Fashion is not art, but Rick Owens comes close to blurring the boundary between the two. Undergraduate students in Fashion Design and Atelier Design had the opportunity to spend a day with Ahmad Daher, Ferragamo RTW Atelier Manager and former Rick Owens Head of Patternmaking, for an inspiring masterclass which showcased the artistry, beauty, functionality and practicality that can be discovered within this discipline.
Led by Ahmad Daher alongside fashion historian and Polimoda faculty member Aurora Fiorentini, the workshop guided students on a pattern making journey starting from two garments by Rick Owens, acquired by Polimoda as the first two pieces of AN/ARCHIVE’s collection.
The designer’s fascination with art manifests in the silhouettes of his creations. Fiorentini elaborated that one significant artistic influence is Dorothea Tanning. Born in Galesburg, Illinois in 1910, Tanning was a surrealist artist who lived for over a century. She worked as an illustrator, painter, printmaker, sculptor, and set and costume designer, producing artwork until her death in 2012. During the late 1960s, she crafted sculptures from fabric; voluminous, contorted forms made with textiles from charity shops and stuffed with wool. These pieces hauntingly echo human forms and were most famously assembled for the artwork Hôtel du Pavot, Chambre 202 (1970–73), where bodies appear to take over, breaking through the confines of the room. This proved particularly inspirational for Owens, evident in the bulbous soft forms of the jacket acquired by Polimoda for AN/ARCHIVE.
The anamorphic forms of Tanning’s installation are covered in diversely textured fabrics in varying hues from pink to grey to brown. The cape acquired by Polimoda for AN/ARCHIVE echoes the colors and textures of the installation and its softly curved angular shoulders mirror the anatomical shapes. The cape was greatly admired by the students, who noted its ability to instill a sense of power in whoever wore it.
Following the theoretical analysis of the pieces, Daher invited students to touch, feel, and try on the garments. This sparked an inquisitive burst of curious energy where questions were posed and discussions ignited.Â
The workshop proceeded with a shoulder construction exercise. Students were instructed to build a shaped and molded shoulder, like the ones of the cape, using moldable clay and cling film on the shoulder of the person. The students then fashioned their shoulders out of fabric, addressing any structural or compositional challenges encountered along the way.
The workshop offered an immersion into intricate pattern making via Polimoda’s new acquisitions for its archival space. This masterclass epitomizes the ethos of AN/ARCHIVE: a space where students can engage with professionals from the fashion industry for comprehensive, multidimensional study of fashion through physical interaction with garments that hold cultural and historical significance.
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@polimoda AN/ARCHIVE WORKSHOP: sculptural patterns with Ahmad Daher #fashionschool #fashiondesign #patternmaking #sculpture ♬ original sound - Polimoda
Contact
Workshop: Sculptural patterns is a component of the AN/ARCHIVE project, dedicated to advancing the study and appreciation of fashion as a cultural and artistic expression.
For those interested in learning more about our initiatives, participating in upcoming events, or exploring potential collaborations, detailed contact information and additional resources are available, please visit the AN/ARCHIVE page.
Cover image credits: Marco Gualtieri