Under the Microscope; Artist Research; Iris Van Herpen

The first designers work I'm looking to for inspiration is Iris Van Herpen's- Micro Collection.

Alot of Iris's work could relate the under the microscope theme however this collection was designed exactly on this topic, the collection is described on her website as;

Inspired by the pictures that science photographer Steve Gschmeissner took using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) technology, Micro zooms in on the world of microorganisms that is completely hidden from our sight.The pictures show specimens that are dead, dried, and chemically fixated to preserve and stabilize their structures. Van Herpen remains interested in the living organism. Her designs allude to armature, tentacles, cell structures, and plasma. Some seem moist others glow and move while being worn, coming to live on the body. 

www.irisvanherpen.com

what stands out to me from the images that I could use in my personal designs;

- bold structure

- circular shapes

- pastel/neutral shades

-muted tones

Fashion Foundation; Taster Day; Under the Microscope

calcareous phytoplankton

radiolarian

scale from a kettle

the scales of the wing from a peacock butterfly

euplotes protozoan

The first design project of the fashion foundation course is called 'under the microscope'. I don't think many people notice just how much goes on around them especially in the microscopic world, this project will allow me to view just how beautiful the unexpected can be, I will begin by looking and researching designers that have based their work on the theme of microscopic images. Along side that I will be collecting my own resources and specimens to inspect under the microscope when I return from the summer break, in September. From there I shall develop my idea's to eventually create a layered dress from my findings.

(images from here)