So I was thinking . . . RTW . . . Ready-To-Wear . . . yeh, coats/jackets, “reconditioned” jeans . . . read “reconditioned” as patched, distressed, worn . . .
And D.I.Y. . . . maybe a DIY post about fabric recovery . . . that is, the how-to of gathering, the process necessary to assemble pieces of denim and other fabrics for a project . . . the cutting and lay-out (layering) of the fabric pieces.
Replication . . . in this piece – the replication and repetition of a “shape” similar to the layered bamboo in samurai armor . . . I’ll walk you through the “creative” process of the illustrated piece . . .
. . . back panel of the “faux” samurai armor vest . . . “bat” wing sleeves to be added to finished piece.
Reference material:
. . . more images, if you’re interested.
Close-up of the upper section of the “armor” piece.
The blank “canvas” . . .
Stuff for consideration . . .
I do consider things like color value, texture and size when layering the pieces of fabric on the support panel . . .
Another view of the stitched back panel of the “faux” armor vest.
. . . lots of loose ends to be tied up.
Initially the question was: What do I make with all the frayed cuffs from the denim jeans? I don’t mean to suggest that this is or will be SOP for ALL pieces of denim of this type . . . there were several stitched-together, frayed layers that had been lying about for some time and it wasn’t until I saw a post with a samurai warrior in traditional armor with the Chanel logo that the use for the rectangular pieces of frayed denim “popped” . . . Why not use the frayed stuff to visually imitate the bamboo slats? Not “inspiration”, but “soft” interpretation or translation of a cultural item using the materials at hand, a “bricolage” if you will – a “bricoleur” is one who creates an object or symbol using available materials or media – in this situation, use of the salvaged frayed bottoms of denim jeans to imitate or suggest the slats of bamboo armor. Wiki definition is here . . .
Other “compositions” in the shop are reminiscent of aerial photographs of landscapes with different types of soils and vegetation.
rag works 