gabrielle levion
Senior Thesis: "Steampunk meets Oriental" - Process
June 2013 - May 2014
A theatrical vision of an alternative history where the victorian and the oriental meet in our present day.
Eveningwear with a theatrical twist.
Fabrics: Silk Shantung, Silk Organza, Silk Chiffon, Vinyl, Leather, Denim
Travelling and Research: Cambodia & Thailand
While in Cambodia & Thailand I was particularly inspired by the paintings and murals that adorned old villas and temple complexes. The ancient Thai paintings are particularly beautiful in colour, quality of style, and rich with pictorial stories.
Jim Thompson House
Jim Thompson was an American Businessman, ex-intelligence, ex-architect, and renowned collector of antiques. He moved to Bangkok Thailand in 1958, creating a house out of old up-country houses. Thai painting (cloth, wood, or stone) was a dying art and artifacts were rare. Thompson collected many Thai and Cambodian paintings, which decorated his house in Bangkok. He was also responsible for reviving the Thai silk trade in 1950s and 1960s. He was believed to be a secret agent in WWII. Thompson mysteriously disappeared March 29 1967 Bangkok, Thailand.
Steampunk
Steampunk is what the past would look like with futuristic elements. Elements of Steampunk include: nostalgia, endless ability to invent new technologies, rejection of mass-production and homogenous design, celebration of beauty of machines and the materiality of objects and dress, individual uniqueness, the act of artistic creation, and reference to the Victorian aesthetic. Steampunk fashion is often seen as the Victorian dress embellished with hardware or technology that is made to look as if it came from the Victorian age. The Steampunk corset is worn on the outside rather than underneath the weighty Victorian styled clothes. It symbolizes the romance, adventure, and female empowerment. It is the mystery that lies beneath the corset. The corset is “an alternate history, corset fanciers can enjoy cinching our waists while still enjoying our liberty since we lace up by choice.” (Calen Spindler)
Print Development
Transformed Thai Mural Paintings into prints, creating my own textile print. It was then digitaly printed on silk organza, silk chiffon, silk shantung, and nylon mesh.
When creating patterns I used traditional patterns as a base and drafted original ideas on top. With the first muslin I then draped the rest of the pattern. It then took many fittings to tailor each piece to a specific model's measurements. Every time I changed a model the pattern was refitted and tailored tailored to the new measurements.
Pattern Making & Fitting and Tailoring
Trapunto
The Italian word "to embroider," trapunto is also known as the "stuffed technique." A facing, puffy layer, and a lining are sewn together in a pattern creating a slightly raised surface.
Created outline illustration which were then printed and hand sewn to separate pieces. The paper was based onto half sewn garments then sewn over top. The paper was then picked out revealing the design.
Collection Illistrations
COLLECTION
Photo Credit: Rob Chron (Rhode Island School of Design)
Senior Thesis Featured in Woods Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI
