Technology Research - QRcodes

Various uses of QRcodes:

http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/qr-code-integration

From marketing polys to gimmick messages places on various surfaces, QRcodes have been incresingly used since it's existance.

QR codes seem to be on the rise in the tech world but what about in the fashion world? Don’t self proclaimed “Fashionistas” of our generation deserve the same sort of information quickly and efficiently? Fashion changes daily, almost hourly on the fast paced runways of New York to the boards of Vogue Magazine. So, why not implement a tool that could potentially get fashion and trends out to the public quicker than ever?

QR codes are a fashion statement in itself, what with its little pixels placed so perfectly into a little square and with its very chic black and white design. It’s no wonder clothing companies like Ralph Lauren and Gucci are cashing in on these little “Haute Couture” gems.

Let’s say a fashion buyer is at a New York City fashion show at the Lincoln Center and they are waiting for an up and coming designer’s show to start. But before they sit down the buyer spies a QR code on a special boxed gift for each attendee of the fashion show from the designer. That QR code, after being promptly scanned by their trusty smartphone takes them to a bio about the designer, where she came from, how she became a fashion designer and even a sneak peak of some of the fashions. That designer has just piqued the interest of the buyer which makes them more inclined to buy clothing from that line and put the pieces in their upscale 5^th Avenue boutique.

Not only do QR codes work for the runways they are creating quite the buzz in department stores and stores like Express and Aldo. By having a special QR code in their stores, either at the front of the store or at the cash register stores like Express and Aldo can create a one of a kind fashion experience for the customer. The QR code could lead them to accessories that would look great with that new sweater they bought or entire outfit suggestions to get the customer to come back to their store to shop for that party of the year that customer is going to.

QR codes can also be generated to pique even more interest in that particular stores fashions by directing the customer who scanned the code to an interactive page where customers could build their own outfit or collect images that they like and then receive suggestions on what to buy in order to achieve that look. Not only that, but QR codes can bring them to a special events page or a coupon that promises a percentage off their next purchase. Larger fashion designers are evening offering a sweepstakes entry after a QR code is scanned. While fashion is ever changing so is technology and it is about time that they went hand in hand.

By Lisa Sanders

Model image from - http://www.inspirare.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1-Paper-Shape-Maria-Mrowca.jpg
Thinking about QRcodes on garments. I decideded this idea was too basic and from the research I have found it has already been done, before so I will continue with my research for a suitable theme.

PE Presentation Review

Were your aims / objectives clearly articulated visually and verbally? I explained well what process I was using to create my designs but may have been undecided when it came to what I was going to do with them next. I was advised to continue with fabrics and link it more with the life and death idea, for example using ethereal like and transparent fabrics to print on. And also looking at what you can further do with the accessories idea, or example attaching accessories to garments to contain ashes, or creating labels of memoires to the garments.
 
Did you include appropriate contextual references? Included relevant images that had been specifically picked out so they related to what I was talking about in my presentation but maybe needed more, which would be gained from more artist’s research so I could put artists between each process of my work so it linked better, and then I could have added more pictures of my own work. I could have also worked on the layout of the images more as they were a bit square and was not consistent throughout the slides, I could improve this by creating the images in Photoshop so I had a collage of my drawings and then put them in a slide.
 
How well did you explain your theme, idea or concept? Needed more thorough explanation of the wearing death idea. But it's still not a focused concept so it’s still quite open, just has an underlying theme. More practise of the presentation could have been beneficial as it didn’t quite flow, but nerves did make me forget some points at the beginning of the presentation.
 
Are your methods, techniques / lines of enquiry clear and challenging enough? Working outside of my usual process of taking photos and making them straight into a print, by creating more conceptual work. This involved more research and analysis, but also finding a way of translating my ideas into a visual print. I think I articulated quite well how I wanted to create more depth and dimension to my digital prints by using a range of media when I am drawing and then working into them after I have printed them.
 
How or will the project I am working on now relate to the next unit (Unit X)? I would possibly continue the idea and create flats of the printed garments or accessories into one or more collections.
 
Are you clear about the market or context of your work? Missed out mentioning a specific season being autumn winter if I was using wools or spring summer if I was using light and transparent fabrics, and the buyer profile = young fashionistas that aren't afraid to experiment and challenge to boundaries of fashion.

 

Samples

Skull Study 2

Skull Study

Exhibition and collaboration

I enjoy collaborating with others to create an exhibition or work on a project together. Having made a physical garment I plan on including it in an exhibition with my tutorial peers in a Manchester art gallery, as we have all influenced one another during this unit there are some things that can be linked together.

I am also planning on collaborating with a creative writer and logo graphics designer on a project in Manchester.

I would have it displayed something like this:

And then have 3 prints projected onto it and different angles. This is the reason why I kept the fabrics I used transparent or white to keep with my theme of light.

Further Development of my Light Theme Print

In keping with the reflective parts in the prints. I have included my safety pin samples into these ones for that quality that I want and then layered manipulated versions of my colour and sketch samples ontop.

Above: The developed  prinst sample from the two subtle prints that I did, I have increased the contrast and applied one of my wax and ink drawing on top. The wax and ink sample was inspired by the circuit boards in technology.

Above: This print is focusing on 'electrical spark' like spots of colour that I picked out of my dispersed ink samples and layered them to create a repeatable all over print.

Developing my Light Print

I began free transforming each motif one by one but I wanted it to follow a more controlled path.

So I created a scatter brush in Illustrator to get this effect. I also tried to see what it would be like with a graph paper like background, but I think this will make it look too mathematical.

 I will try projecting these two prints to see which is more effective or whether it even shows up or not.

The shapes idea was also slight inpired by Geometry Wars game:

I also took on board the feedback that I got from design competitions such as threadless, and kept it quite simple.

Reflection: This ended up being an element of my trend book, will still be projected onto my garment.

Empasizing my Theme of Light in Print

For this I have used the scans of the safety pin samples to inform the shape and the colours in light for the colour and placement.

I quite liked the contrast with the black background so I used the war tool to see what it would be like. Working off the phrase 'bending light'.

Above image by: http://neonblog.co.uk/2013/03/neon-life-in-bright-colours/

As light is a spectrum of colours the colour theme is very wide so I have picked out the shape of the prism that separates the colour in light as a motif.

Distorting the Body with Armour

Choosing Materials for my Garment Piece

Initially I started off with paper and split pins after seeing Una Burkes armour like pieces, and paper is easy to manipulate.

But after thinking about how I am to apply a print I think white paper would look good as a canvas for a projection or even to apply it with photoshop. This also made me experiment with acetate for it's light reflective properties. And I wanted to include done fabric manipulation after seeing the balloon stuffed suit. I also added tracing paper to the list of materials as it is between the two transparisies of paper and acetate.

Reflection:

As the acetate was hard to photograph I decided to put the fabric under it instead of on the surface and I also thought about the way I could have a light up fabrics with LEDs woven in or optic fibres attached to the acetate. 

Small final sample of optic fibre like acetate. This could be improved by using colour onto it if I only needed a temporary substitute for optic fibres for my photographs. 

Combining Light Theme for Print

With the samples I have already made I decided to try to put them together to see how they would work, however I don't think these samples were very successful as they printed out a bit too subtle.

Further Developing My Ideas Spider Diagram

I decided on furthering my idea of 'Contouring/Changing the Body Shape' to combine with my 'Light' theme, and I found the prosthetics theme to be quite interesting as it hasn't really been done before in fashion.