Main Project： Designer Research Presentation

 This week we have to present one element of our research to our class and I decided to do a presentation of a fashion designer Thebe Magugu, cause I have complete his research comprehensively and look in-depth with his design, so this would be much more familiar for me to present his works.

During the presentation, we would be separated into two different collaboration group. To ensure we are critical thinking about our project and in the right direction, we all have to give comment and feedback to each other after the presentation. 

This is a nice opportunity for us to present what we had done so far, practising to speak and talk about our opinion is important for the future, especially being a designer, it's always essential to let others know what your inspiration or concept is. The short and simple present can help to explain everything. 

During the process, I really had considered what technique the designer had used and how I can incorporate them into my design, how this research is contextual to my project work. This exercise helps me be more specific to my major project, I dropped them on the 'reflection and summarise' page which makes everything being clear and organises to work with.

Class exercise: Considering my work in the real world

What influence could your project have in the real world?

I want to break the stereotype of the past of primitivism. A large group of Africa's original ethnic work in the late 19th century had been an influx into Europe, lots of western artists use elements of their 'original art' concept, they started the way how they think of the primitivism, and put them into their works, in order to achieve with these 'borrowed art culture' and economic interests. Due to the influence of various distorted narratives and negative values, primitivism has been slowly exploited, discredited and subjected to various labels. But in fact, the art produced by the less civilized people was purer and more original, and its constant cultural invasions made this African culture less pure. Therefore I wanted to recapture their original culture, re-present the very beginning and I wanted to use the least, simplest colour combinations to show why they had been called utopian.

Nude with raised arms (1907), Pablo Picasso

Designer Research: Thebe Magugu

Today, I researched a fashion designer Thebe Magugu who has been kept spearheading the South African Culture to the world. I will take a good look at his colour pattern using and be more familiar with how to incorporate the African style into this model fashion trend so as to get some ideas for my own designs.

Thebe Magugu is a young designer who growing up in small-town Kimberley of South Africa, he always dreams about the outside of the world when he was a child, he usually spent time laying in front of the television and watching the runway show broadcast from New York and Paris, did the sketch and watched the fashion magazine, this becomes the reason that leads him to be one of the fashion industry. After a few years later, he moved to Johannesburg and study fashion design, fashion photography and fashion media at the Randburg fashion design school LISOF. Then, Magugu started to get the job with an internship and consulted with a variety of brands, fashion institutions and stores after earning the best college collection. Finally, he started a career and build up his own fashion label in 2018.

Due to the fact of his rich native culture, base on the influence of lots of beadwork, crafts... he wants to create clothes that combined the South African heritage with modern shapes and proportions, reflect an actual authentic Africa to the world. So it can be seen, most of his influential ideas are around his daily life and self-identity, also especially the life habit of his childhood. He was surrounded by women as a child: his mother, aunts and grandmother, their ideas about style also influenced his own journey in fashion, that's the reason why he aims to create practical and magnetical clothing for people.

Thebe Magug

"I don't necessarily design with a type of woman in mind; my clothes could look good on someone young or old. My primary concern is to design clothes that make women feel beautiful but that are also functional." (CNN, 2021)

Vogue

According to this interview at Somerset House, I think that we both have a similar purpose and target group for the collection, there is no deliberate specific tailored to design for a set of ages. Magugu hopes his design can look good and fashionable whether young or old they are. Concurrently, my target market group is 18 to 40 years old, whether student, those who work at a high-stress job outside the home and even housewives. As I had mentioned above, we both are targeting women streetwear clothing, considering the main purpose of design is to let them feel comfortable. This definitely is a good start of looking at his designs, so that I can study from his collection of using what clothing form to express those elements: dresses, sweater, coat or others, it really benefits of having a deep observe.

 

Thebe Magugu RTW Spring 2021

Thebe Magugu's LVMH design

Comparing with other African fashion designers, I think Magugu mostly used subduced colour to create his collection, his overall design doesn't use too many sharp colours, which just give out a sense of elegance and commanding with the style. I also observed that he might be more focused on the pleating and printing, and I like the way how he matching everything together. Although he used tie-dye, strips and even repeating patterns to be the main material fabric, the overall effect is not cumbersome, plus the coupled with the distinctive tailoring, which presented a double visual enjoyment for the audience. It can be seen he cleverly combined with the African elements, the traditional overlapping clothing with shawls and tassels that all expressing their local culture.

However, Magugu's design is chiefly around with suit and shirt, the dressing style is more mature and smart casual, they all are fashionable but coupled with the wearing method is not convenient enough. I really like his fabric colour printing so I maybe will incorporate this concept into my design but I still have to consider the cutting and clothing form. Overall, Magugu's avant-garde and bold designs have really broken out of Africa's original idealistic fashions, that's the reason why he deserves to be the winner of LVMH and become a famous designer as he is just 27 years old.

New item …

Appel, R. Thebe Magugu: ‘I come from a very rich culture’. [Online] CNN. Available from : https://www.cnn.com/style/article/thebe-magugu-london-fashion-week/index.html [Accessed 25/04/21].

Praise from the president for Thebe Magugu’s wow debut on Paris catwalk. (2020) [Online] The South African. Available from : https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/ramaphosa-thebe-magugu-paris-fashion-week-wow-debut-2020/ [Accessed 25/04/21].

THEBE MAGUGU. [Online] LVMH PRIZE. Available from : https://www.lvmhprize.com/designer/thebe-magugu/ [Accessed 25/04/21].

International Fashion Spotlight: South African Label Thebe Magugu. (2021) [Online] Tom + Lorenzo. Available from : https://tomandlorenzo.com/2021/03/international-fashion-spotlight-south-african-label-thebe-magugu/ [Accessed 25/04/21].

Thebe Magugu: Ready-to-wear AW21. (2021) [Online] 10 Magazine. Available from : https://www.10magazine.com/womenswear/thebe-magugu-ready-to-wear-aw21/ [Accessed 25/04/21].

Nnadi, C. South African Designer Thebe Magugu Has Found His Voice—And The Fashion World Is Listening. [Online] Vogue. Available from : https://www.vogue.com/article/designer-thebe-magugu-heritage-inspiration [Accessed 25/04/21].

Theme Research: Primitivism

In order to present an original and natural form of African art, I will develop more deeply into primitivism, including the definition and how does it relate to a little historical context of African culture.

What is Primitivism?
Primitivism is a theological theory that believes "primitive" cultures is more virtuous than "civilised" peoples, it represents a term that yearns for the world of utopian, a state that continues from the forgotten Eden or Golden Age.
In addition, this word always related to art which can be defined as the oldest and original form of artwork known to man, also the art of individuals who are thought to be outside the realms of other dominant cultural classes. Primitive art refers to the works produced in tribal societies, for instance, the Pacific Islands, communities in sub-Saharan Africa and also the native tribal groups throughout the Americas. Most of these artworks were found as cave paintings from the Stone Age, wooden sculptures from Native-American Indians, Aboriginal engravings, and African tribal art.

Generally, primitive art has been classified into three types:

1. Naturalistic: the theme of the picture is about real things like human and animals, they are mostly close to reality.

2.Stylized: the theme of this art form is not real and full of imaginary, mythical creatures

3.Abstract: this art form represents no grounding in reality, mostly use shapes, colours, forms and gestural marks to present their effects.

At the end of the nineteenth century, lots of tribal arts of Africa, Oceania, and Native Americans had been an influx into Europe, inspired many of the early-20th century’s key artists and movements. There were lots of artists such as Gauguin, Picasso and Matisse had used this art form to revolutionize painting and sculpture. I will be focus researching the artwork in the following blog post because their use of simpler shapes and abstract painting are quite in contrast from traditional European styles of representation, so it will be beneficial to see if there are any inspiration and analyze the characteristic of primitivism arts.

Reference: 

Primitive Art | Expressions of Time: New York City Arts. Available from : https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/weinroth10/2010/11/01/primitive-art/ [Accessed 23/04/21].
Primitivism. Available from : https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/glossary-terms/primitivism [Accessed 23/04/21].
Primitivism, Fashion Models, Top Fashion Designers, Rate Fashion Models, Rate Fashion Jewellery. Available from : http://www.reviewfashion.com/Primitivism.htm [Accessed 23/04/21].
Esaak, S. What Art Was Like During the Paleolithic Age. [Online] ThoughtCo. Available from : https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-paleolithic-art-182389 [Accessed 23/04/21].
Famous prehistoric rock paintings of Thailand. [Online] 123RF. Available from : https://www.123rf.com/photo_18836857_famous-prehistoric-rock-paintings-of-thailand.html [Accessed 23/04/21].
Cultural Appropriation – The Roaring 20s and Swinging 60s. Available from : https://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/roaring-20s-and-swinging-60s/cultural-appropriation/ [Accessed 23/04/21].
Primitivism Movement Overview. [Online] The Art Story. Available from : https://www.theartstory.org/movement/primitivism/ [Accessed 24/04/21].
Primitivism and Modern Art (article). [Online] Khan Academy. Available from : https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/beginners-guide-20th-c-art/xdc974a79:key-concepts/a/primitivism-and-modern-art [Accessed 24/04/21].

Alexandra Kiely (2020) Everything You Need to Know About Primitivism - DailyArt Magazine. [Online] DailyArtMagazine.com - Art History Stories. Available from : https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/primitivism/ [Accessed 24/04/21].

Development exercise: 10 drafts

I had drawn out 10 model template sketches for this exercise. They seem insignificant for fashion design, but sketch out a nice model template is actually the foundation of studying fashion. Familiar with the basic body structure and proportion, understand their poses and shape would be beneficial for us to present our work. Move forward, even back to the side will affect the presentation and details of our work. This exercise provides me with a chance to practising the sketches and also create a model template that based on my own style, carry more with my personal characteristics with the sketches.

Project Plan: Pro form

 I had filled up a Pro-forma to record my initial project idea of designing four 2D and one 3D collection. Below is describing the way I research, what I would use for my design, what plans for my following week, make sure that I can catch up with the schedule, and finish the work on time.

Project Sign off

 This is the project sign off that I had discussed and complete with my tutor. And at the following term, I will be carrying out this project.

The fantastic five

As I had already done with the basic initial research for my project, for this post, I will be list out five ideas or direction I might develop in the following blog post:

( I had some misunderstanding with this exercise before, so these sketches are not really related with the topic, here are just a record of what I have done in the class )

1. Incorporate the animal print or flower print pattern.

2. Four of the designs will be present as one-piece dresses.

3. Restore the primitivism pattern of Africa itself(simple and classic)

4. Use the primary colour or warm colour to help bring out the perception.

5. The back of the design can be a surprise (cutting and decoration details)

Initial Research on the idea development

For ensuring that I understand the definition of primitivism, in the following blog post, I will research the concept deeply and some information that relates to this project topic. For instance, the Africa primitivism culture, the fashion trend of this summer, explains what inspired me, how fashion has re-appropriated Primitive fashion styles in the latter century or even how the artist presents primitivism artwork. As I had mentioned in the last post, in order to provide a comfortable design and success to reach the aim, I also had to research on the materials, compare and consider which fabric would be incorporate into my design. As far as I'm concerned, these scopes can help me to develop more completely, provide or inspire some basic ideas for the project works.

My understanding of African culture is not enough for conducting this project. I have only heard that their culture is constantly invaded by others countries and their culture had been keep affecting by those factors. As I had scanned some introduction of primitism from the internet, Africa is also regarded as the most primitive source by the world, lots of artists had sought for this culture and this place had been named as a symbol of cultural heritage.

My impression of Africa has always been bright colours, complex textures and fabrics with different designs on the whole body. I don't know much about the meaning of their culture, so I have to do a detail research base on this culture.

The ideas that inspire me to revolve in Africa this topic is all around my daily life and my interests. There is a 'Festival of lion king' programme in Hong Kong Disneyland, the theme background is mainly around the African savannah. I have seen many times with their performance, no matter what they wear and even props, they are all really acting like the indigenous African. Those complicated and characteristic design is the reason why I started paying attention to their culture. Black Panther, another film created by Marvel Studio, also takes Africa as the background of its main character. The narrative of the whole film contains the prism view of Black life and traditional culture. What is interesting is that they bring out the fictional and technological utopia without losing the colour of Africa, perfectly balancing the difference between the two generations which is very impressive. I observe that there are something ingenious in their dress design, therefore I wanted to study more about what they had in common or how they can extend to my project.

I also will be looking at two fashion designers: Thebe Magugu and Emmy Kasbit.

The theme of this project is ‘Primitivism’, so I would definitely follow this direction to explore the Primitivist movement in Art. Develop and find out how the artists incorporate the primitive style in art, what colour did they express the culture. I am quite interested in Paul Gauguin's artwork, his paintings are rich in colour and a high degree of saturation, which's lead the whole painting full of innervation and really attracts me to research deeply for the following blog post.

Black Panther’s Oscar-winning costumes include 3D-printed designs. (2019)[Online] Dezeen. Available from : https://www.dezeen.com/2019/02/27/black-panther-best-costume-design-oscar-3d-printing/ [Accessed 20/04/21].

The Economic Importance of Cultural and Creative Industries. (2019) [Online] Lumec. Available from : http://www.lumec.co.za/economic-importance-cultural-creative-industries/ [Accessed 20/04/21].

Lion King Sketches. [Online] Kenneth Sofia. Available from : https://kensofia42.artstation.com/projects/nnB8X [Accessed 20/04/21].

Nnewuihe, I. (2020) The Fascinating History of Ankara Fabric (African Wax Print) in West Africa. [Online] Medium. Available from : https://medium.com/mbili-journal/the-fascinating-history-of-ankara-fabric-african-wax-print-in-west-africa-8d2c40fdb6e0 [Accessed 20/04/21].