Breakdown to Breakthrough

I'm going to show you the whole process of a garment I just completed and presented for my Conceptual Design class. The process was very long. Very interesting. One moment [last night] I thought I was having a breakdown. Turns out it was actually a breakthrough. Sometimes we gotta break down in order to reveal what's underneath ...

The project was based on 'movement' and I wanted to create a shape on a garment that would puff up when a person is walking, and drape nicely when she is standing still.

I started with a study of silk on a walking body:

Then paper in the shape of a perfect cube:

then cheap silk in a perfect cube and filled with air:

then paper again:

Shape refining:

Finally, using a kite shape that will be sewn together to form a 'parachute':

Final inspiration:

Finished garment:

Finished garment with fan:

Finished garment on a walking body: