RAG DOLL

For this collection, I was challenged by being given a specific digital pattern and I was not allowed to change more than the lengths of the sleeves or shift dress. I wanted to figure out how to change as much as possible without changing anything of the pattern. “Rag Doll” is an evening wear cocktail collection for women ages 20-35. I imagine my target consumer to be an executive woman who commands attention.

The theme of this collection is turning weakness into empowerment. I wanted to create an ordered chaos. I was in a horrible car accident where my vehicle was flipped by a drunk driver and I decided to use that experience and images from it to create these digital prints. This collection was therapeutic for me. The image on the collection board is of myself. I used the paint strokes on the croquis to play off of my facial scaring. I used the continuing triangles as a reference to the broken glass that created the scaring.

Look one (left) is an edited image of my stitches immediately after the accident leading into my hairline. This was the first look I created and I loved the colors that were created when I was editing. I wanted to play off the edgy feel with leather trims around the sleeve and at the hem of the dress turning it from a mini dress to a half calf dress. I also added a body jewelry corset piece on top to break up the colors and add to the female figure.

Look two (middle) would be a burnout jacquard or laser cut neoprene. This image is taken from the windshield of my vehicle after the accident which was the only mostly in-tact window in the car. This look is the most useful and would show the most skin. This look requires the most body confidence because underneath the sheer parts of the fabric would be thin undergarments.

Look three (right) is a short opaque dress with a long sheer dress of the same digital print on top. This image is from the side of my vehicle that was hit. The crunched metal and fiberglass created beautiful colors when edited with the purple/ green hue. I added the trim around the sleeve to continue the cohesion from the first look and break up the color. The belt works similarly to the corset on look one to define the female figure further.

My favorite aspect of this collection was digitizing the flats and creating something complex without alter the dress pattern. I had done this project differently because I had created the textiles and looks before creating the collection board. I usually start with the collection board, but I was so inspired by the images from the accident that I started on the looks immediately.