PRODGIOUS SOVEREIGNTY
Modern menswear of today has taken on a more
refined and lean silhouette. At different levels of the market, there seems to be a developing trend that privileges a more sleek and fitted silhouette. Especially within the British design culture, with its fitted waists and sharp shoulders, volume no longer seems to be as relevant.
This contemporary aesthetic of the mens’ silhouette, in the broader context of menswear design history, seems to be a quite fresh approach, especially compared to certain periods, as the Tudor monarchy in England, when an opposite style can be seen. The contrast between a fuller torso and skin-tight bottoms, with the addiction of ornate detailing, were describing a completely different silhouette and, by extension, they were depicting a totally different idea of masculinity, not only as expression of different aesthetics, but also of diverse cultural values as well as the cultural and social meaning of volume in menswear. Can we build a contemporary full silhouette that still enhance’s the male body and strongly expresses:
masculinity, strength and power without being too referential and “PERIODIC”
Can we still apply traditional techniques as smocking and ruffling to build the volume of this contemporary silhouette adopting a cost-effective and viable
production process?
This approach will question if technology had replaced handcraft because of its ease and effective results or if old techniques are now abandoned just because they are
considered to outdated and no longer apply to menswear today.The Italian smocking technique is developed and refined to build the volume in addition to
pattern cutting, to design a modern and contemporary menswear collection.
The Tudor court of the Elizabethan period seemed very much to be about excess: a person’s wealth was not judged upon the land they owned or the houses they kept, but it was about how they dressed. Before Elizabeth I ascension to the throne in 1558, the style of dress was very much different than before, with fitted torsos and a refined and dignified aesthetic generally in rich dark colours offset with the white frills around shirts neck and cuffs. This style was much more understated than the later years of Elizabeths court, characterised by voluminous torsos, extremely oversized ruffs and opulent embroidery. It was primarily about excess and wearing your wealth on your body for all to see.
“Structure and agency: Structures such as the fashion system, impose parameters around dress; however within these constraints, individuals can be creative in their interpretations of fashion and their practices of dress”
(Entwistle)
