I have been working a lot recently on developing ideas for a 1920's themed, Great Gatsby based, pair of shoes. I have been looking at the context of my shoes, and things that I could include in my design which create a sense of nostalgia, as well as being very contemporary.
I have been to several museums where I have looked at the traditional construction of shoes, and seen examples of historical footwear, see some of my other posts, and I have reasearched contemporary shoe designers. Having said this I have realised I haven't looked at any 1920s shoe designers... Its on my to do list now...
I have been looking at the context of the era, through films, novels and fashion (I'm including architecture in this). Movies were an entirely new thing in the twenties so the ones I have watched are silent, but I would like to see 'Sunny Side Up' which was the first musical film. I have now read three novellas by F Scott Fitzgerald, as well as the Great Gatsby, which has given me a slightly different perspective, as they didn't focus so much on the glamour of the era.
Within the films and Books, the aspect which most intrigues me is the partying. The language used in the books is so rich that yiou almost feel you are there, and the films really bring it to life. In that era alcohol was prohibited, which makes the behaviour of the youths, the newly rich generation, so easily identified as a 1920s way of being. Everyone was so happy with their new money and women with their freedom (with their smoking and driving), that they didn't care what happened. This was of course a minority, but a fascinating minority they were.
The 20s gave birth to jazz and the era of new music and fashion followed. I will be including elements of the styles that were created, in my design.
Fashion included a lot of floral designs which I have tried to explore a little in my sketchbook, and I have been looking at ties between architecture and fashion, as they were particularly prominently linked in the 20s, with buildings like the Chrysler building being erected.
I will be visiting 'Collect' (a collection of galleries which exhbit every year a selection of crafts), at the Saatchi Gallery on the 8th of May, for my own amusement, where I will be accompanied by David Poston, an exhibiting jeweller! As well as this, I will be visiting Colchester and Ipswich's museum's curator of Fashion artefacts, at their contaner on an industrial estate in Colchester, wher I should find some amazing clothing and footwear which I can either photograph or draw!
In conclusion, I am very excited, motivated and inspired! I cant wait to continue to work with materials in order to finalise my design, and then exhibit at College in the summer!
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