The aim of this group project was to create an outfit out of bin liners; we were tasked to build something that was more conceptual than wearable taking inspiration from haute couture, art and different cultural references.
We constructed the top part of the mannequin first, taking inspiration from the Japanese movie character Princess Mononoke, we initially wanted to create a one piece poncho-like outfit with fringed edges, but as we went along the design slowly changed as we realised that the original idea wasn't as feasible as we believed it to be.
As we looked at Japanese culture we came across the head-wear worn by Japanese brides during traditional Shinto wedding ceremonies. We thought that recreating something like that would add an air of majesty to the mannequin and make it more interesting. The hood was made from scratch using chicken wire and modroc, we then covered the top of it with bin liner strips and added bright pink fur on the inside for a bold, dramatic effect.
As the project progressed, it started to slowly stray from the original idea, developing into something that is more inspired by it rather than a faithful reconstruction. We originally wanted to go for something quite tribal and wild, and in a way we did, by encroaching in the realm of fashion tribes, specifically punk, and creating something that is sort of Vivienne Westwood meets Mad Max.