I Can Actually Sew

This collection was inspired by the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat. He uses the quote “Believe it or not I can actually draw.”My concept goes off the idea “Believe it or not I can actually sew.” My garment looks like it is sewn strange and uneven with raw edges and seams on the outside with some threads hanging. The pleating on my skirt is uneven with bunching of pleating in one spot. It may look like it is sewn incorrectly but it’s actually sewn to fit well. This collection consists of all dresses and gowns with seaming that is off and uncontrolled layering of materials.

Above are prints I designed inspired by Basquiat’s painting that had the words plaid written in a way that resembled a plaid print. Below are a few flats that better show details from the final garments. You can see the embroidery, the raw edges, and the embroidery more clearly. They also show the accessories that I designed to go with the collection.

Process book

My sketch book has a look that is rough and sketchy like an artists sketch book. The figures have real stitching for their crowns. Each figure has a different face inspired by Basquiat paintings. The swatches were sewn into the book and have a description below of the fabric content. I did a lot of research on Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life and his process for this collection and I was very inspired by what I read. He used a lot of words in his art and I incorporated that throughout the collection in different ways, like embroidery, paint, or in prints. I did my own research by painting on fabric while looking at some of his paintings and embroidering on top of it as seen in one of the images below.