Merel van Marken Lichtenbelt
Artistic researcher and (digital) fashion designer with a passion for dance
Growth moment
Design project
- Don't go through life, grow through life. -
Eric Butterworth
Growth moment is about growth and moments in it. Everyone develops through life and stands at his/her unique moment in life. Growth is synonymous with development, deployment and maturation. Throughout life, one grows on many levels, both literally (physical) and figurative (mental). Every moment of the day we get incentives and do something with it. The word, growth moment, is a paradoxical word. Still, the words growth and moment fit well together. They complement each other. The concept and the collection show growth in image and clothing.
Pattern of the leg of a mutton sleeve.
Pattern of the final dress.
Biedermeier ensemble around 1830.
The source of inspiration for the concept and the collection is the 19th century Biedermeier ensemble. The most striking of this costume are the large leg of a mutton sleeves. From 1815 the sleeves began to grow and around 1830 they reached a height in terms of size. This element of growth is incorporated into the concept and the collection as well as the use of volume. The pattern of the leg of a mutton sleeve is also used in the final design. However, instead of using the pattern as a sleeve pattern, it is used as a pattern for half of the final dress. Two patterns together form the entire dress. The costume was usually made of a fabric printed with a floral print. In addition, the flower shape is a recurring element as an adornment in the hair or on hats. Often the fabric of the dress was made of shiny taffeta silk. The flower shape and shine can be seen in the collection. Because the seams of the Biedermeier dresses were always finished with a subtle edge of piping, this was used in the execution of the final design.
