The Period Spencer
This spencer is empowering women by breaking the stigma and taboo around menstruation. Instead of censoring an d portraying it as a weakness, this spencer acts as a soft shield for the female warrior.
FIRST DRAWING / BALENCIAGA CONNECTION
For this design I was orienting on Balenciaga's signature design language of body covering, tight fitting clothing. To combine this with my teams concept of empowering women by celebrating their softness as a strength, I gave the spencer a deeper meaning of representing a tampon, the ombré gradient from red to white representing menstruation. Like this I want to follow the team concept of celebrating women's softness as a strength and break the stigma and taboo around periods.
PATTERN DRAFTING / CLO PROTOTYPE
To create the pattern for the spencer I drafted it in CLO3D, using a fabric which is similar to a knit, and like that being able to simulate the potential final outcome.
YARN SELECTION / KNITTING SAMPLES
To achieve a smooth transition I mixed the two different yarns instead of switching from one to another (as seen above). To get a lot of different textures and patterns within the knit, I did multiple different skip stitches (as seen on the right).
For the yarn selection I looked at a lot of different yarns with different properties, to achieve a lot of different textures within the spencer to make it contemporary. I made a big selection of colors from a gradient from white to red. I sorted them in an order to make it a smooth transition and ombré.
Like that I made the very first sample of the ombré. This experiment helped me see which parts I liked, what color transition looked good and where I could improve things.
CLO3D / TEXTURING
With a photo of the first knit sample I made a texture to add on CLO3D. I made a render of the knit to get a picture of what my final spencer could look like.
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SAMPLE / CORRECTIONS
After evaluating my first knit sample, I made a second "full size" sample and noted down every single step and technical information. After I put this swatch on a mannequin to see how it would be like as a spencer. As it was a bit too long for my pattern I noted down improvements and corrections on the technical steps to make it the ideal knit for my spencer.
1st FITTING / SAMPLE
To see how knitwear would act with my pattern and zipper I purchased a 2nd hand knit sweater to make a sample for my final knit. Because I was planning to have a tight turtleneck I planned to add a zipper. After seeing the sample the zipper looked really out of place to me and I decided for the final one I would not add a turtleneck and a zipper but instead have a whole piece of knit.
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As feedback I received that I should add a very big rib for the hem of the spencer. I also received the advice to finish the collar with a rib and to not make a turtleneck. For the headpiece I received the advice to come up with a cleaner closing, and to knit it in the right length and width so I would not have to overlock.
2ND FITTING / SAMPLE
For the final I knitted the front and the back panel, following the steps I noted down. For the hem I knitted a rib separately so it could act as a securing tight hem under the chest. For the collar I knitted a rib as well. To have a clean finishing at the armholes I knitted bands to hand stitch on the armholes like bias tape. For the headpiece I made the decision to close it with a metal buckle, so the tightness can always be adjusted.
