The idea of originality, my design archive, and I made a purse pattern!

Copying, influence, and making it your own

I remember back when I was going to art school, there was a big emphasis on originality and creating something that “no on has done before”. Not from the instructors - they have been around the block enough to know better, but it was this unspoken expectation from students and peers. Well, it was talked about in a way that was indirect, like you’d over hear people say “she totally copied Prada”.

The idea of an “original design” strikes me as somewhat absurd now days, especially in today’s fashion landscape, as well as other creative fields. Having worked in fashion for a bulk of my adult career, I’ve gained an understanding of how ideas and designs often undergo cycles of influence and reinterpretation. Designs being “copied” and reimagined repeatedly until, ultimately, they transform into something entirely different from the original influence. Fashion is a dynamic arena that thrives on the art of remixing concepts and evolving designs, which may explain why this industry moves at such a rapid pace. Additionally, this constant reimagining and recycling of ideas naturally sets the stage for reemerging styles and design ideas from decades past - but with modern updates.

My very first pattern drafting project as a teen. It was a horrible fabric choice, especially for a first project - an expensive silk velvet.

I am old enough to have experienced at least one era that I was heavily involved in, come back - the 90’s! During the 90’s, when I was just beginning to learn how to pattern draft, sew, and design clothing, I was really into designing 1940’s influenced fashion. While wearing baggy pants, and listening to grunge/alternative and 90’s hip-hop - I was learning to design collared tailored jackets. This may because there was some resurgence of swing dancing at the time, and also the movie Evita was released, that heavily influence fashion at this time.

During my college years, I was obsessed with using boning, which may seem old fashioned, but mine was a structural interest, rather than a wearable one. Drawing from the past and looking at the present, to the future is an essential part of art, and the realm of fashion. Being influenced and reimagining is essential to the design process - perhaps even copying.

Sculptural garments I made during my college days using boning.

Even though I’m suggesting that there is no such thing as a completely original idea - there is however, a major difference between blatantly copying someone else’s work and taking an existing design or idea and transforming it into something uniquely your own. This transformative process, I believe, is where the real creativity and innovation truly happen. Anyone can simply copy what they see, but true artists and designers possess the ability to take an existing idea and enhance it, simplify it, making it better and more original.

I made a digital purse pattern!

I’m very excited about this as it was my first try in creating a digital pattern that anyone can print out at home, tape together, cut out, and then use to create their own purse, pattern here. I also made a video tutorial here to either go along with my pattern, or for people to make their own version of it. Creating this digital pattern was definitely a learning experience, as I was trying out a software I haven’t used before, to translate my pattern onto a digital file. I started small because it was my first try - but wow, it was still very challenging. So many things to think about all at once to make sure that it’s a functioning pattern for everyone. Those who print in A4, letter, who use metric, imperial…. much respect for those who create patterns for download and sale.