Introduction
Aphrodite the Goddess of love, sexuality and fertility. Throughout history she hasbeen subjected to the ideal standard of the female form, her influence in pop culture isunparalleled, however there is more to her than just a pretty face she is a she is amother, she experiences loss, she is a woman that fights, she is the everyday womanand thus is is the muse for this collection. APHRODITE XO is an upcoming graduationcollection based on the Goddess of Love and Beauty herself. This collection willshowcases the various techniques I learned throughout my time at OcadU. It willincorporate the innovation of streetwear and classical techniques found in hautecouture which resulted in an avant grade interpretation of the Greek Goddess. Theheroine wearing these designs is a woman that embraces her beauty, sexuality anddares to be different.
Insparation
I was drawn towards Aphrodite as my muse due to the iconography surroundingher, she is an important figure in pop culture and today is still referenced in fashion, art,literature, etc. She was considered the ideal beauty standard of that era otherwiseknown as kallos (Hard, 2004). But compared to other depictions of beauty Aphroditesideals were somewhat attainable and real, her ideals was based on motherhood,fertility, womanhood, she was depicted as someone strong and passionate, she hadflaws and experienced loss, a mythical being that had humanistic tendencies (Cyrino,2015) . Looking at her lore she was a figure where one can relate to, and similarly she isreminiscent of celebrities that reach a status like hers such as Madonna, JanetJackson, and Princess Diana.
Photo: Statue of Venus (Cyrino, 2013)
Photo: Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, 1484
For the silhouette I became inspired with the new look a silhouette created by
Dior which extenuates the female form. The new look in a way acts as a second skin, it
hugs the body and creates dimension. The new look was created after the WW2,
Christian Dior wanted to abandon the shapelessness of the 1930s And create a look
that is new and fresh (King, 2012). When the new look debuted in Dior’s haute couture
collection the silhouette instantly became popular in the fashion world. As a designer
the female form is our canvas, we are like architects, we need to understand
measurements and sizing in order to create and piece that not only looks good but is
comfortable to the customer (Font, 2013).
Materials
The materials selected for this collection consisted of mainly of synthetic fibres. Iwanted to use unnatural materials to play on the theme of my collection which isinspired by a mythical unnatural being. Also, with synthetic fibres there are qualities Ifavour more opposed to using natural fibres with one being is its plastic like sheen. Theyarn I used for majority of the garments is a medium weight (size 4) acrylic yarn, thisyarn was sturdy, stretchy and soft to the touch, it is also part of Bernant’s eco friendlycollection so this yarn was created from recycled materials. I also used acrylic roving(size 10) and bridal acrylic satin to keep the materials used cohesive. Other materialsused was sewing thread, zippers and buckles to add closures to each garment, andwith these additions many of the garments transformed into something modern andchic which plays on my brands aesthetic which is street couture.
Development and Process
With all clothing development it starts with a theme, and through my extensiveresearch on Goddess I came across several painting iterations of her. In many paintingshe is usually drawn nude or is wearing a long flow gown, the colours used in thesepainting are usually using a pastel spring palette with pink being the over archingcolour scheme. With these points in mind I used them as a base in drawing my fashionillustrations, I needed to translate these classic silhouettes into a streetwear likegarment, for inspiration I looked at brands that incorporate streetwear elements intotheir designs such like BlueMarine, Fenty, Jean Paul Gautier, Mugler, etc. (Brown, 2010)
With the drawings completed I needed to create patterns to cut and sew usingpractice fabric. With garment making this is an important element needed in order tocheck drape and fit. All these garments are using standard women’s 10, which is auniversal size used in most fashion brands. With all garments constructed I began making adjustments with size and fit and then recreated patterns to fit the body properly. With that done I began to transition to my actual fabric, since I’m using yarn I created a tension swatch. Using tension 5 with I came up with the calculation of: Cast on 4 x knit 6 rows per inch. With the crochet pieces and manually measured them using pattern pieces. When each garment was completed closures were either crocheted on or sewn on.
Body of Work
In my collection I looked at the symbolism and lore about the Greek Goddess.
Through my research I also came across different iterations of her found in other
regions and religions.
APHRODITE’S COAT OF ARMS
Aphrodite’s Coat of Arms explores the life of the Goddess and her life as amother. Using colours that symbolizes herself and colours symbolizing her sonEros, I wanted to create a cohesive piece that intertwines the two together. Theoutfit consist of two pieces, a mini knit dress and a bulky crochet overcoat. Theminidress I created was made using partial cable and stockinette, the partialcables adds a feeling of nakedness which is often how she is depicted as, butwith it being pink and white you get a sense of purity and innocence. TheOvercoat ‘Coat of Arms” is a heavy bulky coat, using colours of pink, purple,white and coral. The heaviness of the coat is intentional, it is to represent theoverbearing responsibilities she has to face as mother and the death of her son,this is shown in the muted purple which almost favours a grey colour, itcontrasts with the light colours to show that not all stories have a happy ending.(Gollnick, 1992)
APHRODITE’S ARMOUR
I was mainly inspired by her Arabic iteration otherwise known as Ishtar, likeAphrodite a goddess of sexuality, and beauty Ishtar is also a warrior Goddess.She became a warrior to avenge the death of her son (Albertz 2012). For thisgarment I created a midi asymmetrical dress using knit techniques. Since thisgarment is supposed to favour an armour suit I created depth and dimension byadding multiple layers of different stitch types. The long asymmetrical piece onthe skirt was made using partial cables and with it layered over a regular knitpiece it looks like an armoured battle piece. I then hand stitched a long strippedpiece on the body to create and aran like texture, adding this on the seamsmade it more intricate and armour like. To finish it I closed it with a zipper thatrun down the upper back of the dress. For the colour scheme I decided to keepit solid pink to show femininity and elegance of the female warrior.
APHRODITE’S FALLEN DOVE
One of the main animals that represent Aphrodite is the dove, a creature of purity and freedom. Doves were said a guide for the Goddess’ heavenly chariot (Clark, 2015) . Also in the Syrian iteration of Aphrodite known as Ashtarte, she was said to have been hatched from an egg and nursed by the heavenly doves of life (Albertz, 2012). For this garment I created a full length form fitted dress. To create the idea of feathers I decided to create a ruffles through partial knit; with the machine I manipulated the pieces to distort the shape and to attach it all together I used rehanging skills to create a draped look. In the side seams on the top I also added ruffles on the side seams to add an illusion of wings. As for the colour palette I decided to use two different shades of purple, the first being a royal purple to show how ascended from the kingdom in the heavens, and the Baduria 8 second purple being a muted tone to create a contrast and depth to the opposing purple. I also incorporated white to resemble the purity of the dove.
APHRODITE’S OCEAN
The ocean is a significant part of Aphrodites whole aesthetic, in many paintingiterations you see her rising from the sea foam, accompanied by iconography ofthe ocean like shells, fish, and water. In the greek iteration (most famous) theocean is said to be the birthplace of the Goddess, many things found in theocean came from her such as pearls which is considered an aphrodisiac (Cyrino2012) . So for this garment I want to create an image of a dress surrounded withcoral and shells. This garment mainly use draping techniques in which I knitseparate piece which I then manipulate onto the base dress. As a result thegarment had a seductive charm to it, it is subtle yet daring. As for the colourpalette I used coral colour and white tones to mimic the coral reefs in the ocean.
APHRODITE'S GARDEN
The flowers that represent Aphrodite are wisteria and roses. Wisteria is flowergrown from a hanging shrub, flower grows in long length if massive bundles, it issaid to represent immortality and connection to the afterlife (Penglase, 1997).The rose is symbolizes a gift given to her by Adonis, her lover, he was mortalbeing that the Goddess fell in love with. The rose got its colour from Adonis’death, this tragedy was one of the most heartbreaking moments in her life(Shakespeare, 2000) . To represent this in a garment, I decided to create acrochet top and a satin skirt. The crochet top was made to represent wisteria, Icreated multiple rya knots throughout the piece creating the same shrub likeeffect of wisteria and for the colours I incorporated most colours found in thiscollection. As for the skirt I used pattern drafting and textile manipulation to create a rose like shape, the hole in the skirt create a blossoming illusion and forthe colour I used a pale solid lavender to contrast with the bright colours of thetop piece.
Conclusion
Through my thesis, I developed an intricate collection of garments that capturesthe life and symbolisms of Aphrodite. With Aphrodite as my muse it really fit theaesthetic of my personal tastes and my brand image of escapism and wonder. With thevast history and iconography surrounding the Goddess I enjoyed interpreting her imagethrough my own lens. As a designer I always have to put myself in the position of thewearer, and like the legendary Thierry Mugler I have to understand the female form andits fit on the body, I am creating and armour, a second skin for a woman that wants toexpress herself through the garments she wears (King, 2012) . With this collection Icreated a variety of outfits where one can do that. As someone who is more adept inpattern drafting and sewing garment making I learned a lot in knitwear makingconsidering majority of this collection consists of knits. Unlike fabric that is drapedonto the body, understanding the material, tension and machine in an intertwinedmanner really made me appreciate the labour put in making knit pieces, in my finalyears at OcadU I can genuinely say knit is something I can see a future in. Although, Icompleted this mini collection I believe this can expand into a larger line of garmentswith coordinating outfits for each of the garments I completed. With my brand KRNVL[kaar·nuh·vl] it is a progressive slow fashion lifestyle brand reimagining the concept ofmodern streetwear with a fusion of Asian folklore and visionary propelling the brandinto becoming a new-wave design house of Canada; where Couture meets StreetWear.
Work Cited
Albertz, Rainer, and Rüdiger Schmitt. Family and Household Religion in Ancient Israeland the Levant, Penn State University Press, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central,https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/oculocad-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3155641.
Brown, Steven T. Tokyo Streetwear: Posthumanism in Japanese Visual Culture.Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2010.
Clark, Nora. Aphrodite and Venus in Myth and Mimesis, Cambridge Scholars Publisher,2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/oculocad-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3051816.
Cyrino, Monica S. aphrodite. Taylor and Francis, 2012, doi:10.4324/9780203481622.Font, Lourdes. !Dior Before Dior.” West 86th: A Journal of Decorative Arts, Design,
2013.
Gollnick, James. Love and the Soul : Psychological Interpretations of the Eros and
Psyche Myth, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1992. ProQuest Ebook Central,https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/oculocad-ebooks/detail.action?docID=685639.
History, and Material Culture, vol. 18, no. 1, 2011, pp. 26–49. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/ 10.1086/659383. Accessed 12 Oct. 2021.
Hard, Robin. The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology: Based on H.J. Rose'sHandbook of Greek Mythology. Routledge, 2004;2003;,doi:10.4324/9780203446331.
King, Lindsay M., and Russell T. Clement. !Style and Substance: Fashion in Twenty-First- Century Research Libraries.” Art Documentation: Journal of the Art
Libraries Society of North America, vol. 31, no. 1, 2012, pp. 93– 107. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/ 10.1086/664912. Accessed 07 Oct. 2021.
Penglase, Charles. Greek Myths and Mesopotamia : Parallels and Influence in the
Homeric Hymns and Hesiod, Taylor & Francis Group, 1997. ProQuest EbookCentral, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/oculocad-ebooks/detail.action?docID=179979.
"vouge." Vogue (Japan), vol. 156, no. 7, 2016, pp. 12.
"vouge." Vogue (Hong Kong), vol. 46, no. 7, 2076, pp. 27.
Shakespeare, William. Venus And Adonis, Infomotions, Inc., 2000. ProQuest Ebook
Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/oculocad-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3314839.