Feeling the Inspiration

Touch is one of our most important senses, both as observers and creators of fashion. Textures of garments really affect the overall impact those pieces exude and how we view them. A rough texture can make a garment appear more severe yet make it in a softer texture and the garment gives off a more feminine appeal.

For Prada's Spring 2013 RTW collection, the texture truly impacted the effect of the garments. The whole concept of the collection was the struggle between being strong and being feminine, a struggle which women find themseleves constantly  trying to find the balance for. Creating the pieces in smooth satin fabrics cut into structured shapes gave the garments a sense of severe yet feminine strength.

The textures Prada utilized in the collection could have been  inspired by many different areas of influence such as nature, art, home decor, and architecture.Here's my take on what could have inspired such an unconventional combination of textures used in Ms. Prada's collection:

SATIN SMOOTH

Satin Bower Bird

Satin Ribbon

Masu Box

Sandal Flatforms 

The smooth texture of the satin can be seen clearly on the runway with the way the lights reflect off the fabric. The bird, the satin ribbon and the masu box all give off that same shiny smooth gleam.

STIFF STRUCTURE




Cupcake Paper Holder




Japanese Architecture




Structured Design




Origami




Stiff Satin Manipulation



 






















The stiff structured texture Prada used for her collection is clearly demonstrated in how the satin fabric is manipulated into sharp points. This influence is clearly seen in the stiff appearance of the cupcake paper holder, the sharp stiff points of the Japanese building, the stiff design and the folded origami.

Texture is uber important when creating garments. What other influences do you think Prada drew from for the other textures used in the collection?