Final Evaluation

My final outcome is very different to what I first anticipated it would be. I thought that my project would end up being largely based on the stylistic codes of subcultures. I also expected my final outcome to be more symbolic of my personal style and people that I have known for a long time but instead my outcomes were inspired by a homeless girl and a boy that I only met quite recently. I actually think this outcome is far more interesting and unique and I am glad that my that my project took an unexpected turn. I think subcultural references are now extremely overdone in the fashion industry and it would have been hard to create something unique and distinctive using subculture as inspiration. This has taught me to be a lot more instinctive with my ideas and not be scared to explore ideas which I might previously thought of as a bit odd. 

In my original plan I was going to use my favourite items of clothing as research and make designs inspired by the symbolism behind them. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't do this as my final outcome would have ad very limited and and unimaginative research sources. I already know and understand my own clothes, and it far more interesting to look at the clothes of others.

Although I branched out a lot from my original plan, I still managed to stick to the most important aspects of it, such as looking at the symbolism of particular items clothing to generate designs and exploring a wide range of techniques. I was actually really surprised at my own ability to use different skills throughout this project. I challenged myself to try digital print, embroidery and had never created my own pattern from scratch before. I felt that during this project i learnt fundamental designs skills by myself to take with my onto my degree course. During this project I also used constructive criticism to greatly develop my illustration style. I also feel that during this project I have developed a strong sense of personal style and a unique aesthetic. The fact that I was told by a lot of people that my aesthetic was very androgynous and the fact that I ended up using male models in both my shoots has made me consider choosing to pursue menswear later on during my degree.

I felt that the turning points in my project which lead to to my final outcome were the point when I realised that I wanted to focus on the symbolism of working class culture, when I created my homeless print, during the workshop putting shapes on the stand where i decided on my final structure. However I think the most important skill I have learnt through this project is how to use life experiences, such as meeting George Watson and the 'strongbow' incident as inspiration for my work. As an artist I feel it is very important for your work to become your life and you life to reflect your work.