Assignment 1
FASD501
Sharon Sun
- Historical Research
- Details Research
- Contemporary Research
- Design Ideation
- Illustration line up
- Learning Experience
Historical Research of Parka
I am interested in this M-51 parka piece, as it created a long fur hood which some other M51 parka don’t normally have. I personally prefer a parka with fur-hood because the fur covers your ears well and keep your face warm.
This 1951 US parka seems very suitable for the cold weather, especially in Korea’s icy and wet environment. The lining is made of animal fur, therefore it creates warmth and is lightweight. Back in 1940, the material was used in the expensive and heavier alpaca. The fur on the hood looks longer than the fur of lining which helps to cover ears better, but still able to hear properly in the battlefield.
It is a M51 vintage military parka, it has the characteristics of what the army needed for the cold conditions in Korea. It’s designed to keep the warmth in the jacket, therefore, a zip is to close the opening and an extra line of buttons for extra protection. There is also a button for tightening the hood with the head which is necessary in the freezing environment.
It is a US army M51 fishtail parka. In 1947, the parka had two pieces which were with a parka shell that included a hood, and a button-in parka liner. However this M51 parka replaced the two layers into a padded format which I reckon that it’s interesting to do so.
This M-51 parka is interesting to me, as it looks lightweight but warm enough. It has four pockets on the coat. Based on what I researched the upper pockets were designed for soldiers to keep the cigarettes.
This M-51 has double layers which I found interesting. I’ve noticed that the inside of the layer is shorter than the outside which creates the warmth, but still being able to keep flexibility in the movement.
This parka looks a bit more fitted than the last one. I like how it uses lighter colour on the interfacing of the hood and darker colour for the fabric of the jacket which makes it more attractive.
I was surprised by this M51 parka’s shape as the parka looked big and cranky on the hanger, however it looks fit on the human body. The shape of the parka turns out like an A shape on the girl. The upper part looks good and the bottom part looks comfy and loose. I’m amazed at how the design uses human proportions to create the fit, and at the same time keeps its functionality.
1. Some of the M51 parka have epaulettes, but some don’t. I found this coat attractive because of its epaulettes. The epaulettes on this piece look thick and flat, moreover the epaulettes connected from neck to the end of shoulder line, looks esthetic.
2. I am really admire the pocket design of this M51 parka. The angel of the pocket on the coat is slanted on where the hands are. The design was smart enough to think of human proportions which makes it easier to wear.
3. This M51 fishtail parka was designed to be a larger-size piece which is inspired by the original ideas of parka. Parka was designed to be the windbreaker worn on the outside. It required a certain size in order to accommodate the shirts inside.
https://www.ebay.com/b/m51-parka/bn_7024733057
Conclusion
The M51 fishtail parka was designed for the US Army in Korean battlefields during the tough snowy winters. The key point of its design is to keep soldiers warm and nimble. Many functions were provided such as water-repellent, lightweight, protection against the cold and so on. The volume of the parka itself is a functional design too, as it contains more shirts inside to keep the soldiers warm. The A or H shape design is helpful for the rain water to fall down quickly…. There are so many functional designs purposely made for the tough weather, therefore the most interesting thing and important element of parka is its functionality. That is truly fascinating. . .
Detail Research -Shape, Pocket and Button.
Why Pocket?
The pockets on the parka are the most interesting details to me. As the device has included its functionality and human proportion which made me curious about the differences of M51 parka’s pockets. Based on my research, most pockets on parkas are welt pockets and flipping pockets as the welt pockets allow your hands to easily slide in. The flip pockets prevent the rain water from coming in.
Why Shape?
I am interested in the shape of the parka, as the shape design is one of the most essential parts of a parka. During the Korea world, M51 fishtail parka was developed by the military and the pattern tends to be like A or H shape. That helps the rain water fall down to the waist then fall off from the hips once you pull out the strings.
Why Button?
I had been wondering what kind of buttons they actually applied. Were the materials considered suitable in combat environments and tough weather conditions? Based on my research, most buttons on the parka are plastic buttons. The plastic materials are lightweight and help reduce the loading of soldiers. And, in the extremely cold weather, plastic materials avoid your fingers being stuck to buttons because it is unsafe to handle metallic accessories with bare hands when the temperature is below zero degree.
Pocket Collection
1. The pocket style on this M51 parka looks very flat. It has stitches showing all around the pocket to make it fit with the parka itself as well as making it more stable and strong. It has an extra piece of fabric for the flip which provides warmth and prevents the rain from going into the pocket.
2. This pocket is a little bit different from the last one as not so many stitches are shown, and the flipping fabric appears to be a triangle shape. I can see there is a press stud on the bottom of the corner which is used for closing the pocket or tightening the pocket so the rain water does not enter.
3. On this parka, the flipping fabric which seems longer than the last two images is helpful for covering hands to keep warm inside of the pocket. Also I can see that the set on the top pocket is a bit close to the edges of the waistline. There is another differently devised kind of pocket ( welt pocket) on the bottom. It slopes to the edges of the seam on the parka which uses human proportions as our arms are on the side of the human body.
1. This pocket has a soft interior design which creates comfort and warmth in the pocket. Moreover, it has stitched most of the flip with the opening so only your hand would be able to get in. This is also functional to have protection from the cold and rain. The capacity of the pocket is bigger than one hand which allows you to store more objects in it.
2. I can see that the pocket on this parka is on the front and appears to be a square. There is a press stud showing on the flipping fabric. Another difference I found on this M51 parka is its pocket design. The pockets are positioned at the bottom front of the garment while most parka have them on the side.
3. I really like the front flap pocket design on this M51 parka, as the pocket is designed with a much longer flap so tat it can be closed by the press stud. This technique is perfect for keeping the contents of your pocket secure; however I think it is not very functional for preventing the water from the rain.
Button Collection
1. I’ve found that this button is thin and the shape design helps avoid loosing. The reason why buttons are designed on the sleeves is historically for soldiers to unbutton, roll up the sleeves, and swing the sword.
2. These buttons are also made of plastic which avoids your fingers being stuck to them in below zero temperature. I also notice that there are only two holes in the middle of the bottoms which might not be as strong as the four holes. These buttons are flatter than the last one which might be much easier for strings to go in through the buttonholes.
3. The buttons on this parka jacket are quite thick. The conditions in the Korean War were wet and icy and so the material would need to be waterproof and long-lasting. It makes sense that the buttons had to be strong and stable enough.
Shape Collection
1. The shape of the parka forms an A shape on the human body, which is fitted on the upper body and slightly becomes more loose at the bottom. Once you pull out the string on the waistline, the shaping of the garment will be like a H which helps the rain to fall off.
2. This parka tends to be like an A shape as the paneling is quite straight which is useful for dropping off the rain. I’ve also noticed that the shoulder line is quite fit, while most parka have longer shoulder lines and a bit oversized.
3. The size of the parka seems very wide and large and the shape tends to be H. The H shape design follows the human body as the shoulder goes wide to the thin waist then again to the wide hips. That helps the rain water fall down to the waist then fall off from the hips.
Contemporary Research
Among a variety of parka collections, I found Loewe and Stella McCartney particularly fascinating as Loewe is famous for its crafting leather goods which means Loewe really emphasises the texture & the shapes of its designs as making leather into craft objects using shaping skill. I would like to take this idea to my further development. Stella McCartney has considered the cuts and sporting in her design as she works for Adidas. I would like to be influenced by her thinking of functionality and movement into my design.
LOEWE-
Founded in 1846 by a group of leather craftsmen, the Spanish luxury fashion house, Loewe, is originally specialising in making leather purses and handbags. Its focus and excellence in crafting fine leather goods has obvious influence on its parka design collections. The details are finely sophisticated, and their cuttings and patterns deliver a feeling of masculine energy.
Loewe Fall 2022 Ready-To-Wear Collection
I really like the textures of these garments as they were inspired by the glossy surface of pumpkins and their shapes.
I would like to be influenced by Loewe’s design concept, therefore I went online shopping to search Leowe’s parkas.
And I found this…
As I did online shopping, I was attracted by the parkas from Loewe. This patched pocket parka was envisioned by Jonathan Anderson and has caught my eye. It has expanded the original pocket of the parkainto multiple and 3D visions, moreover it has trimmed down the length shorter which allows more space for movement.
This Loewe military hooded parka looks very charming. It has kept the curved puffy design of the sleeves, but also has the cut out details across the back and sleeves. It also has an extra piece across half of the parka, which I guess was inspired by the front patterns of the trench coat.
This multi-coloured parka from Loewe looks amazing, it has changed the pockets into squared shape instead of the original conceal design. Jonathan Anderson really was playing around with different colour ideas. However, by viewing its pattern and panelling, we can still tell this is a parka.
I love this patchwork padded parka! The pad lining of the parka was everted to the external surface and the original plastic buttons were changed to metal hook fastening with concealed zippers.The glossy olive green colour pairs well with dark green one. There is a squared pocket on each side. That is also different from the original sloping invisible flip pocket.
This balloon shaped parka from Loewe is incredible as it looks like the original shape of parka, but it has applied a gathering technique around the waist, which replaces the strings on the original park. The bottom of the parka is long at the front & back, but short on each side for its mobility.
I really love the silhouette of this parka. It is very different from the original M51 fishtail parka. Its length was drawn out to the calf and it has two layers. The sleeves made of semi-transparent fabric deliver a tech feeling. The pockets formed a pleated shape with a drawstring on, which is also really charming.
This long convertible parka is useful for different seasons. There is a zip around the waist allowing the parka to convert into a jacket. The shape and design of this parka was altered, however we can still recognize this coat from the characteristics of the parka hood, sleeves and press stud arrangement.
This parka jacket combined the composition of the military parka style and the modern design. Loewe kept two fastenings elements in the coat eg. button and zip, also the length down to the bottom for covering which were inspired by the 1960s design. However, a lighter colour was selected and the detachable faux-shearling was used to replace the original hood with fur.
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney is an English fashion designer and her design was characterised by bold and confident cuts. She refuses to use leather or fur in her designs and also insisted on the concept of environmental protection and sustainable development throughout her entire range of products. Stella McCartney’s parka collections are energetic and showing the feminism sensuality.
I really admire Stella McCartney for her decision of avoiding using animal skin and their fur. She creates luxury clothing and fashion without hurting living creatures, but people still admire and love her impressive design.
This garment was created by Stella McCartney for 2021 pre-fall shows. This garment is breathtaking with its multiple layered colours which creates the feeling of young and soft tenderness. The visual effects of the different layered rose pink colours deliver rich feminine features. The collars are double layered which looks like a flower. The belt is a thick band with a red plastic clip which replaced the original M51 style of pulling-string on the waist
This parka jacket was made for spring 2022 RTW shows. The length of the jacket is made all the way to the ankle with cuts on the sleeves. The coat seems pretty lightweight and easy to wear which is different from the original double layered parka. This long length and lightweight design could have a unique fluttering or rippling visual effect while walking on a windy day.
This garment is also from the same collection as the above image. I adore the design of its shape as it is influenced by the silhouette of the bishop sleeve. It’s wide over the bottom and narrow from the top.
This parka was created for the Pre-fall 2020 RTW collection. The giant cone shape sleeves fit nicely with the shape of the parka. It is interesting that the inside padding pattern is used as the exterior surface. With such an everting, it challenges our aesthetic stereotypes.
The bottom pockets of this Adidas multicolor vista blue are unique as they look like flip pockets, but they actually were designed to be inset pockets. The shape of the parka seems to be a rectangle pattern instead of the original A shape.
Concept Ideation
Moodboard
There is fun in the process of developing my mood board. Collect various images of design, materials, and examples of parka-related topics, select those which match my idea,emotion and feeling. I came up with the idea of putting together my parka with some similar garment type. And, to demonstrate the effect and feeling of such a fusion, some sort of see-through fabric is considered.
Concept Development
Further Development
The feeling of this design is volume, playful and futuristic. I created these series of designs by printing out the opacity layered parka and kimono to find their similar silhouette.
Inspired by their similar forms and silhouettes, I am thinking of an interesting convergence of the parka and the kimono. The silhouette of the kimono would be matched with the lines of the parka which means I am going to find their similarity forms to work as a piece. Transparent fabric would be used for the parka and I would keep some of the characteristics of parka as they are the memory markers. Different colours of material would be used for those memory markers.
The purpose of using transparent fabric is to put emphasis on the small traits and details in my parka design. The details will be made in colour . Therefore, they can easily stand out in our views. To achieve the transparent effect, I consider the TPU fabric materials. TPU transparent fabric works as a window to show the characteristics of the parka and the similar shape of the kimono. I would like to zoom out the details on a parka using different fabric and other garments to focus on the shapes / details and not be distracted by the colour.
For these designs I made the fabric completely transparent which gives the vibe of futurism. I would pair a sleeveless green skirt underneath the parka with yellow high knee boots to present the playful style.
Illustration line—up
Look 1-
Long and oversized transparent fishtail parka inspired by the similar silhouette of kimono. Y opening with buttons down the front. Lengthy pulling strings on the waistline. Welt pocket on the left boob, giant flipping pocket on thigh of the right leg.
Pickle green fitted dress paired with corn yellow high knees boots. Trombone colour with green circle Japanese pattern handbag.
Look 2-
Transparent look of the long fishtail parka goes slightly fitted and extremely cropped on the top. Two bow ties on the Y shaped opening. Button down at the front.
Pickle green puffy short sleeves shirt paired with fitted skirt pants. A brown colour belt with eyelets delivers the vibe of playfulness. Japanese glitter pattern leggings matching with trombone yellow ankle boots. Silver chain purse for a metallic style..
Look 3-
Transparent cropped parka with buttons down at the front. At the end of the Y opening tie with a long piece of bow tie. Volume puffy sleeves with a button on the wrists. Small piece of flipping pocket on the left sleeve.
Corn yellow wide straps shirt paired with circled glitters pistachios/pine green cropped trousers, matched with yellow lace up heeled boots. More futuristic vibe joining up with the headband veil headdress.
Look4-
Extremely gaiety puffed up parka with cotton inside. A melon orange zip down at the front with double layered pockets on the left side. Welt pocket on the left sleeve,and flipped pocket for the right one. Hood with pulling strings on.
Separated volume Japanese pattern pieces with ochre/ trombone colours. Sleeveless V-necked triangle shaped top merges A-line long skirt with corn yellow lace up high heeled boots.
Addition—
Transparent fabric, veil headdress, gold colour , glitters, sculpture structure creates the vibe of futuristic.
Corn yellow colour, cropped trousers & boots collection give the feeling of playfulness.
Adding the Japanese pattern to emphasis the relationship between parka and kimono.
Learning Experience
The assignment is challenging, but interesting. At the beginning of historical research, I struggled with collecting and digesting tons of information materials（M51 parka). Also, it isn’t an easy task either to start and warm up the concept ideation. My initial parka design was two separate pieces with a parka jacket and short kimono lining. After further exploring more styles and experimenting with their similarity by printing out the opacity layered, I found the ideal figures by merging both parka and kimono. The journey from an original type of parka to a fusion version with futuristic flavour is fulfilling and rewarding. I learned a great deal throughout the process and enjoyed the fresh feeling of being experimental. Also, I had a great experience and understanding of my weaknesses, and learning what I need to consider or think of for my future project.
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