I was interested when I heard the theme in the class. At the same time, I felt that the next project will be difficult for me because I didn’t know well how an unlovely thing transform to designs of clothes. However, in this time, I want to have playful while creating, so I’ll do the project without overthinkg.
I’ve picked up three topics, marine plastic pollution, global warming and atomic bomb.
[Marine plastic pollution]
I’m from Japan, and I’ve used a lot of plastic since a child. Japan is an environmentally backward country. The most thing is sold in plastic packaging. I’ve heard that plastic will not return to nature but remain after the extinction of the human race. Also, I learned that marine life is a health hazard due to plastics dumped into the sea. I hope that this issue will be resolved and I also will try not to produce too much plastic waste in the future.
[Global warming]
I’m really afraid of the issue since a child. I used to worry that the earth would melt away when I was little. Global warming scares the hell out of me because I love the earth. I don’t want to live on another planet.
[Atomic bomb]
It is my trauma because I can’t forget pictures related to the atomic bomb which is so horrible when I was in primary school. I can’t watch movies and dramas which include war and gross scenes. I don’t want to research it honestly, but I think that I need to learn it for peace in the future. After knowing about President Putin’s comments suggesting the use of nuclear weapons, I feel strongly that I need to think hard about what the atomic bomb is and what peace is. but this topic is really scary for me, so I have to research it carefully.
In this class, I discussed my mood boards of unlovely with classmates. My ideas were Atomic bomb, Marine plastic pollution and Global warming, and I felt they were interested in Atomic bomb. I was glad that because I’ve made my decision that my theme was Atomic bomb already in myself. This theme or topic is sensitive for me as Japanese. It is because we learn the history since we are children, so it become trauma for some people, and me. But I’ve feeling that I should face to the horrible fact that atomic bomb was dropped and a lot of people were hurt. For this project, I’ve decided to come back to Japan to visit Hiroshima city to research. In term 2, I’ve got feedback that my research skills were weak, so in this time, I’ll research better. For that, I’m going to research not only the bomb, buildings and pictures but also history, background of the dropping, how to make the automatic bomb and so on.
Honestly, I feel be scared to research her because I’m not good at watching horrible pictures (I can’t watch horror and violence films.) Also I don’t have any images how to connect to design. But I’m expecting to have a new sense after done this project.
Reference list
広島原爆資料館 (no date) 広島・長崎に投下された原爆. Available at: https://hpmmuseum.jp/modules/exhibition/index.php?action=ItemView&item_id=9&lang=jpn (Accessed 16th March 2022)
朝日新聞 (no date) 原爆ドーム、世界遺産20年. Available at: https://www.asahi.com/special/nuclear_peace/gallery/dome20th/021.html (Accessed 16th March 2022)
西日本新聞 (15th August 2018) 「焼き場に立つ少年」１枚の写真が訴える原爆の悲しみ 国境超え広がる共感. Available at: https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/n/441263/ (Accessed 16th March 2022)
西日本新聞 (24th October 2019) 二つの原爆資料館、迫真性高め刷新 広島、長崎補完し合う関係. Available at: https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/n/553498/ (Accessed 16th March 2022)
I am applying to the Pattern Cutting BA course at LCF.
I have chosen the Hiroshima Atomic bomb as the theme “Unlovely” of my project. In this project, I will design clothes that cross the negative aspects of the destroyed buildings and the mushroom clouds by the atomic bombs with the positive aspects, such as the thousand origami paper cranes made from people’s prayers for peace and recovery after the dropped atomic bomb.
The news that Russian forces attack Ukraine is very sad and disappointing. It is unthinkable that this is a 21st-century occurrence. I felt a strong sense of urgency and anger at President Putin’s comments suggesting the use of nuclear weapons. Innocent citizens have always been involved in disputes between countries. Each time, lives are lost, and those who survive are left with psychological scars that will never heal. How long will humanity continue to do such ridiculous things? To maintain peace, we need to learn well and think about the non-peaceful parts, which means the tragic history of the past, and savour the emotions and sensations that come up inside us.
In Japan, we learn about the atomic bomb as part of their lessons from an early age. I have visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the cities where the atomic bombs were dropped, on school trips. The pictures I saw and the stories I heard at that time were so horrible and traumatic for me. Since then, I cannot watch films containing war or grotesque scenes. However, I need to think about peace in these times. For this reason, I thought it was necessary to learn about the atomic bomb once more. For that, I am planning to visit Hiroshima city. I heard that the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum had been newly reopened, so I am looking forward to visiting there. Also, I am going to visit the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Orizuru Tower as primary research. For secondary research, I am going to watch some movies about world war II, such as the Barefoot Gen and the Hiroshima, and search on the internet about how the atomic bomb was made. Moreover, I am planning to look for photos related to the atomic bomb on the internet. Stories of the victim in video sources will help me to understand the atomic bomb.
The collection I will be designing will be ready-to-wear for the female customer around the late 20-40; however, all ages can wear it. The collection will be 6 lines up of clothing and have a simple but beautiful silhouette with playful. Also, I’m interested in ethical fashion, so I am planning to choose natural fabrics like cotton, hemp, silk and recycled material. I aim to design clothing which customers wear as ordinary clothes.
I have visited Hiroshima city for research, and I saw three places: the Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Orizuru Tower.
Atomic Bomb Dome
The Atomic Bomb Dome is also known as the A-bomb Dome. The building was once the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It opened in 1915 and was designed by a Czech architect named Jan Letzel. It was used to display and sell products in Hiroshima Prefecture. It was also used for art exhibitions and other art events.
The atomic bomb exploded almost directly above it. The buildings, therefore, suffered less damage from wind blasts and remained standing. However, it is said that about 30 people were in the building at that time, and all of them were killed.
In 1966, the City of Hiroshima decided to preserve the A-bomb Dome. Then, the building became a World Heritage site and tell people about the tragedy of the atomic bomb.
Although inappropriate, I found the building beautiful. There is a quiet but very pure energy flowing through the sad atmosphere, which made me want to paint a picture of this building.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
I’m looking forward to visiting there because I heard that the museum has been newly reopened. This museum features a variety of exhibits such as belongings left by the victims and photos that portray the horror of the nuclear devastation.
What impressed me most was the clothing of the children who were exposed to the bomb. The clothes with bloodstains and burn marks were the items that made me feel the misery of the atomic bombing most realistically, as I had no experience of the bombing.
There was an exhibit of 1,000 paper cranes. The paper cranes were made by Sadako who was exposed to the atomic bomb at age of two and developed leukaemia ten years later. She heard about the old saying, “Fold 1,000 paper cranes and your wish will come true.” She began folding paper cranes using the small papers her medicine came in, and ay other paper available.
It was very beautiful.
Hiroshima Orizuru Tower
It was built near the bombed city and offers a panoramic view of the city of Hiroshima. Visitors can also fold origami cranes and offer prayers for peace. Looking down on the A-bomb Dome from above, I was a little surprised to see that the building was not as much left standing as I had expected. I was amazed that such a huge building had been blown up, and I was afraid of the destructive power of a nuclear bomb.
Visiting the site made me realise once again the tragedy of the atomic bombing. I am more and more confused as to why mankind continues to fight. I wonder very much why humanity does not learn more from the past. People are creatures who make mistakes. That is why each and every one of us needs to think about things from a higher perspective, so that we do not make the same mistakes by indulging our self-interests. And there is one thing we must not forget. That is that the effects of war and the atomic bomb will continue for 100 years after the war is over. As a Japanese born and raised in Japan 77 years after the war, I can assure you. Most people of our generation do not have physical scars, but have psychological scars and attachment disorders. I want many people to know the horror of the atomic bombings. In fact, it would be best if the world did not need nuclear weapons, but we can have nuclear weapons at 100 steps, so please do not use them anymore.
I looked up photos of Hiroshima City before and after the bombing on the Internet. Hiroshima City was one of the most industrially advanced urban cities in Japan at that time. From the photos, I can sense the power of the threat of nuclear weapons.
BEFORE
AFTER
The most memorable photo is of a boy crying in the rubble. When I think of this boy’s feelings, I feel so much pain that I am at a loss for words.
The movie ”Barefoot Gen”
This film tells the story of a family that experienced the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and is one of the most famous films in Japan that, although animated, conveys the horror of the atomic bombing to the viewer in a very realistic way. I once watched this movie as an elementary school student as part of a class called Peace Study. However, it was so cruel that I had almost forgotten the content, perhaps because of my human defensive instincts. This movie told me under conflict between countries, there is the normal life of people. In other words, the “victims of the atomic bomb” seem somehow unrealistic and distant, but they were people who were no different from us. I felt that They loved their families and loved ones, ate well, sometimes worried about something, and believed in their future just like us. This movie brought me up from the level of knowledge of the atomic bombing to the level of feeling the reality of the atomic bombing.
Photos of Miyako Ishiuti
I was impressed by the photos of a woman photographer named Miyako Ishiuchi. She is a photographer who photographs the remains of young girls who were victims of the atomic bombing, and she is so immensely popular that she has held a solo exhibition. She transforms the cruelly left behind objects into beautiful photographs. It is an art form that seems to combine transparency and intensity even more with the documentary nature and role of photography. Women were also victims of the atomic bombing. At that time, clothing was a precious resource for women. It is painful to think about how these women have felt when they wore these beautiful dresses and clothes, and how excited they have been to wear them.
This week, I focused on 3D works because they always gave me great ideas. Before doing 3D works, or in the middle of researching the Hiroshima atomic bomb, I didn’t have any ideas for design, so I felt this project might fail. When I was doing 3D work without ideas, distracted only by the details, Carlyn advised me, “Be faster and bolder, try a lot of 3D work, take a lot of pictures of it.” Then, I stopped focusing on the details and just kind of made 3D work from a few photos and sketches. I have two favourite 3D pieces.
Firstly, it is a work from a sketch of the atomic bomb’s mushroom cloud.
Secondly, it is a work from a paper cruft of cranes, a symbol of peace in Japan.
After class, I used my iPad to create a collage. The muse’s face was inspired by a favourite childhood figurine, the Meditating Woman. I really wanted to make a more playful and decorative collage, but I couldn’t develop it properly and ended up with my usual simple style. I was inspired by the work of my classmate’s Term 2 on Giles’ Instagram and admired their playful designs. However, I do like some of the collages and will continue to make collages as ideas come to me.
Work did not go according to plan this week. It is a bad habit of mine to expect too much perfection. I am going to follow Carlyn’s advice and try to make works quick and enjoy the results of my experiments which I unexpected. The final illustrations will be eight designs, so I will first develop five ideas to some extent before adding three more.
This week my work has made little progress as I was ill and slept for most of the five days. This meant that I was not able to make the colour stories or carry out the colour tests that I had planned. I am also still looking for a design outline – it is very difficult to develop from 3D works to design. But I have been able to find some favourite outlines and I would like to expand the design further based on these lines.
3D&Collage
First Physical drawing
Outline by digital drawing
I have done three projects so far and this is my fourth. As a result, I have found a line that I unconsciously prefer to incorporate into my designs. I also realised that I prefer geometric designs. I bought a Bao Bao bag when I was a teenager, which I still love and use often, and the very design of this bag is also geometric.
I feel that my designs are much more original than when I first started the course. I think that’s a very good thing. However, as Giles gave me advice, simple designs are difficult. Because there are so few lines included in a design, a single line can have a huge impact on the design. Another problem is that designs start to look alike. I have to look at more clothes from many collections and learn from those collections down to the smallest details.
I visited the Alexander McQueen shop to look at the exhibition with my friends. I was excited because it was a great opportunity to learn the development of design for me. The most interesting thing was that they have tested the design many times and are gradually getting closer to the best design. Also, the brand has wonderful fabric patterns. I prefered plain fabric patterns so far, but I’m interested in the unique fabric patterns. There are many things that I should learn for designing, and I’m feeling a little bit nervous but excited.
This is my favourite dress, the pleats are beautiful.
This is a great fabric that showcases craftsmanship.
I have updated my planning to the submission date due to delays in the process caused by illness last week.
Week 3: Further expand the outline and explore designs for use in the final collection. Creation of colour story and colour test. Start choosing fabrics.
Week 4: Plan the collection. Start drawing final illustrations (outlines to be completed). Decide on fabrics to be used.
Week 5: Final illustration completed. Start formatting.
Week 6: Final check of PPD.
This week (Week 3) was very busy. I am very bad at expanding from design to further design. Instead, I am good at creating design clean. It was difficult to find a design I was satisfied with, so I kept drawing and erasing, but I could have a few favourite outlines. As Giles advised, it is difficult to create simple designs. The fewer lines that make up the design, the more important each line is. It is also difficult to make different designs because the designs can be so similar. There is only one thin river between boring and sophisticated.
This is the idea of an outline.
Colour stories and colour tests did not go much better than usual either. I have never studied colour before and have always chosen colours by feel. I believed that my colour choice was my strength. However, I feel that I need to study to be able to think logically about colour selection, colour balance and the relationship between the thickness and thinness of fabrics. After this project, I will have time to learn more about colours professionally.
I have created two different colour stories.
NO.1NO.2
Although the No.1 colour story is more to my liking, I decided to use the No.2 colour story because I wanted to incorporate the artefacts of the atomic bomb victims into the design elements of this project.
This is the colour test. The balance between orange and purple, which are complementary colour relations, is very difficult. I want to be careful not to make the design look like Halloween.
I’m planning to create 6 outfits and prepare 10 fabrics for outcomes. This is Because this time the design development did not go very well and I only had six designs that I was happy with. Instead of a small number of designs, I wanted to prepare fabrics for each design, and illustrate them in my mind, imagining what I would actually create. I believe this will be good practice for the Pattern cutting BA course.
Planning 3 dresses 1 coat 1 skirt and shirt 1 trousers and shirt
Outline of Final Illustration
The outline of the final illustration could be completed. I feel that my drawing skills have improved more than before. The model’s movement is a little lacking, but compared to the previous illustration, this illustration is looser than the previous one. I think that the illustrations have a more relaxed atmosphere as a result.
↓
Fabrics
It was hard to take balance of thickness of fabrics. Also, at this time, I’ve decided to choose materials which are made from natural sources like cotton, hemp, wool and silk so on. I learned that synthetic fabrics like polyester and acryl give our skin damage because our skin has a slightly positive electrostatic charge but synthetic fabrics have too positive or negative electrostatic charges, so it is not comfortable to wear clothing which is made with synthetic fabrics for people. I have chosen mainly cotton and some wool and silk. Also I want to use thick, durable fabrics with a glossy finish so I have chosen lyocell, it is made from wood.
I ’m going to change colours of fabric using photoshop for fitting each design.
