Relating 2D ideas into 3D garments, in terms of structure, using 'sculptural form giving' as an intermediate step of creation

Abstract

This research is aimed at fashion designers and fashion design translators who want to avoid a distortion or loss of design character during the process of transferring their two-dimensional creative sketch into a three-dimensional garment. It has developed a fashion design methodology described as ‘sculptural form giving’, to reliably translate innovative two-dimensional ideas via a structural design sculpture into an intermediate model to represent a design concept. Using the method as an intermediate step in creation is a novel approach to establishing an initial sample and to educating students in fashion design representation. The research has utilised mixed methods to investigate three distinct parts: developing the sculptural form giving method, testing it in a workshop and analyzing the data to refine the model. The method applies the idea of conceptual sculpture onto the fashion design process, akin to those used in architecture and toy design with which fashion shares some processes for realising design ideas. This research investigates and formalises the processes that utilise the measurable space between the garment and the body, to help transfer garment variation and scale. The method solves the problems of distortion and lack of design character in the transfer from two-dimensions to three-dimensions by standardising and systematising the design procedure mathematically. By developing the size and space measurement tools and the concept of side views, it offers high accuracy of measurements in establishing the 3D model. Workshop students, the pre-testers, the author and the clothing experts confirmed the high degree reliability, capability and efficiency of the method. In summation, this research focuses on helping fashion designers and fashion design translators to produce a creative method that helps to transfer their imaginative concepts through intermediate modelling. It also demonstrated that fashion design students adopted this method better than fashion technology students, suggesting it might be interesting to fashion practitioners with a creative focus.