Garudio Studiage - Chris Ratcliffe


_ _ _	The Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH 13 - 20 Feb 2008 Planar hosts two speculative, playful and interactive design models or ‘tools’, one digital and one physical that seek to engage an audience in a novel fashion design process. The project stems from a set of earlier research drawings of aircraft fuselage and wing panelling. Isolated from the source aircraft, these sections suggest forms, silhouettes and details that can be applied as possible design shapes for garments. By selecting a drawing from the menu, the user can manipulate the form over the screen figure in two ways. Option 1 allows the user to rotate, scale and continually change line colour on a single selected drawing, creating various configurations and perspectives before settling on a ‘fashion composition’. Option 2 allows the user to rotate, scale, position and overlay up to six different drawings (although not alter their colour) and thereby create elaborate layers of design information before settling on a desired ‘fashion composition’. The die-cut paper shapes, again sections of aircraft, can be folded or treated as desired by the studio visitor and then affixed accordingly into the accompanying structure. By altering the direction, height or proximity of the angle poise lamps, the user can play with the resulting shadows, which again can become the basis of outlines and silhouettes for garments. The overall intention is to develop and communicate a peculiar yet motivating fashion story, which conveys how design ideas for clothes might be found in unusual yet appropriate means. Planar serves to illustrate how such atypical design approaches might compliment the more conventional or traditional methods of conceiving and creating fashion.

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The Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH
13 - 20 Feb 2008

Planar hosts two speculative, playful and interactive design models or ‘tools’, one digital and one physical that seek to engage an audience in a novel fashion design process.
The project stems from a set of earlier research drawings of aircraft fuselage and wing panelling. Isolated from the source aircraft, these sections suggest forms, silhouettes and details that can be applied as possible design shapes for garments.

By selecting a drawing from the menu, the user can manipulate the form over the screen figure in two ways.

Option 1 allows the user to rotate, scale and continually change line colour on a single selected drawing, creating various configurations and perspectives before settling on a ‘fashion composition’.

Option 2 allows the user to rotate, scale, position and overlay up to six different drawings (although not alter their colour) and thereby create elaborate layers of design information before settling on a desired ‘fashion composition’.

The die-cut paper shapes, again sections of aircraft, can be folded or treated as desired by the studio visitor and then affixed accordingly into the accompanying structure. By altering the direction, height or proximity of the angle poise lamps, the user can play with the resulting shadows, which again can become the basis of outlines and silhouettes for garments.

The overall intention is to develop and communicate a peculiar yet motivating fashion story, which conveys how design ideas for clothes might be found in unusual yet appropriate means. Planar serves to illustrate how such atypical design approaches might compliment the more conventional or traditional methods of conceiving and creating fashion.