Confessions and Draping

I would like to start this off with a confession. I don’t like bloggers. I never really have, I don’t read many fashion blogs. I believe the cult following that they acquire is indicative to our societal addiction to technology. Although the internet has furthered the reach of fashion, making it tangible to the layman, it frustrates me how so many fashion bloggers sit front row at fashion week next to men and women who have worked their way from the bottom to the top of the social and corporate ladder, men and women who have worked hundreds of hours, and have talent that has been screened through countless mentors. I do not say this to belittle anyone’s talent, work, or passion. I only say this because this is my personal opinion and disagree with me you may. That being said, here I am, writing a blog, something I said I would never do. I take this as a challenge. And enter this experience and uncharted territory with caution. And I am going to do my absolute best to stay true to myself and my own writing form as I continue to post in these coming weeks.

Moving on to something a little less controversial: draping. What does that really mean? A curious word. A homonym to that piece of fabric hanging in your window. It alludes to something more whimsical than what it actually is, which is a very fundamental art, a skill that every designer has in their back pocket. Draping is when a two dimensional piece of fabric is turned into a three dimensional masterpiece. It’s essentially patternmaking, except you make a pattern to fit a certain mannequin, person, model, or “lady” as my sweet and hysterically funny professor likes to call our dress forms.

SophiaPinney

The class that I am currently enrolled in is called Introduction to Draping for the Fashion Designer. As most beginner classes at FIT are, this really is an introduction. You need no prior knowledge on draping to take this class. My professor started us off with a simple straight skirt. And draping can be good for this, but it can also be good for extremely intricate designs. This is not a sewing class; you simply pin and cut the fabric and the projects range from skirts to bodices.

FIT is a great place to learn, if that’s what you come there to do. A lot of people take these classes with other things on their mind besides what’s going on in the classroom. They come here for social reasons, as a way to get close to the city. And that’s fine. I respect that. However I personally came to FIT for the content, not the experience. And I find myself feeling a bit strange when all the other girls are talking and I am sitting in my corner working, but I know how seriously I take myself. And what I want is to be recognized for my talent, for my work ethic, and for the beauty that I will put into the world. In one of my favorite children’s books, Miss Rumphius, a young girl’s grandfather tells her one of the things she must do in life is make the world more beautiful. And that’s all we really want to do, us artists. We just want to make the world more beautiful.

Sophia


Posted

in

by