Iron Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design · 2022
Kinematic Konnection Garment
by Anna Vescovi
- A' Design Award 2022 Iron Winner in Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Anna Vescovi
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 26,740
- Verification code 6B59862CB3 · Verify this award
About Kinematic Konnection Garment
Kinematic Konnection is a garment made from laser cut acrylic pieces. Hundreds of gold jump rings join roundels measuring one inch by one inch, cut from smoke colored acrylic sheets. The pattern was calculated mathematically, and sample variations were tested to millimeter accuracy to set the ideal width and thickness. The glossy surface returns subtle reflections, much like a mirror. The joinery balances movement with weight, referring to the pressure of unrealistic standards of physical image in ballet. The linked structure also allows pieces to be added or removed to adjust the fit.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The Kinematic Konnection garment is comprised of laser cut acrylic pieces, deliberately designed to parallel the weighted nature of the ballet industry and the struggle of fitting unrealistic cosmetic standards of physical image. The garment pattern is constructed mathematically in the Adobe Creative Suite, meticulously comprised of intentional juxtaposition. Unlike the flow of fabricated textiles, this garment pushes technical boundaries through contrast of kinetic freedom and restriction.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Acrylic roundels measures 1"x1", cut from four 12"x18" sheets. I'd calculated 30 excess roundels in the event of additive alterations for length or width of the garment if necessary. Inclusivity is an underlying theme; with joinery, one size fits all with customized additions or reductions. With fabric, there is often little room for a one-size-fits-all ability when tailored for traditional measurements. This garment computes 3.5' in length & 2.8' in hip width, made specifically for our model.
- Tags
- kinetic, garment, structure, fashion, reflection, textile, acrylic, lasercut, material, innovation
- Production Technology
- Adobe Suite files were digitally arranged to include roundel shapes with interior hole dimensions. Sample variations were created in order to arrive at the ideal width, size and thickness for the garment pattern. Sample considerations were paired down to the millimeter with the best result selected for the final cut. The finalized template is then laser cut into individual pieces from a 12"x18" "smoke" colored acrylic sheet, prepared to be joined with hundreds of assembled gold jump rings.
- Design Challenge
- One of the greatest challenges were the mathematical calculations of this garment. Following several laser cut test prototypes, I'd noticed the heat of the laser beginning to warp the acrylic towards the end of the job. Calculating the distance of the joinery holes from the edge of the roundels, the ideal mm width of the jump rings, warping preventions, the exact amount of acrylic sheets needed with safety excess and the mathematical alterations for the model's dimensions was a tedious task.
- Project Duration
- This project began in Georgia, USA in May of 2021 and was completed three months later at the end of the summer. It was then captured in-studio at Savannah College of Art & Design's Adler Hall.
- Operation Flow
- One of the most captivating elements of this garment is its play of light; the glossy surface returns subtle reflections, just as a mirror would. Kinematic Konnection balances fluidity with weighted restriction; joinery techniques serve as the metaphorical juxtaposition between freedom and confinement. The purpose of this garment is to provoke an awe-inspiring allure of constructed elegance imagined from heavier subject matter of mirror-gazing.
- Research
- A second career in design opened my eyes to the extent of traumas contingent on what psychologists call "mirror-gazing." Research on Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) stems from studies with the British Journal of Clinical Psychology, medical podcasts and discussions with doctors at Boston Behavioral Medicine. Mirror-gazing is an almost unavoidable complication, ingrained as unrealistic standards of living. Social research includes interviews with Simon Biles, Laurie Hernandez and Kathryn Morgan.
- Inspiration
- This garment, part of my senior thesis, is inspired by the 15 years I'd spent dancing under international ballet companies. Dancers in training dedicate 75-80% of their waking lives to mirror-gazing. Over 28,000 hours of my own life have been spent analyzing my reflection. Textiles' reflective materiality conveys physical and emotional confinement. Scandinavian principles of minimalist craftsmanship lay the aesthetic ground-work for this garment, voiced through appreciation of textile design.
- Image Credits
- Image #1 : Patrick Cox
Optional Image #2: Patrick Cox
Optional Image #3: Patrick Cox
Optional Image #4: Patrick Cox
Optional Image #5: Patrick Cox
Film Credits: Patrick Cox
Colors of Kinematic Konnection Garment
Design Interview about Kinematic Konnection Garment
Through the narrative voice of textiles, Kinematic was designed as a means to connect psychology with properties of tactility. My overarching academic thesis, Mirror Mirror, analyzes the juxtaposition between past and present through freedom and confinement with the process of joinery serving as an allegorical parallel to my ballet career. As a former professional dancer, the joy of ballet I’d once known as a child dissipated under contractual obligations of an aesthetically oriented industry. The material process of joinery is intended to restrict the form in a way which prohibits motion, symbolizing the complex internal feeling of entrapment experienced in my career. The surface, however, remains elegant, symbolizing the poised complexion of a ballet dancer. Despite the dark undertones of the collection, the completion of this undertaking has encouraged reconciliation with the past, perfectly timed as I embark on my professional career into the world of textiles.
The primary intention of Kinematic was to push the boundaries of surface development. The process of designing these garments is incredibly intricate; the particular elements of Kinematic are customized exclusively for its pattern through defining factors such as size, weight and textile technique. The adaptation to cutting edge machinery and engineered development remain critical aspects in unveiling uncharted facets of material evolution.
Kinematic remains on display for the moment and is appreciated by students, faculty and visiting industry professionals from Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New York Times. Aside from galleries and exhibits, there are no specific plans for this garment. It remains not only a defining work in my textile repertoire, but is one of the most flattering garments of the series. Despite its current role as a display piece, it may be rented for upscale events and carpets upon special request.
Speaking on behalf of individual garments, each design varies through factors relative to garment scale, size of the laser cut pieces, intricacy of the assembled pattern and external factors such as postal shipping and handling. I work alone as an independent designer so the complex process from start to finish is created with one mind, two hands and a great deal of patience.
I had begun my joinery work with small swatches, eventually leading to the casual creation of wearable tops for friends and the occasional customer. Through the success of these pieces, I had begun to imagine other potential applications such as bags, pants, cocktail dresses and evening gowns. As COVID began to settle, outsourcing proved less cumbersome and fabricated resources became more accessible. This timing allowed me to pursue more advanced endeavors to which the Kinematic Garment was born.
The design and rights of The Kinematic Garment and proceeding collections remain under ownership of my independent studio, Anna Vescovi Design.
When it came to the potential of joinery design, I was curious as to how its material properties could be pushed to new realms. When speaking on behalf of Kinematic, ethics come into fruition with joinery's strategic one-size-fits-all approach. Throughout my ballet career, I’d understood corseted costuming’s restrictive fabrications to prohibit movement and snuff self-expression. Joinery presents malleable properties, elegantly designed for all shapes and sizes. Such capabilities are made possible with simple alterations in adding or removing assembled pieces. A single garment possesses the all-powerful ability to fit any individual without damage to the attire, revolutionizing fashion fabrics from the self-deprecating qualities of unforgiving debilitation.
Paco Rabanne is one of the first high-profile designers to use joinery as a means of unconventional high-fashion application. As an architect turned couturier, his approach to dressing the physique is heavily material-based with an emphasis on form and structure. Just as Rabanne contributed his knowledge of architecture to dress-making, I come from a place of physical awareness, knowledge of kinetics and heightened sense of the physical form as it relates to psychology.
Rabanne’s creative investigations with joinery are exceedingly vast; leather, metal scraps, lozenges and plastic were pieced together in a variety of shapely structures and forms. One of the reasons the new wave of open-minded it-girls flocked to Rabanne’s vision was his ability to re-write couture as imaginative and accessible to all. The power behind his theatrical garments exceeded beyond the image, instead taking a deep-dive into a realm of empowered physical embodiment.
Rabanne’s creative investigations with joinery are exceedingly vast; leather, metal scraps, lozenges and plastic were pieced together in a variety of shapely structures and forms. One of the reasons the new wave of open-minded it-girls flocked to Rabanne’s vision was his ability to re-write couture as imaginative and accessible to all. The power behind his theatrical garments exceeded beyond the image, instead taking a deep-dive into a realm of empowered physical embodiment.
Kinematic is a one-off piece and was initially intended as a trial attempt at large-scale joinery. Upon its successful completion, Kinematic serves as a technical guideline for the sizing standards of the series of proceeding garments.
The Kinematic Garment remains timeless, showcasing the form in a way which has been hailed tastefully seductive. This piece is one of the simplest garments to date and was intended purely as a prototype for the production of future garments. Despite Kinematic's modest intentions, it has become one of the most elegant forms as a result of intelligent pattern design.
According to Britannica, "Kinematic" implies a branch of physics and a subdivision of classical mechanics concerned with the geometrically possible motion. As I was piecing the roundels together for the garment's pattern, the undulating motion of the joinery was beautifully dynamic, radiating glistening ripples of reflected light.
The Kinematic Garment has been made possible with several cutting-edge tools which contribute to intricacy of the complete design procedure. The Adobe Suite is used to ideate, sketch and comprise digital elements of the work in progress. Those files are converted into applications for the digital lab to which laser cut elements for garment materialization are produced. From there, the process is far more rudimentary, only requiring jewelry pliers and a few thousand jump rings.
There are two intricate design elements which subtly contribute to the magic of Kinematic. The laser cut pieces are not black, but a translucent gun smoke grey. This feature not only reflects light, but appears sheer when back-lit. The second detail is a logo, laser-etched and filled with gold leaf which sits on the attachment piece at the nape of the neck. This subtle moment is sentimental as it incorporates a thoughtful personal touch.
The Kinematic Garment has been imagined, designed and assembled with my own two hands. When it came time to time to bring the piece to life, I credit my skilled team of photographers, videographers, set designers, assistants, makeup artists and models for their contributions to my vision.
Technology plays a crucial role in my collection design process. Much of the digital software I employ works to create the individual shapes which formulate the joinery material of the garment. When I first began experimenting with joinery, I tried several unique surfaces with acrylic properties serving as the best possible solution. Once selecting the acrylic type, Illustrator files are customized for ideation, sketching and composing digital elements of the individual joinery shapes. Those files are processed through high-tech machines to which laser cut elements for garment materialization are individually produced. Kinematic’s form is joined by a few hundred roundels of the same surface properties.
Ideation is paramount when considering color, pattern type and surface properties. These are what I consider the "decorative" elements of a design and are often guided by recent runway shows, both recent and classic cinematography, styling techniques, editorial shoots and relative callouts from media influencers. These sources don't necessarily define my creative decisions, but help guide the relative aesthetic direction.
When it comes to technology and process work, I've devoted my literary studies to memoirs of impactful designers like Paco Rabanne. Understanding innovative movements of Celtic chainmail throughout fashion history help define the garment’s technical standpoint.
When it comes to technology and process work, I've devoted my literary studies to memoirs of impactful designers like Paco Rabanne. Understanding innovative movements of Celtic chainmail throughout fashion history help define the garment’s technical standpoint.
The Kinematic Garment was the first large-scale joinery design of the series, paving the way for the extension of my collection. When I first began my journey with joinery, I worked on simple acrylic blouses which remained rudimentary in structure. The leap into full-scale garmentry presented unanticipated challenges which had been discovered through early sampling processes.
I hadn't initially considered weight when working with a smaller scale, but had become an imperative feature to address in full length garments of exponential mass. The acrylic I employ ranges in thicknesses between 1/8" and 1/16". Naturally, the acrylic with thicker properties weighs twice as much, which can easily complicate the inclusive mass of a large-scale garment. The main challenge lies in curating stable and supportive linkage around the décolletage and shoulders of heavier, more complex garments.
I hadn't initially considered weight when working with a smaller scale, but had become an imperative feature to address in full length garments of exponential mass. The acrylic I employ ranges in thicknesses between 1/8" and 1/16". Naturally, the acrylic with thicker properties weighs twice as much, which can easily complicate the inclusive mass of a large-scale garment. The main challenge lies in curating stable and supportive linkage around the décolletage and shoulders of heavier, more complex garments.
Traditional American innovation, specifically within fashion, is delayed about two years from the progressive ideas centralized in the heart of the European design scene. American designers with a progressive outlook often find themselves misunderstood by the media and customer market. Avant-garde, couture and unconventional fashion thrives in Europe due to the industry's forward-thinking mindset.
I had initially discovered A'Design through social media when searching for a means to garner international exposure through my discoveries with joinery. A'Design has remained an incredible source of support and exposure, providing designers of all walks of life with a celebrated voice. As a novice within the creative community, I have been warmly welcomed by A’Design with open arms.
I had initially discovered A'Design through social media when searching for a means to garner international exposure through my discoveries with joinery. A'Design has remained an incredible source of support and exposure, providing designers of all walks of life with a celebrated voice. As a novice within the creative community, I have been warmly welcomed by A’Design with open arms.
It seems that I've mastered the art of patience through artisanal handiwork. Joinery's tedious process is incredibly intricate and mustn't be rushed due to its fragile nature and mathematical precision. In the modern age of fast-paced media trends followed by the urge to meet the expeditious expectations of the design industry, I've learned to accept the art of slowing down and to righteously absorb this historic technique with love and ruminative intention.
I can be contacted formally through LinkedIn or the website contact form at AnnaVescoviDesign.com. For more casual requests, my social media direct message platforms are always available.