Made In Britain

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 Chris Lee

Having held many positions within the design industry, Chris Lee is a perfect inspiration to fashion students. We have been set an assignment relating to British sport entitled "Made In Britain". As part of the brief, Chris gave a presentation, showing film footage and examples of the styles of product he would like us to design for him. With the product name, "The British Racing Company",

the brief includes full research into a chosen area of sport during the years 1901 to 1940. Following this, the objective is then to design a full outfit, along with branding, logo and packaging, taking influence from this particular era and adapting it to a modern day style.

These pictures show Chris during his presentation displaying different types of coats or jackets, with different styles of pockets and techniques, of which each are purposely positioned on the garment.

Research


My chosen subject for this assignment is connected to the military, so my first stop for research was the Museum of Liverpool in the Pier Head. There is a collection there called "City Soldiers", which tells the story of the Kings Regiment and was formed in 1685. It was a Liverpool regiment from 1881, and was One of Britain's oldest. 

Museum of Liverpool

The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment cap and badge from 2006.
This was originally the King's Regiment, The King's Own Royal
 Border Regiment and The Queen's Lancashire Regiment,
 all of which amalgamated in the year above.

 Amogst an array of military memorabilia lies decades of retrospection and records of evocative events. The display consists of uniforms, medals, weapons and helmets from many different decades. There is also featured stories about particular items donated to the Museum. 

A modern uniform made from light coloured camouflage material
This is one of the many variations known as "desert disruptive pattern".

Modern uniforms consist of the now famous camo prints designed specifically for particular enviroments such as woodland, desert and urban. However, camouflage was originally used during the first and second world war to hide guns and vehicles. It wasn't until the 1960's that the print was widely used  amongst regiments, advancing to uniforms, becoming prominent in the 1980's.

Military wear used in Korea in 1953,
 designed to withstand harsh weather conditions.

Riot control clothing from 1974-5 which was worn
by the Kings Regiment.

Despite the modern designs and chemically treated fabrics, my assignment is based on the military during the the years 1900 to 1940. So although I looked at different uniforms from many eras, I could only take minor inspiration from them and concentrate more on the natural fabrics used in uniforms. Alongside this, inspirational ideas came from not just the clothing, but also any kind of memorabilia from this era, given the fact that I also need to design labels for branding and packaging, and a bag needs to be created to add to my designs.

Battle dress jacket with webbing.

During the first half of the 20th century, battle dress consisted of plain earthy coloured fabrics made from natural woollen materials. There was no sign of the camo prints of today. Webbing was used to carry equipment during battle, and is basically sturdy packs attached to a belt and harness, leaving the soldiers arms free for other uses. The packs would contain item essentials, such as a canteen of water, mess tins, rations, a torch, a compass and binoculars, to name but a few. They were made out of a strong woven cotton which replaced leather belts and pouches, reducing the amount of weight to carry.

The same jacket displayed next to
a more recent mess jacket, worn by CSM Craig Horner.
Mess jackets are worn for formal dining occasions but the same
style was worn originally in battle in the 19th century.

Braiding on a vintage uniform jacket.

The badges on this tunic  from the 1st Volunteer battalion,
show that it belonged to a stretcher bearer,
 and was best company shot, serving for at least 20 years.

A Pith helmet, worn in the late 1800's to early 1900's. It was made from the pith of plant stems and was worn in hot climates to reflect the heat.

My son modelling the Kevlar helmet. This helmet is worn today as camouflage in the desert. Kevlar is a modern material that has been adapted to make it very strong, yet light in weight.

The Brodie helmet was worn during the first world war in the trenches during battle. Made from steel, it protected the wearer from sustaining injury from bullets and shrapnel. Inside you can see the sturdy construction for protecting the head using natural fabrics such as leather and srong woven canvas.

The rucksack gave me some inspiration for creating a bag to accompany my Made In Britain designs. Next to the rucksack was a little flask. This had straps attached either side and would probably fit inside the rucksack, or stored inside the webbing during battle.  

I looked at other items such as guns, drums, badges and medals, to determine any styles and colours I may introduce to my assignment.

On the whole, the museum gave me a little insight into military wear and paraphernalia, their uses, for me to develop design ideas from. The medals, for instance, are inspiration for items like fastenings, or labels and tags. Stripes are usually representative of ranks, and I can envisage the of a stripe, or stripes, somewhere on my design, not neccessarily on the arm of a coat or jacket. The quality of the fabrics will be important also, and military garments are well made, especially their "number one dress", referring to the smartest of uniforms for events such as weddings. Bearing this in mind, my research at the museum was done, and although I had not finished, or even started, my designs, I had an adequate concept of my Made In Britain designs.

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Visit to London 

We travelled to London for the day for the purpose of extending our research development, and to observe the amazing garments constructed in Savile Row. The day was very eventful, first visiting a well known vintage shop, then moving on to Selfriges. We even took a few pictures of of local men and their style of dress. Those who agreed to participate, of which there were few, were dressed very smart and obviously purchased their clothing from high end bespoke tailors.

The Vintage Showroom

The Vintage showroom was a very interesting experience, housing various vintage sporting attire and accessories, from aviation to motor sports. The Items I concentrated on were, of course, related to the military, be it army, navy or airforce. There were numerous items for me to research, from jackets to boots, from bags to badges, and hats and helmets. Most of the fabrics were natural, and had at one time been worn for a practical purpose, even fancy garments. Alot of the coats were simply made for warmth, but were made exeptionally well, some made by tailors exclusive to military wear. The medals provided me with ideas for buttons, or labels, and the stripes on the uniforms could be adapted and incorporated into my designs. 

This military hat was made by Gieves of London, a tailors that specialise specifically in military wear. Although this is old and worn, it has been made to the best standard, as tailors on Savile Row generally do.

This navy and gold military jacket was a very beautiful and elaborate garment. I loved the detail on the front of the jacket, the visual complication of entwining braid and meticulous positioning of it, even on the rear of the jacket. 

The rear of the jacket shows more elaborate braiding detail
, typical of earlier military design.

This 1920's Royal Navy coat had magnificent detail on the cuff. The gold metallic feature actually is partially made from gold, and the buttons bear the kings crest. This shows the importance of the wearer, and how high his position within the Navy would be.                                                                                          

                                                                       The badge on this military beret would determine the regiment it belongs to. The fabric is all natural wool with leather trim.   

This military reverse parker had wonderfully large pockets and double topstitched seams. It revealed a pile liner underneath, and evoked design ideas for a winter collection.

A vintage backpack made from heavy cotton canvas fabric
with leather binding and buckle fastenings.

A selection of vintage bags made from various fabrics, including canvas and leather, were displayed in the showroom. Looking at each design showed different techniques and fastenings, some with sections for storage inside and bound with leather. 

A leather military style bag with outside pockets
and studs underneath.

The inside of the leather bag exposes an area of storage
partitioned by the leather inserts.

This military rucksack would be an ideal inspiration
for my Made In Britain bag design.

 A French vintage tunic from the Vintage Showroom is a perfect example of how the armed forces, English or otherwise, had their garments made to last. The fabrics are, and were, hardwearing and well sewn, with extra pockets for a particular purpose, not just for show. The design of the pocket was also important. It would have to have been made to contain items of importance, and generally had flaps so items could not fall out of the pocket. 

The legs on these jodpurs are made large around the thigh to allow for extra movement enabling the wearer comfort whilst riding a horse at various speeds. 

The belt loops are large and the seams are topstitched giving the garment extra sturdyness. The laces and eyelets allow the wearer to pull the base of the trouser legs as tight, or loose, as they wish.

Buttons and belts were a plenty in the showroom. Many of them were of interest to me, possibly to use within my design, or to use the colours or the shapes within. 

Savile Row

During our London visit, we went to one of the most famous streets in the world, well known for tailoring, where Kings and Lords alike would travel the world for traditional, tailored, bespoke suits, coats and jackets. The shops were full of elegant clothing made from beautiful fabrics, from designer wear to military styles. Most of the shop owners would not allow pictures to be taken within the shop, but even from the street, the photographs highlighted the fantastic quality of the displayed items. I selected images from "the Row" that communicated similarities to a military design, whether it was just a pocket, an embellishment, or even just the appropriate fabric.

Richard Anderson

 The beautiful fabrics and the style of the coats in the window of Richard Anderson, were amongst the many garments that I thought would be useful within my research, to aid me with my personal design. The length and shape of the coats was similar to what I envisaged, and the fabrics were of a wonderful strong quality. The flapped pockets were a possible concept within my finished form.

Henry Poole & Co

Henry Poole & Co appeared to advertise casual outer wear in their window display. In one window, the jacket with large pockets and patched shoulders appeared to be some kind of hunting jacket. The bottle in the window containing what appeared to be alcohol, along with the umbrella and rucksacks, would also suggest hiking or treking in the countryside, visiting country pubs. In the other window, jackets accompanied by scarves and a vintage bicycle prop, gave an impression that the wearer would experience much comfort in casual and daily activity during the colder   months of the year. 

Hardy Aimes

Although the picture does not show very good lighting or detail, the jacket was a typical design for Autumn and Winter, with high quality fabric and immaculate stitching. I liked the collar shape, and I would like my collar design to be quite similar, but maybe larger.

Huntsman

The large overcoats in the Huntsman tailors shop were a good source for me to base any ideas of a long military coat I would design. The welt pockets, perfectly constructed, show high class tailoring. 

Dege & Skinner

Dege & Skinner are a highly reputable company that specialises in military wear. For over 150 years, they have continually made uniforms, as well as suits, for special occasions. Even today, they visit Sandhurst, The Royal Military Academy, weekly, to measure officers for fittings. This was of great interest to me as my chosen sport for my assignment was military. The trim detail and exquisite form of the jacket was prominently displayed. Beneath ground level, you could see some of the tailors at work, constructing pattern peices, measuring and cutting. Being around for over a century and whilst observing the workers below the shop, I felt I had witnessed a spectacular moment, one which has never changed in many years.

 Alexander McQueen

The fabulous designs within Alexander McQueen's shop were amazing, to say the least. My favourite was one that was presented in the window. Using two different colurs of the same fabric, geometric shapes were cut and stitch together to construct the jacket, which gave a unique appearance and a very stylish design. I instantly thought I would keep this composition in mind for my military coat.

William Hunt

The man working in William Hunt, kindly allowed me to photograph some of the amazing high end bespoke suits within his establishment. When walking into the shop, you are presented with a welcoming atmosphere of high society, a baby grand piano as the focal point, lit by dazzling chandeliers. The ornate fabrics of some of the suitings reflect this, and in the corner behind a long, theatrical curtain, sits an archaic chair which was once used in a photoshoot for O.K magazine with Victoria and David Beckham. 

 40 Savile Row

The jacket in this window was quite simply, a jacket made to a high standard and expensive, to say the least. The roll collar displayed a beautiful subtly patterned fabric adding a flawless detail to the overall attire.

Davies & Son

 

More elegant jackets, one that displayed sumptuous red lining and the other shoeing a frog style fastening made from cord. This cording technique was also delicately placed above pockets. This was reminiscent of a military fastening on military dress.

Gary Anderson

The brightly lit windows of Gary Anderson exhibits a slightly colourful array of shirt and suiting. On looking at the overall display, it reminded me of a 1930's collection, possibly because of the long black and white coat with contrasting lining and welts on the pockets.

 Maurice Sedwell

Advertising leather wallets, Maurice Sedwell's display demonstrated a hint of sporting activities with the help of a rather large polished tyre and a painting of a sports car in motion. This would appear to portray the versatility of their jackets, portraying freedom and class. The colours were bright and would suggest the wearer would feel comfort and importance.

 

Selfridges

We entered Selfridges to research more designer styles within the high end department store. The purpose was to look at the different techniques and fabrics used for particular garments, and the functions of pockets, collars and fastenings. There were a few styles I was interested in, and I particularly admired the leather strip on a jacket by Valentino. Other designers included Dries Van Noten, a Belgian fashion designer and Rick Owens from America. 

Street Style

Asking young men to stop while I took a picture of them may have seemed quite strange to them, but as I explained, it was necessary to determine popular styles and fabrics. What better place to achieve this than on the streets of London. Even an elderly gentleman was willing to partake.

Branding

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 Branding is a very important part of the design process. It can determine how your garment sells, just by how well it is portrayed, or advertised. I have looked at medals, dogtags, logos and other items with the notion that they would aid me in my attempts to create my own logos, swing tags and packaging for my assignment.

Dogtags, or identification tags, were issued to British soldiers during world war 1 and were originally made from fibre. It was the American troops who first used the metal, elongated tag as we know today. The idea of dogtags used for swing tags, would be productive and apt for the given theme. Instead of the identity information a soldier would have, such as date of birth, the tags would provide information giving the design name and number, the season and company name.

World war two British Armed Forces
 1939-1945 star medal

The British Military Medal GV WW1
 for bravery in the field

Medals are very decorative on soldiers who have been awarded for specific acts of service. They often bear a royal crest. I looked at medals, buttons and flags to try and conjur new ideas for my swing tags. I like the thought of using an engraved piece of metal, resembling a badge or medal, for a unique design on a swing tag.

Duram Light Infantry brooch

Royal Air Force emblem

36th Hertfordshire Regiment Officers
 shoulder belt plate

I looked at various types of labels. I particularly focused on the colour or materials they were made from, imagining what kind of techniques I could use to produce my own. 

 

Tags from Blow, a Hong Kong based fashion design studio
specialising in branding, prints and packaging.

I liked the metallic effect on card, giving a classic look to the tag, and allowing any lettering to protrude from the surface. I also thought the idea of words engraved on particular surface would prove very productive, and would show my determination in trying different techniques.

Engraved leather tags.

                                                                                                                                                                                    I then turned my attention to laser cutting, a tecnique that I would most definitely enjoy within my designs, or at least my research. The effect is beautiful, clear and perfectly cut images or letters looks highly professional, displaying a sharp edge to any product.  This tree tag inside an envelope was created using a laser cutting machine. The image needs to be opened in a file on a computer that is connected to the machine, then relevant details are programmed in for the laser cutter to begin. 

Laser cut tree stump brooch

A laser cut feather.

Woodland locket laser cut with a
leafy pattern. Could be an idea for
 a box tag.

Metal cut with
 helvetica type face.

Laser cut business cards.

The style of vintage logos and luggage labels are appropraite for the era used within the brief. The aged appearance and old print detail is a good way of communicating this, but these are only ideas. Even modern style labels with a vintage presence would correspond to existing designs.

Metal tags would look really exquisite as swing tags, or even bearing a logo on my bag. Although laser cutting the metal would look amazing, engraved lettering or logos would also look good. Going back to the dog tags, this would definitely show a military presence.

During a visit to Paris, we attended the fabrics fair at Premire Vision. This enabled us to collect some samples and observe innovative print techniques and designs. WQe also took a few pictures of buckles, labels and tags, some engraved and others laser cut. This was helpful in deciding how to incorporate these techniques into our bag designs.

Swing tags, buckles and labelsdisplayed at Premiere Vision, Paris.

      

An embroidered piece of fabric bearing my final logo design
for the British Racing Company within my
Made In Britain assignment.

A sample of red nubuck hide from
an Italian seller displaying leather
and suede fabrics at
Premiere Vision.

 

Jacket Reconstruction

During our research, we were asked to provide two men's jackets to dismantle and to record our findings, such as how the collar is constructed, if there was any interfacing and padding, any pleated details, etc. In doing this, we could see how a jacket would be put together and why certain details and features would be added. Then after taking the second jacket apart, elements of both of the garments were reassembled to create a new jacket which corresponded to the given brief. The first jacket was a rather large jacket with a subtle check design. I turned it inside out and placed it on the mannequin, revealing various folds sewn within the lining. This is a feature found on most, of not all, jackets, allowing the wearer extra room inside the garment, giving him comfort and ability to move freely. Various pockets were featured on the jacket, inside and outside welts and a flapped pocket.

                                                                                                                        I began tearing into the lining to reveal what construction methods lay hidden underneath. There was alot of interlining used for the purpose of insulation, and pieces of canvas mesh adding shape to the jacket, giving a sturdier construction and shape to the garment. This was hand sewn in.