Fashion Fusion

The Fashion Fusion course ran throughout September and October 2023 at the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum.

Merging the worlds of art, digital technology, and fashion, this 6-week course invited participants to draw inspiration from Heritage Doncaster collections to create digital fashion garments. Participants learnt cutting-edge digital artistry.

Paula

What inspired you in the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum?

The week we started the course coincided with the St Leger, therefore the horse-racing themed exhibits piqued my interest. I was also inspired by the intricate details of the workers smock, which essentially is a utilitarian garment.

What was your creative process like?

It started with a guided tour of the museum and a decision to be made about the subject of the design. Once I had decided on the Ladies Day theme my sketchbook provided the outlet for my ideas. I decided on the fabrics and taught myself to do the smocking to produce a sample. This was later imported into Clo 3D along with some pheasant feathers and faces from the painting. I was then introduced to Clo 3D where I developed the dress and headwear into a working model and played with the textures and fabrics to add to the opulence of the garment.

What have you learnt?

I have learned to design in a new way working with 3D design, which compared to my precious experience in CAD is more organic.

The Final Piece

The decorative finish and intricate details of the utilitarian workers smock, contrasted with the opulence of the gold cup and prosperousness of the patrons of the painting, were combined into a Ladies Day outfit. I used details from them all to elevate the smock into a work of art to be worn at the races. A rags to riches story!

You can use this dress as a snapchat filter.

The Yearling Sale

One of the most impressive pictures in the collection of Doncaster Museum Service, and certainly the most heavily populated, is this painting of a horse sale by Myles Birket Foster and Lowes Cato Dickinson. Painted in 1885, the picture shows a view of the Tattersall Sales Ring, which was situated on land near the site later occupied by Doncaster College in the Waterdale area of Doncaster. Surrounding the sales ring is a crowd of the great and good of the racing world, fashionably dressed and ready to bid for the horses.

Farm Worker Smock

Farm workers wore smocks like this one as outer garments. This example was one of the first objects acquired by Doncaster Museum in 1912, purchased for 10 shillings. The museum recognised the historical value of the object at a time when Doncaster was becoming increasingly urban and industrialised, and clothing such as this was becoming obsolete.

Janine

What inspired you from the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum?

When we were having the tour we were shown the railway collection. The tour guide jokes I would like to see someone make a dress based on a toilet. It was a rather ornate toilet. The concept amused me so I stepped up to the challenge. I was also particularly drawn to a glass work frog and wanted to incorporate that also.

What was your creative process like?

I did have to think of how to turn a toilet into a dress so I settled on inverting the shape and having the design work on the outside, thus giving the dress a bell shape. I don’t like using other people’s art work as that is their creation so I created a simplified version inspired by their ornate work. If I had more time I may have designed a more intricate design. I was happy with the design I came up with within the course time frame though.

What have you learnt?

The fundamentals of digital programs and once I started to become familiar with the digital process it was a lot of fun.

The Final Piece

I am really happy with what I created and I like the back of the bodice which is inspired by the glass frog the most.

You can use this dress as a Snapchat filter.

Toilet Bowl

An ornate toilet bowl from a small country station is one of the more unusual items in the Doncaster Grammar School Rail Collection. This toilet bowl comes from Drax station. The bowl features the inscription HBR Drax Station 1885. Whilst many stations provided toilet facilities for passengers, it is highly unusual to find a toilet bowl that is so ornate at such a small station as Drax. Drax station was on the Hull & Barnsley Railway – about 30 miles from Hull. It opened on 27 July 1885 when the line opened. Drax is a very small village and such a country station never attracted many passengers. The station closed in 1932 when passenger services were withdrawn from the Hull & Barnsley Railway. The name Drax is better known today in connection with the large Drax Power Station which is only a mile from the village. The story goes that the toilet bowl is so ornate because it was provided for the local landowner. It was one of the conditions for him allowing the railway to pass through his land although it is not clear whether he ever used the toilet.

Leanne

What inspired you from the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum?

Leanne has been inspired by the insects, butterflies and cabinet of curiosity displays within the pull out drawers and historic images that were shared with us, this is an area of interest as shehas her own personal collection.

What was your creative process like?

Further influenced by the historical fashion plates that we’re shared with the group, Leanne chose to create a modern corset that represented the shapes and colours found within her studies of the curiosities. She was able to drape on the stand to achieve the desired look, then took the patterns into the digital software where she was able to quickly add her hand drawn print and make adjustments until she was happy with the overall look. The digital garment was then made into a Snapchat filter and became available to share with a wider Global snapchat user.