TUNIC DESIGN
Theme Investigation
The theme for my design process is elegant rococo style, specifically from Portuguese ceramic tiles. Every time I’ve traveled to Portugal to visit family I’ve been gravitated towards the murals and buildings made up of Portuguese tiles also referred to as Azulejos. “Azulejos are in Portuguese history for six centuries, being considered a historical heritage and a mark of Portuguese culture.” (Damas, Veiga, Faria, & Silva, 2018) These ceramic tiles are hand painted which can symbolize the artistic part of my family in my designs. My grandpa was the town's tailor and my great uncle would hand paint porcelain ceramics for Vista Alegre company in Portugal. The Portuguese tiles have seen and held the stories of my ancestors for decades. These elegant historical tiles originating from Portugal can represent my culture and share my ancestry.
Damas, A. L., Veiga, M. d. R., Faria, P., & Silva, A. S. (2018). Characterisation of old azulejos.
setting mortars: A contribution to the conservation of this type of coatings. Construction &
Building Materials, 171, 128–139. https://go.exlibris.link/WTBgKyNY
Technical Drawing & COLOUR CHOICE
PATTERN PIECES
All pattern pieces were made by me, starting with pattern blocks and then manipulating them in order to create the unique style of this dress. Seam allowance, grainline and notches are marked as well as the style number, size and number of pieces to be cut.
FINAL DESIGN
This dress has been stylized with pearl earrings, a gold chain necklace with dangling pearls and a cream purse with gold and pearl details as well. This elevates the theme I was aiming for; rococo elegance. A high slick back bun with a natural makeup look is chosen to not pull away the viewer's eyes from the dress, the main focal point. It also makes the model look very classy and chic.
This mermaid linen dress has a square neckline with a open back design which includes facing and an invisible zipper for closure. There’s four princess seams with seam allowances pressed open and top stitched with in-seam pockets! Silk navy fabric is sewn into ribbon form and woven through the sleev adding a contrasting texture to the linen. As the silk is woven through the sleeve it adds more curvature shapes to the design as well as the navy applique symbolizing the Portuguese tiles. Finally, at the bottom there’s a beautiful flounce at the bottom creating volume and shape.
