Thursday 25 October 2012

Recycling Project Trousseau Part 2

After some research and much thought my ideas are starting to come together on the recycling project. I thought about things I already owned that could be recycled, like clothes and hats. I wasn't that inspired. I have been doing research for my final collection and came across the term 'trousseau'. In other parts of the world this is called a 'bottom drawer' (UK) 'glory box' (Australia) 'hope chest' (US). It's an old fashioned idea, the idea being that a bride to be collected various items to help with the setting up of her new home. Items like china, linen, silverware, lace (sometimes in the form of underwear) and glass.
This set my mind whirring on the concept for a 'trousseau' hat. A hat made from the recycled items usually found in a bottom drawer.  This idea spoke to me on two counts , firstly the using of recycled materials, china, cutlery etc. Secondly I love the idea of the items in a bottom drawer being passed down through the generations, again a lovely form of recycling and re using.

It was whilst I was thinking about this idea and how to use these materials in a hat. My mind flashed back to a dress that I had seen a couple of years ago in the Alexander McQueen shop in London. The dress and shoed were made from many fragments of bone china. It was stunning. I thought this could be a beautiful and interesting way of using the china element in my hat. I had initially thought about using whole pieces of china, eg cups, saucers, but felt this would look a little 'Alice in Wonderland'. I want to create something beautiful and elegant. I will post process images here as soon as I start...

Alexander McQueen


Li Xiaofeng

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