It has come to my attention, my dear students, that there is a popular trend, here at FIDM, involving the use of collage techniques in the service of creating images which are intended to illustrate the source of inspiration for your projects. At our school, it seems to be a very popular to simply cut or tear images out of fashion magazines, and then glue them to a page without any sort of visual organizing principle, and then to call it a composition. Because I’ve been seeing a lot of very cryptic, ambiguous, and enigmatic découpage, I wanted to write a little treatise which analyzes some of the important aspects of this medium, and to also outline some of the inherent pitfalls which exist, the moment you pick up an x-acto knife.

Now, I am well aware that as a designer there are many disparate and varied influences and impulses which feed the creative process, and also that photo montage, or découpage, is one of the more effective ways of gathering things together that might not traditionally be in the same place at the same time. And, I am by no means suggesting that you stop, or even narrow your sources of inspiration. If anything, you should be looking for ways to broaden them. Neither should you stop using collage techniques in your projects, but, when it comes to presenting your concepts in this vernacular, it is important to be certain that your collage is accurately representing the vision which you are attempting to communicate.

For those of you that have forgotten, or perhaps were unaware, collage techniques first became prevalent during the Dada movement in Germany, right after the first world war. As the simplest google search will show you, the collage artists of the Dada movement used these techniques to create absurd, strange, and sometimes, disturbing images, that made comments on the times in which they lived. They were able to do this without employing a specific narrative, but instead, produced a general sensation or emotion. Because of the random nature of finding and compiling the source material of these images, collage is particularly suited to this end.

However, when it comes to fashion design, and particularly in this class, the more direct and concise your work is, the better it will convey your idea. This is also true, in a very literal sense, when we speak of collage techniques. As you are working in this medium, I’d like you to think about the following ideas:

1. Learn from an expert. Take a look at the work of contemporary collage artist, Peter Lewis.

2. Attempt to isolate the most important element of your chosen image. You are working with scissors and blades, here. If you like the image of the girl, why not cut away the hedge she’s standing in front of?

3. Size Matters. Scale/proportion is one of the most important of our principles of design when employing collage techniques. In a collage, generally, the viewer will presume that the largest image in the composition is the most important.

4. Consider your Composition. Take advantage of your elements of design to create a hierarchy in your composition. If your concept is “Chinese-Elizabeth Taylor-Aligator-Women”, try to organize your images in such a way that the viewer experiences these descriptions in that order. God knows, it would be terrible if your viewer mistook your image for an “Elizabeth Taylor-Aligator-Chinese-Woman”

5. Fool Me Twice. Try to lift your collage elements out of their original contexts. Look for images that cannot be traced. As your viewer, I presume that you’ve intended everything which exists in your composition. You may not want to include another fashion designer’s work unless you are specifically intending your work to be an homage to that person.

6. Keep it neat. Stains, jagged edges, and tears speak volumes, without saying a word, so unless your concept involves distress, abuse, or dilapidation, keep your composition free of imperfections.

7. Blow me away. I know you guys are capable of doing this stuff in your sleep, so at least make it look like one of your eyes is open.

(For those of you who are unaware, I’ve started teaching at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, so you may notice some of these entries becoming significantly esoteric, as they may pertain to specific things which are going on in my classes.)

OK, I’m posting a little check list here, so you all know what I expect you to turn in on Tuesday evening :

1. The Merchandising/Collage page - This should be a a half page of text, describing your contemporary customer, the trend which might appeal to her this season, and a description of an architectural detail that might be abstracted as garment construction in your blouses. Below that, on the same page, should be a collage of the above-mentioned architectural detail.

2.A composition of the 6 flats of your white blouses, landscape orientation, on layout paper, front and back views, in pen, traced, not as découpage. (you can do this only when you have effectively convinced me that you are the artistic heir of Marcel Duchamp)

3.A composition of the 6 flats of the jackets and coats, front and back views, with reference images, that you documented this week, also in landscape orientation, on layout paper, in pen, traced flats, no découpage.

4. 6 concept drawings, on 81/2″X11″ white paper, in graphite (pencil), portrait orientation, depicting each of your 6 blouses, on a female fashion illustration figure, with the front and back flats of the blouse on the same page, next to the figure, see below:

5. The composition of skirt flats that you did for last week. You may want to rework them if they don’t conform to the criteria outlined in #3. These standards apply to that assignment as well.

6. You are also responsible for the journal work and the additions to your Swatch books, but it’s like Mathew 25:13, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh . . . [to collect your journals for grading]”
I’m enjoying perusing your folio assignments. Some of you have really gone the distance with this project, and I ‘m planning on posting some of the most clever responses to the assignment here on the “Blogzalo”. Stay tuned . . .

—————– Original Message —————–
From: &wtf;
Date: Mar 29,:30 PM

Dear Andrae,

I recently saw a video of “Bathroom Follies” on the website Project Rungay. I just wanted to tell you how offended I was that anyone could call that any type of dance at all. Dance is supposed to be beautiful movement, and really meaning something. Dancing is meant to tell a story, be it with a plot, or just to describe someone’s emotion. And don’t give me any of that, “I’m opening up new forms of dance” bullshit. You are a brilliant fashion designer, not a dancer or choreographer. Oh and tell that bitch ass boyfriend of yours that he should be stripped of his title of Choreographer and/or Dancer.

Thanks.

To this, I have the following response . . .

Dear Collin,

Indeed, this is a tragedy.

Let me begin by thanking you for your kind compliment of my design skills, despite your harsh criticism. I hope that some day you may have the opportunity to see that Mr. Benson’s skills as a choreographer are of a similar ilk, but for this, we shall need the grace of time.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to have our entire show posted on Youtube, and I fear that even if we did, within the context of “Project Rungay”, it would still offend you. I truly wish that you had been able to see our piece, as you sound like someone that shares a kindred mindset with myself and Mr. Benson. In fact, I would suspect that you may be, or might have been, a dancer. Only someone who knew the art form on a very intimate level could summon the vitriol that you have expressed on it’s behalf. I write with the hope that you might indulge my explanation, and forgive the men of “Rungay” for the misrepresentation that has summoned your ire. I certainly have.

Like you, I also believe that dance is “supposed to be beautiful movement, and really meaning something”, and unfortunately, in this country, it neither gets the exposure nor the respect that it deserves. Ironically, this show was intended to address this very fact. In performance, the piece was intended to summon a common human connection between the performers and the audience by examining those dynamics which we all encounter in a public bathroom. The evening consisted of six different pieces, which progressed in their level of accessibility, from the vernacular of cliché “music video” movement, to pieces which drew from the now longstanding traditions of ballet and modern dance. We did not presume to “open up new forms of dance”, but rather attempted to use old forms of dance, in an unexpected way.

I still maintain that we were successful in our pursuit, particularly in the piece where a talented ballerina bludgeons to “death” a menacing piece of her own “emotional crap”. In fact, dear sir, your note makes me want to suggest that such a plunger might prove equally successful, in your own life. Naturally, I cannot do this, for in that regard, I live in a glass house.

Nevertheless, our intention was to access a glimpse of profundity with this piece, while simultaneously creating an evening of entertainment. Those that had the opportunity to see our dances seemed to understand what we were doing, and I sincerely regret that you were not in their number. We took great pains to create dance which would bring the audience on a journey with us, instead of alienating them, as so many ill-conceived dance pieces tend to do.

Since our short performance run, I’ve read many negative comments about our piece which suffer from the fact that the clips from the show have been abysmally misunderstood. This is par for the course, considering the fact that they have been exhibited out of context, and I regret that you have come to believe we are the enemies of something very dear to you. I can only swear to you that Mr. Benson and I are quite the contrary. With luck, and perhaps a little more funding, we may again have the opportunity to show you our true colors.

Until then, I send my kindest regards,

Andrae Gonzalo