy lifestyle of someone constantly on the move, with the main influence being Urban Landscape. With this concept in mind, I went to the business capital of London, Canary Wharf, to take in the atmosphere of a towering financial business district and to see the types of people working for the companies.
The bright lights from the buildings created colour and pattern, due to the minimal natural light when taking a photograph. The images show blocks of calmer space with a block of colour and pattern and in between, which I think makes the busy area stand out more. This could be an element that I think about when designing my next warp and weft colourings and patterns.