Pattern vs. Historical Fashion

Pattern in fashion, is a very important aspect, it could make or break a collection. For my final collection I want to use a lot of pattern and texture, while the silhouette being inspired by historical costume. Two designers who are very good at this are Vivienne Westwood and Yinka Shonibare.

Vivienne Westwood has always been inspired by historical fashion and replicates 18^th century corsets in her collections along with her “mini crini” [her reinvention of the crinoline], emphasized waists and her innovative draping. If you take away the fabric that she uses it would all look very historical, but because of the modern and unusual way she uses fabrics it makes the garments. For example if we look at the way she uses tartan: the way she drapes it and styles it, the traditional Scottish-ness is forgotten because you are drawn to the “je ne se qua” of her pieces. Vivienne westwood just has a flair to innovate she is a living legend, and has her individual style, you can look at one of her pieces and automatically know that it is hers because of the impeccable drapery and folds, or her use of fabric.

Vivienne Westwood "Mini Crini"

Yinka Shonbare is another designer who often uses English colonialism to inspire his collections but the fabric he uses are traditional African fabrics. Which automatically juxtapose the garment’s. You can see where it was inspired from but the use of fabric modernises it and your eye is drawn to it for this reason as it is unexpected.

Yinka Shonbare use of Caribbean print

This is what I would like to achieve through my collection I want it to be inspired 19^th Century riding wear but I want to juxtapose that silhouette by using modern weaves and fluorescent threads/ribbons to achieve that shock factor and make you wonder why has she done that? By doing this I would hope that it makes you think of the safety restriction that were often forgotten about in the 19^th century, but now a days is very important through the sport.

Ashley J