Velvetvibe

Crazy Daisy xxx

I have reached my final week at One BC! For my final week we got to do some really fun denim work, cutting up many, many pairs of jeans which will all be refurbished into beautiful and super trendy denim dresses! Alongside helping out with all the clients I have got to know along the way as their deadlines approach and I get to see more and more of their outfit come together! It was a fabulous finish to an amazing placement, I couldn’t have got luckier. 

In my second to last week, it barely feels as though I have been stepping through One BC’s doors for just under 3 months! We made the most of our time left by pattern cutting these wrap around dresses with wrap sleeves and a wrap skirt. We cut out 4 dresses in 4 different beautiful fabrics in grey and monochrome shirtings and linens. I’ve been able to be a part of cutting tailored jackets, jeans, dresses, shirts and even miniature garments! My level of accuracy and my care and attention to detail has improved throughout my time at One BC, and I hope to continue that good practice in the future!

In 20 minutes, we had to write everything that we think One BC is and what it stands for within the industry and community. This was useful for my report as it added to my research and gave me future notes to refer back to. The pieces were given to Reeta to use for any future material regarding the brand and gave her an insight of what outsiders may think of the brand!

A huge part of the designing process and the foundations of One BC’s values is getting to know the client which is why every client is asked to create a Pinterest board or a series of images to show to Reeta and Tony. This then acts as the research into the silhouette, fabric types, colour palettes, and personal style. This particular client is having a bespoke wardrobe made featuring soft linens, draped trousers and primarily shades of blue for the colour palette. Communicating with the clients is what I have enjoyed the most, being able to discuss interests, styles, preferences and chat about themselves. It reveals the true diversity within people that you don’t see when you simply walk past them in the street. 

Part of my everyday tasks include preparing for clients and toille reviews, which may include finding appropriate samples that take into consideration the design, the occasion, colour palette, weight and personal preference. This particular layout was for a bridal client who has quite traditional tastes and involve white and ivory laces, satins and silks. Included in the layout is the wedding portfolio used for all clients associated with weddings to give them an insight into both unusual and quirky possibilities to the more traditional. No idea is ever pushed through to a client, the whole service exists from the clients opinion and feelings throughout the fittings.

In my time at One BC, I haven’t felt bored or monotonous at any point, and that’s down to many factors. One of which is the space which fuels all of the creative minds that pass through it, its easy to be around; its a community and a hive of ideas. I particularly like the menswear side of the showroom in terms of aesthetic and how luxury garments are portrayed within showrooms/stores.

Something I've always needed to know but never fully understood is threading up an overlocker; a skill i’ll be needing quite frequently through next year! Its something I’ve had to do regularly through all the projects and orders and means its one less question to ask! As we finished off the remainder of the doll project this week, there needed to be lots of colours at hand and meant there was plenty of thread colour matching!

Photo credit : Paul Boast

One BC’s showroom is a contemporary and stylish space with high ceilings and  the front of the building made entirely of glass. However,this can cause issues for the garments in front of the window as they may be faded by the sun, so one of the tasks this week was to put up UV protection vinyl covers on each window, (harder than it sounds!) in order to protect the clothing. While we were cleaning and getting ready for the sunshine, we did some visual merchandising and organised the rest of the showroom and the newly made glittery menswear Jeans that I cut, sewed pockets and finished seams on! I always enjoy the visual tasks such as displays, laying out sample cards beautifully, styling or organising the workshop ready for clients; I think this reflects a pathway that could be pursued after graduation!

Baby Alive is a brand of doll originally created by Kenner in 1973 but reintroduced by Hasbro in 2006. One of the most quirky and interesting orders I have participated in is the task to create a range of young girls and matching dolls clothing out of digitally printed fabric. There were no pattern pieces provided and our only guidance was a similar kind of garment from which we would make our patterns from. It was more challenging than we anticipated as it required a high level of accuracy and patience to create the correct patterns which we toilled ready to be made into final garments. The overall experience meant I got to understand the patterncutting of a good variety of garments in a short space of time because the clothing was miniature. From miniature dressing gowns to hoodies, dresses, denim jackets and shorts! The garments are to be displayed in an exhibition in Las Vegas for Hasbro. 

This week, the other interns and I finished our ‘Monster Shirts’, a sleek and draped shirt, with no side seams and an extended back hem. There were 5 shirts overall in a variety of beautiful shirtings and cottons which we completed from cutting to manufacturing which enabled us to have a fully inclusive experience and develop our construction skills further. My main development was gaining more accuracy in the way I construct, as it is imperative to get the initial cutting stage correct otherwise the whole process is affected and delayed. This is particularly vital for smaller business who rely on efficient and accurate work to keep the costs down.  

Diversity and identity is a value One BC stands by, which is why their pattern cutting and designs are so unique. This is one of my favourite pieces made entirely from chunky zips which was collected by an actress with dwarfism; a condition little understood or catered for by the fashion industry. The dress is to be worn at a red carpet event and will represent the freedom of design and the importance of reminding people that every body is different and deserves to be truly expressed.

As the final part of the order  for the digital print, I got to see ties, neckerchiefs and Bow ties made out of my print and worn by company members which was exciting! Completing this digital print has improved my confidence and ability with making digital artwork and will be something I consider more in the future when it comes to the design process.

One of my favourite tasks I am trusted with is researching fabrics and sourcing them from local stores. A recent client whose order consists of an occasion outfit for summer and specified the fabric as linen, a light, comfortable and breathable fabric. The other two interns and I then proceeded to provide imagery and any free samples for Reeta and Tony to assess whether any was suitable for the proposed outfit. Fabric sourcing like this provides us with an opportunity to become familiar to different fabric types and the price points in stores. 

Continuing the variety of roles I have undertaken, there remains the organisation and cleaning roles involved in running a business, including regular hoovering, cleaning, polishing, and sweeping, an impossible task in a room cutting cloth and garments all day but essential nevertheless. One of my roles this week was to organise and sort through the metal trimmings ranging from hundreds of eyelets to novelty buckles and press studs. Although the task was a hefty one, it gave me an insight into details of a garment that I don’t tend to think of. Information like this helps towards the design process; and as Tony and Reeta tell me, the more I know about garment construction, the better designer I will be!

    To end the week, I sent a selection of prints in relevant colourways for the company to review and this dark blue and white print was the chosen print which was to be digitally printed on silk ready for the ties to be made which will be shown at a company exhibition. The experience as a whole was a learning curve and really exciting to use my creative skills to the maximum, and to have a design I created printed onto fabric, made into a garment and worn by the public is really exciting! My confidence in digital printing has grown and inspired me to create designs for my final year at university.