The design and development process
I created this ensemble for my final project in my patternmaking class in November 2016. The theme of my collection is biker-chic meets French-inspired elegance. My inspiration came from a trip to Paris where I admired the tweed fabrics. The tweed and silk convey classic elegance while the leather creates dynamic contrast. My collection is composed of pieces that a woman can wear to work and then out for the evening. Every ensemble in the collection features multiple functional and decorative gold zippers, gold studs, a textured faux leather, and a loosely woven tweed with gold metallic threads and soft yarn in black, white, and gray.
The patternmaking and fitting process
To design my asymmetrical jacket pattern incorporating many zippers, I replaced the normal darts with zippers to create the shape of the jacket. Thus, I used zippers as the technical darts. This was quite a challenge to maneuver as this was my first full-scale patternmaking class. The jacket includes a pocket with a double-pull zipper allowing the pocket to be opened up to a desired width.
Because I spent so much time creating the perfect fit for the jacket, I had less time to fully consider the dress underneath. I had never used tweed before, and I learned the hard way that it requires extra care before sewing. I discovered that I first needed to bind all edges of the tweed or else the expensive, gorgeous fabric horrifically frayed right before my eyes as I sewed (upper right photo).