My design is a 1950's style ball gown, to be worn in a formal, black tie or evening wear occasion. The design highlights the importance of practicality, comfort and function and is able to be worn at various occasions, whilst being easily cared for. The incorporation of overlocking, straight stitching, under-stitching, top-stitching, invisible zip, hook and eye, duchess satin and acetate lining, has ensured the strength, practicality and function, whilst maintaining a professional, polished and tailored appearance, highly suitable for a 1950's inspired gown. The vintage appeal of the garment is demonstrated through the fixed waist and 3/4 length, circular skirt, accentuating the ultra-femininity and opulence in women's fashion in the 1950's, particularly Dior's “New Look”. To enhance the aesthetics, I have incorporated decorative techniques including, beading, machine embroidery, twin needle stitching, top stitching, lase inserting and laser cut flowers. This has utilised the designs black-on-black aesthetic and chic appearance of the 1950's Haute Couture look. During the construction of the design, I was able to incorporate my strengths in textiles, including apparel design and sewing, and adapting new techniques, such as laser cutting and pattern modification. This allowed me to exercise my creativity in fashion design and apply more challenging techniques involved in textiles machinery, technology and pattern development. During Year 12, it became difficult to balance major works with the HSC, and garment construction often became very time consuming, especially with hand work. I found laser cutting technology challenging to operate but enjoyed the creativity of applying it to my design. I also found online platforms more difficult to work with for the portfolio and used mediums including Canva for portfolio layout but chose to hand draw my visual designs and pattern pieces individually. I found the freedom of creativity the most enjoyable experience and found constructing my garment reduced both stress and anxiety. I was motivated to choose a vintage design from the 50's as I enjoyed movies from that era, particularly the fashion. The elegance and opulence of costumes worn by Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly were a key influence that inspired me to create my own version. The black-on-black element was drawn from this inspiration, as I wanted to recreate the simplicity and sophistication of women's fashion.
