This was the first project I did at university, right at the beginning of my first year. This was also for a competition, for Levi’s this time. The theme for this work was the streets of Derby
At this time, flats were being built, there is graffiti on all the walls, peeling paintwork, rubbish, barbed wire, an old brook, the trees and grass are all overgrown and there are interesting features like this brick work on the floor, an electricity maintenance box and this original sign.
I have reflected on these in my designs; the one in the top left corner combines the decayed paintwork and overgrown branches; I have also used the decayed and tattered idea in some other designs (blue skirt, vest and jeans, long coat, jacket on far right). I designed a suit made of pinstripe material, but the pinstripe is actually a very fine barbed wire print and I have used a barbed wire print on flesh coloured nylon in this design to look like a tattoo on the arms and chest. The dress is based on the brickwork I noticed on the floor and the jacket in the bottom right corner was inspired by the electricity warning sign.
These are my 6 design developments, each focussing on different features of Markeaton Brook Walkway: ‘Overgrown’, ‘Danger’, ‘Wire’, ‘Misfit’, ‘Torn’ and ‘Direction’ which I developed into my final design…
The coat is long with a high exaggerated collar and pointed shoulders, graffiti-style Levi’s logos, square buttons, asymmetric hem which looks tattered. The cropped turn ups also feature the same graffiti-style Levi’s logo.
