ARTISTRY
78. Representation and Abstraction
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The written word
wraps itself around fashion, literal ly. The direct
application of text to textile allo ws fashion to be
an instrument that conveys thoughts, phrases,
and powerful messages. Designers select
content to explicitly represent what they wish
to express on their garments. Pages borrowed
from books or newspapers, fragments of sheet
music, magazine covers, or the handwritten word
will speak volumes when it adorns what will be
worn. The reproduction of art and photographs
as textiles for fashion is a medium that gets bet
ter with technological advances. New methods
allo w designers to capture the minutest details.
Within several collections, designer Ralph Rucci
has artfully transferred both paintings of his
own and photographs to fabric. Designing with
images is at its best when the translation is not
obvious. Figures that exceed the boundaries of
the garment, becoming abstracted by their sheer
scale and position, set the scene for discovery
a moment when the observer realizes there is
more there than meets the eye.
162 Fashion Design Essentials
Jessica Lee designs featuring
a newspaper print fabric
