Purpose: The purpose of this design was to create a garment that is beautiful but also practical. The look is inspired by grunge but also by romanticism and the occult. I wanted to portray a completely simplistic garment in a way that makes it seem so much more profound and adaptable to any style the wearer chooses to portray. Process: I found my initial inspiration by looking at Dark Beauty magazine, a gothic fashion magazine. From there, I searched on various online databases and put inspirational images into a design Pinterest board. The images combined to create a tribal but celestial mood, with an otherworldly etherealness. After I had the mood concrete, I began looking to my favorite clothing websites like Dolls Kill and Nasty Gal to decide what kind of garment I might want to construct. These websites have out of the norm looks and an overall grunge, alternative feel, while still accommodating to many style tribes. All of this considered, I decided to create a romper with a tied back and small ruffle details on the shoulders and bottom hem. Techniques: To make this design a reality, I used flat patterning and draping to create a pattern. From the pattern, I made a sample, which I then fitted to my model. Once the fit was perfected, I created the final garment which you see today. Contribution to fashion or innovation used: My contribution to fashion is the creation of a piece of clothing that can seamlessly adapt to many different style tribes. Materials: Lightweight gray cotton fabric, all-purpose thread, invisible zipper. This is one in a line of three garments; the entire line can be seen at the Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising spring fashion show, May 30, at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in Milo Smith Theater in McConnell Hall
