Te Warewhare Whakapau 2013

Te Warewhare Whakapau is a call for more transparency in the fashion industry. The New Zealand Fashion system can be more innovative to create jobs in New Zealand's manufacturing sector.

Te - The

Warewhare - colloquialism for warehouse.

Whakapau -  consume, to use up.

We buy more than we need because we want to make ourselves feel good, because the media has made us feel as though this is the only way to achieve this. We buy mass produced, cheap, bad quality garments in bulk to get that 'oh yeah i'm amazing' feeling. Do you even know where that garment came from? where was it manufactured? was someone paid a fair wage to produce this garment? did anyone die in the process - Bangladesh and many others before it!!!!

These are questions I can answer when people purchase from me. Because I collect and produce locally, you know your money is being spent on a quality garment that has values and morals behind it. I am the one who sews that garment and if it isn't me, that person has been paid a fair wage or fair manufacturing process costs.

My garments aim to minimise the environmental impact from disposable consumer items. By collecting from recycle centres and commercial off cuts from local producers, previously discarded items become precious garments that live more than one lifetime.

The garments I create are not only beautiful, but they up cycle fabric or clothing that would otherwise be landfill. The recurring heart symbol has been used on FOUND items and weaves the life blood of tradition and value back into a precious entity.

By utilising Zero Waste principals, I hope to teach consumers to think of clothing as an asset. I have a vision of consumers wearing a sustainable wardrobe.

Global problem, Local solution.

Come and see me at NZ Eco Fashion Exposed this Saturday 21st Sept @ The Notre Dame des Missions Performing Arts Centre at  Sacred  Heart College, Laings  Rd,  Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand   

Ticketing information available on the website   NZ Eco Fashion Exposed 



Also NEXT week stay tuned for some information on SWISH IN THE CITY - DUNEDIN OCT 5th  a clothes swapping event, that can enhance your wardrobe on the cheap!!!!! 

I will be bringing Te Warewhare Whakapau for people to view and converse over!!!!

i may have 2 passes to give away so start thinking of your best garment in the closet story and why it's still there, you didn't throw it out because? give me a memory.............. please note the winners story may be shared on my blog/facebook page......

Stay AweSUMO.

Fi




 

Chimerical Conundra - The Graduate Collection 2011

Chimerical Conundra means a wildly fanciful puzzle, the process of making has been like unravelling a knotted thread. This collection was made utilising the negative spaces created from commercial pattern cutting. Pieced by pieced together to create simple workable shapes. I designed this collection to challenge the current fashion system and to educate consumers and designers about the wastefulness of this system. The way forward is to consume less for longer, to buy quality clothes that become precious items and to transcend trends towards more sustainable wardrobe choices.

“ Creative pattern cutting is not all about mathematics and measurement... it is about space and body, balance and movement.” (Julian Roberts)

This collection was made under the umbrella of RISK design, It’s ultimate goal is to educate alongside a sharing and knowledgeable community of design practitioners this can create change. Sustainability and ethical choices are the basis for these products. It is integral to the environmental choices we make in all aspects of our lives. Designers leading the way by teaching consumers about ethical practice and the choices therein. A long term solution in revolutionising the fashion system.

Fabrics used in this collection are Silk, 100% Lycra, and Wool sourced from New Zealand and Australia. The fabric was sourced from two local businesses Adventure Outfitters and St Clair Designs, thus it has previously been through the commercial pattern cutting process. I utilised the offcuts by building larger geometric shapes, incorporating neck and armholes into seams and an integrated system for tying. Inspired to return to a more traditional way of dress. The outer garments are One Size Fits Most and are transformable to be made the wearers own.

Peace.

Knitted Dinosaur Hood - Full Colour

Knitted Dino Hood

Reversible Rectangle Top 100% Silk, Lycra Onesie

Starfish Garment 100% Silk, Lycra Bodysuit, Knitted Dino Hood.

100% silk top, Lycra Onesie

100% Silk Dress, Lycra Bodysuit.

100% Silk Top, Full Circle Skirt, Lycra Onesie, Knitted Dino Scarf

THANK YOU: Adventure Outfitters & St Clair Designs for their contribution of fabrics. Glenys Clements, Christine Hardisty & Colleen Kelly for their knitting skills.

 IMAGES: BODY: Georgie D - Ali McD Agency, FACE: Leila George, PIX: Teryn Harris.

competitions ahoy!!!!

so i'm very excited to share that i have been shortlisted for the Miromoda competition here in New Zealand, which is amazing because the more people that see and experience my work and hear my philosophy, is just more, more people who i can hopefully start a thought or an idea about why, where, what you are purchasing. 

anyway i'm not gonna rant right now, cos i need to go to work, but YAY!!!!!

www.miromoda.co.nz


choice

experiment 10 + experiment 5 = awesum!!!!!!!

starfish pants!!!

Experiment 5 cut and pasted into starfish shaped pant/cape/woteva!!!!(experiment 10) wear it your own way type garment!!! I am working with a tie system so it can be worn gathered or not as well. It is a One Size Fits Most garment!!!! I am definitely beginning to see my garments in a contemporary dance situation. That would be awesum to see!!!
Although their down fall is that it takes time to lace the ties through the outer leg seams, and waist/wherever. But this gives the wearer the chance to know the garment and wear it in their own way, thus creating a relationship. excellent!!! Also made from rubbish!!!!!!
                                                                                                                                         

cut + paste!!!!

the luxury of cut and paste. such a great way to transmogrophy some type of garment, experiment 2 has been changed and cut and sewn and cut and pasted back into so many options. it has evolved and changed my thinking, let me see the colours together and experiment with sewing techniques. it has been an integral part in my process of design and thought. to be able to cut shape and paste into onto within without through over under around anywhere, to shape and change to experiment and work in a 3D world. a working garment!!! a transmogrophier of body, shape, cut + paste!!

experiment 2 front

experiment 2.1 front

experiment 2.2 front

experiment 2.2.1 front

experiment 2.2.1 back

 

experiment 6 - exciting places!!!

working flat to start.

back

front

working towards making a one size fits all garment I started off by working flat to make a base to grow off, over time i've realised that needing a stable base to work from is the key, so for this garment I decided to start by working flat and getting some more defined direction into the garment by creating a shape by adjoining 2 of the same pieces but leaving a hole in the middle for the neck, as this is a draped garment and does not need to be fitted it was alot easier to work, once the flat sections were sewn together I then draped it over the mannequin and played around with making arm holes and a waist closure. originally intending to make this into a dress I actually stopped here and decided it would be more appropriate as a top and very simply closed the seams to create sleeves/armholes and added a tie to the front bottom which then can be tied up at different lengths, this then corresponds to my thinking in making a garment that would fit more than one size.   

this garment changed my direction into a much more exciting and happier one, I am now looking forward to the end of this challenge as I can see things growing from this point into something much simpler and more amazing than I had envisioned at the start.

experiment 3 - woolen jacket/vest

start of hood - wool

adjoining body of garment

back body pieced, fused and sewn.

front body pieced, fused and sewn.

Moving on from experiment 2 knowing that I needed stable points to work from ie. shoulder point and waist fitting. I started work on another piece I knew I wanted to incorporate different garment types to show that this process is relevant to more than one type of garment. So this woolen hood was started first by the hood part and then by moulding the body (draping on the form) onto the hood and around the front to create armholes and a front opening - this needed to be double breasted to enable the weight of the hood to be held up and for it not to pull backwards. So this has involved flat work - the hood and then draping around the form - the body, these pieces were then fused and sewn together. 



I got to this point knowing it needs finishing, liking the outcome but decided to move on to the next piece, as I needed to get more done and ideas out of my head. I also didn't know what final direction I was going in and wanted to move on so I could hopefully start heading towards a more cohesive idea.

just had the most epic ending to my second year at otago polytech, creating the pop up store for our end of year exhibition space, even managed to get into the local papers, this has been the hardest year ever for me, and i'm glad its almost at completion, now onto my summer projects - making a frock coat from the 1860's for the fire service's 150th celebrations in march 2011, one more year to go, then who knows where life's gonna take me but i'm definetely looking forward to it.

i must thank sholto, alan, carl and sam for staying until the end last thursday we all worked 16 1/2 hours that day to get it finished and we made an amazing store, and now students can make some money from their work, yay!!!!! being a team poppa is hard work and you boys made it easy, peace!!!!

Fashioned Feathers 2010

i have just completed my entry for this years fashioned feathers. it has been a long hard road of work to get it finished, although i could have gone on for days adding to it. I had to just stop and say Kua ea! Unfortunately i cannot put pictures up until after the show on the 28th April. i will also put up construction details so you can see my process. Well i guess good luck to me, here's hoping i win again. peace