Dive deep in the world of Patterns during the MoMu Patterns Day
On Sunday 20 November, MoMu Highlights the Role of the Pattern Maker
October 25, 2022
On Sunday, 20 November 2022 MoMu will be all about patterns and pattern-making on the occasion of the exhibition Exploding Fashion: From 2D to 3D to 3D Animation. The programme includes talks by experts, guided tours and not-to-be missed workshops, in the library and in the fashion department of the Antwerp Academy.
Kaat Debo, director MoMu: 'This inspiration day highlights the role of the pattern maker. How a creative idea is ultimately transformed into a concrete result is often an underexposed process. Although the credit might all go to the designer, creating fashion is teamwork, and the pattern-maker also makes a major contribution to creating the design.
Inspiring talks
- Historian Caroline Evans and curator Alistair O'Neill initiated a research project that became the foundation for this exhibition. In dialogue with MoMu curator Romy Cockx, they explain the importance the project has for the study of fashion.
- Well-known British pattern-makers Esme Young and Patrick Lee Yow of Central Saint Martins are also arriving from London. They will be exploring pattern-making with the help of designs in the exhibition by Madeleine Vionnet and Comme des Garçons. It will be a practical demonstration of the principles of bias cutting and draping.
- MoMu staff member Dieter Suls provides further explanation about the why and wherefore of this ‘pattern-a-thon’ project and how the initiative helps MoMu make its study collection more accessible.
Exploding Fashion: From 2D to 3D to 3D Animation
The exhibition, Exploding Fashion: From 2D to 3D to 3D Animation, is of course the centre of attention. Guided tours of the exhibition are available to visitors to the Patterns Day. The exhibition is based on a research project at Central Saint Martins College in London that investigates pattern-making for 20th-century fashion. It primarily sheds light on the important role of the pattern cutter. In addition, it reviews, in reverse order, the production processes of five historic designs by pioneering fashion designers who were also innovative pattern cutters – Madeleine Vionnet, Charles James, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Halston and Comme des Garçons. The pieces are brought to life with digital technology, fully visualizing how they were developed and how they move on the wearers’ bodies.
‘Pattern-a-thon’ in the MoMu Library
For the Patterns Day, the MoMu Library will also be hosting a ‘pattern-a-thon’. During the event, participants will make patterns for articles of clothing of their choice from the MoMu study collection, then publish them on Wikimedia, where they can be consulted and used by all. In this way, MoMu visitors become engaged with heritage and help pass on that heritage. Everyone is welcome to come take a look – and discover the MoMu Library at the same time.
Workshops & Info Fair at the Antwerp Academy Fashion Department
There will also be workshops taking place in classrooms of the fashion department of the Antwerp Academy that are not normally open to the public. You can register to take part in this unique opportunity. You can also just drop in as an observer to watch the progress of the workshops.
- During the ‘How Can a Box Become a Garment’ workshop, Esme Young and Patrick Lee Yow guide participants in transforming a 2D material into a 3D object with unconventional forms. Here, pattern sections are replaced by flat cardboard boxes. There are never any right or wrong answers, as the focus is on creating interesting 3D shapes.
- In the walk-in 'Sustainable Textile Collage' workshop for families and children, an article of clothing and its life cycle will be carefully dissected, down to its constituent pattern pieces and smallest details. The various elements that result will then be used to create a gigantic textile collage.
Finally, visitors to the MoMu Patterns Day will be able to meet different partners who have links to patterns, including IVOC, Young Patterns, VDAB, Polygonal and Fibre Mood in an Info Fair with demonstrations.
Practical
Inspiration Day Patterns
Sunday November 20th 2022
The Patterns Day includes the following activities:
- MoMu Talks, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Advance registration for the talks in the MoMu Auditorium. Price: €5
- Guided tours (Lazy Sunday: Exploding Fashion & Collection presentation), from 1:30 PM: Explore the exhibitions with a MoMu guide
- Workshop: ‘How Can a Box Become a Garment’, from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Reserve a place in advance for the pattern-making workshop. Price: €25
- Free walk-in workshop for families and children, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM: Just drop in for the ‘Sustainable Textile Collage’ workshop. Bring along an old piece of clothing.
- ‘Pattern-a-thon’ demonstration, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Follow the ‘pattern-a-thon’ in the MoMu Library
- Info fair, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Become acquainted with IVOC, Young Patterns, VDAB, Fibre Mood and Polygonal
For more information and to register for Patterns Day activities, see momu.be
Partners:
IVOC
IVOC is the training center for the Belgian fashion and clothing industry. IVOC annually reaches about 3,000 employees through training and training support. The range of courses is extensive and consists of technical courses, but communication, commercial and other business themes are also covered. Even apart from company training, individual employees can turn to IVOC for training support ranging from language training, information technology and technology.
IVOC is not a government institution, but it is a private organisation. The operation of IVOC is financed mainly with resources from the sector itself.
More info: www.ivoc.be
YOUNG PATTERNS
Young Patterns started from the observation that the transition of the new generation to the fashion and clothing industry is difficult. This new generation are the under26s, students, recent graduates, job seekers and the young employees, generations Z. They have a different vision, a broader view and are constantly looking for variety and new challenges. In addition, the Belgian clothing and ready-to-wear industry faces significant challenges due to the aging population. Older workers are leaving the sector and the problem of finding sufficient suitable replacements has been felt in the sector for several years now. Less than 5% of employees are younger than 25, compared to double that across all sectors. The sector lacks this young talent and is thus mortgaging its own future. Today more than ever, companies must take their values into account and try to create a more dynamic and enriching working environment.
More info: www.youngpatterns.be
VDAB
The fashion and ready-to-wear courses at VDAB are intended for job seekers who want to retrain and deepen their knowledge of pattern drawing or production techniques for fashion. Through the training, candidates are better prepared and geared to vacancies from the fashion world.
Companies can also turn to VDAB for further training or specific training for employees. The courses are practical and make use of professional techniques. The objective is to obtain a deeper insight into fit and quality. Striving for greater creativity, flexibility and independence is the ultimate goal.
More info: www.vdab.be/opleidingen
FIBRE MOOD
Fiber Mood is a Belgian DIY fashion label with an international reputation. Five times a year we publish a magazine with 12 new high-quality patterns in 4 languages, bundled in a beautiful lookbook with strong images. But not only offline, Fiber Mood is also strong online: on the Fiber Mood website you will find the extensive library of PDF patterns that you can purchase separately. Discovering Fiber Mood is feeling at home in a community of like-minded sewistas with a passion for DIY fashion. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram and get inspired.
Make it yours, create, share & inspire.
More info: www.fibremood.com
POLYGONAL
Polygonal was founded by Lafkioui Samira, technical consultant in "Fashion", together with Vanroose Wim, professor of Applied Mathematics. Polygonal, develops an online platform for customizing, creating and sharing sewing patterns. It combines extensive experience of developing clothing and associated production process with expertise from mathematics, more specifically, algorithms and digital solutions.
The platform offers a digital workflow in the browser that starts with a drawing or a photo of a 2D pattern. Then connectivity information is added graphically. This results in a piece that can be visualized in 3D. Shape optimization algorithms are then added to personalize pieces to fit the user.
More info: www.polygonal.be
EUROPEAN FASHION HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
The European Fashion Heritage Association is an international hub, in which fashion GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums), brands, researchers and creatives can share experiences and best practices in the field of digitisation, open access, co-creation, reuse and valorisation of fashion heritage resources, contributing to the digital transformation in the sector and supporting the preservation and valorisation of tangible and intangible heritage connected to textile and fashion.
More info: www.fashionheritage.eu