MENTORING
COACHING GABRIEL RENDALL
2018, Preparation for Couture Competition, French International School, Hong Kong.
Researching the era of the 20’s and in particular the character of the Great Gatsby, I started developing design ideas for Gatsby’s suit that would not only be inspired by the general dashing gentlemen of the period, but also explore the concept of gambling as well as the circus, both of which being relevant for the Western 1920’s. As a source of contemporary inspiration, I also have integrated the fashion designer KENZO in my outfit, in terms of the scale, the boldness and the diagonal composition. Thus I decided to focus on playing cards and the lion as the predominant motifs in my design. Choosing my brother as model has been an interesting way of elaborating my project, both in practical and conceptual terms. He is the perfect model to incarnate the elegance of the Great Gatsby! By producing a man’s suit, I challenged myself, knowing that it has more technical difficulties and is more time consuming. In order to fabricate the suit, I chose to deconstruct a real suit into eleven pieces and work from its recycled skeleton. The main Fabric of the suit is made of black bin bags, on which motifs have been created combining threads and plastic using two stitching techniques: “soluble fabric” and “appliqué”. I have learned and explored the techniques of hand and machine stitch specifically for this project.
“Fredie Decombe coached me for a competition project COUTURE, whose garment won the Jury Special Prize. She helped me to plan my work, evolve step by step, and not rushing to the final outcome. She guided me to increase my artists’ research and further develop ideas. She taught me some textile processes that I experienced for the first time, and encouraged me to be experimental. Her sense of curiosity was passed on to me. Decombe is a very experienced teacher creating a good working atmosphere and a great mentor/student relationship.”
G. Rendall.
