Opus 1: Minimalism
“My endeavour is to reduce a dress to its essence. I having been searching out subtlety, softness and a timeless beauty in my designs. I have been trying to remove all the weightedness and frivolities; all the complexities and unnecessary elements of a typical garment, to create a simple little garment of light joy.”
Fermare is Minimalism and Simplicity.
What is Minimalism.
Fermare is all about simplicity and minimalism, and so it was just fitting to choose this as the theme for my first Study on the Bias Cut. I love minimalism, always have. But what exactly is minimalism? In this study I am going to tackle this question and elaborate on my own personal thoughts on what it is and how it affects everything from life to fashion. Anyways, let’s get into it then:)
The Idea.
So what is minimalism? I don’t think it is just any one thing. It is a multiple of things – but if I personally had to describe it in one way, I’d probably have to say that it is the ‘idea’ of freedom. Like any idea or philosophy, it can shape the very world we live in, and like all ideas – they can affect us profoundly. Many take it on as a rigid lifestyle, while others simply appreciate it and enjoy it in their lives.
My thoughts are that any idea which has the power of change, should be carefully considered. I believe that any good idea can be utilized with great effect, but any good idea can also deteriorate into a vice if not carefully watched, or endeavoured upon without firm foundation. For example, to take on an idea all the way towards the extremes of obsession, is very harmful and diminishes the good in the idea. If we take on the lifestyle of Minimalism, and become rigid and obsessive in it, we become slaves to that idea – and in so doing defeat the original purpose of Minimalism, which was the very notion of ‘freedom’.
I would almost try and make the comparison between Minimalism and Aristotle’s “Virtue as the Mean Between Extremes”. Minimalism tries to throw off excesses, and find the mean – the state where we are well-balanced and have only that which we need. Minimalism is also not about going to the other extreme, of deficit either. Ascetism was a very common practice in ancient times, especially in the east, and would see many people – who were seeking spirituality – renunciate all material possessions and physical pleasures. There is nothing inherently wrong with owning things – in fact I think that the world is here for us to take delight in – it is a beautiful and wonderful place; but we are also only tenants – and should look after it as if the landlord is coming tomorrow.
To conclude, Minimalism can be characterized by ‘choices’. The idea becomes alive when we make choices in this world. Minimalism can be thought similar to virtues, as virtues are choices. The virtue of courage is maximized at its mean, where we move away from the deficit of utter fear to a state of heroic action. Courage is also not the absence of fear, as the complete absence of fear is folly – an excess of confidence leads to rash and foolish behaviour. Heroism is a choice of courage, and becomes alive in our actions.
In the same way, Minimalism comes alive in our choices – the good choices that we make every day, choices of what to buy and not buy, the choice to be purposeful in what we do, to be mindful of the world around us, and to be considerate to others. It is about finding happiness in the little things in life – keep close the things that bring you true joy: relationships, memories and the possessions that those memories are tied to. Once you stop worrying about accumulating more and more – more money, more followers, more things; then you can finally sit back and be ‘free’. And that’s what I think the essence of Minimalism is.
The Choices.
So now then, how do we apply Minimalism to our shopping choices?
Remember, minimalism isn’t about having nothing – there really isn’t anything wrong with buying a new car or new clothing. We just have to be more deliberate with our choices and less wasteful. I think the fashion mass market has its place, to an extent. Fashion is like music. Music is full of different notes, pauses, tempos, and adornments – and each has their place for a beautiful song. And so in fashion, there is the mass market, where we can get the basic things we need as well as fashion pieces we like at an affordable price.
What I do dislike and am critical of is the ever expanding move towards faster and faster fashion. This business model has at its heart, the mass movement of bundles and bundles of clothing through the system as fast and cheaply as possible. The main purpose of fast fashion is to push people to buy more and more clothing every single season, and mid season and mid mid season, and so on. Every week there is something new, and the culture of dissatisfaction, leads to clothing having a shorter and shorter life. Isn’t it funny how it seems like shops are forever on Sale? This psychological marketing tool gets us to buy way more than we need, we buy 10 items because they are on Sale, and then only ever wear 3 of those 10.
So, choices. One of my goals for why I started Fermare, is to bring back slower fashion – one not so highly focused on seasons and trends, rather a fashion which is timeless, and a model, much more sustainable. I think we should buy lots less cheaply made clothing that we’ll keep for a few months, and instead save up that money for more quality clothing that has heart and soul, the type of clothing that you’ll keep, and love, for years and years to come. Really your wardrobe should look like a Minimalist’s wardrobe, with 75% of the clothing being ones you keep because you love em:D
The Design.
Minimalism in design is about finding the essence of that which you are undertaking to design. It is about finding the most important elements of a design and expanding on the beauty and simplicity of those elements. It is about finding ‘the’ form and structure, which speaks the heart of the design. The reason why form becomes more and more simplified and abstract is because, we are attempting to strip away the unessential elements of the design and leave bare, the design’s soul.
The ‘design’ and ‘function’, both play into each other. Function gives a framework for the ‘work’ being undertaken – and design fleshes out that framework, often emphasizing, and also being influenced, by the most basic characteristics of this framework. Much like the framework, the minimalist design is characterized by clean and simple lines, clean monochrome colour palettes, and emphasis on the beauty of structural detailing.
Opus 1: Minimalism
The Opus 1 study is based on the bias-cut construction methodology. This involves cutting the garment at 45 degrees to the grain of the fabric, which results in the cuts of fabric being completely changed in nature from a stiff rigid characteristic form to that of a soft, supple and stretchy characteristic form. Such a technique allows usually tight-wearing woven materials to take on the characteristics of a knit fabric whilst keeping its original unique look, lustre and feel associated with wovens.
This Opus 1 Study explores simplicity and beauty in the very basic form of the simple slip. I am trying to bring back the love of basic form and highlight the beauty in the simple understated minimalism of a slip dress. The main focus of the garments are in the details, where seemingly simple garments can become intricate and detailed works of artistry.
The Opus 1 collection is comprised of three unique garments, each focusing on specific techniques of mastery – and have their silhouettes based on three themes, day, evening and night. The first in the collection, no1, combines the beauty of ultra-thin spaghetti straps with a loose fitting bodice and flare. The garment is then finished off with an extremely soft-to-the-touch lining of shear chiffon to give a luxurious sensation to the garment.
The second in the collection, no2, focuses on the elegance of drapery and fall of the garment – creating an easy to wear slip dress that fits the form of the wearer breathlessly. A couture technique of bias binding then finishes off the neckline, forming into beautiful medium weight spaghetti straps.
The third in the collection, no3, focuses on silhouette and skirt fullness. The garment is relaxed and finished off with a thin straight neckline panel trim and stunning thin spaghetti straps. What I specifically wanted to study in this design was how to use panels and facings effectively, to improve the design aesthetic and structure.
Live Deliberately
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