Final year for me has been incredible. I have had so many ups and downs but I feel it has changed me so much as a designer and the way I view the world. I have grown a huge passion for working more ethically and discovered my love for swimwear, which may lead to a possible business venture. It has shown me that I have the potential to do really well in any job as I have worked so hard to produce a final collection I am so proud of. I feel COVID for me has been a blessing in disguise, as it has pushed me to be so much more independent and I have had to rely on just my own motivation to get through. It has proved to me that I am capable of starting my own business, or working for a big company. I have had a few challenges, my brother broke his leg, and coronavirus, but again I feel I have overcome these obstacles and made the best of the situation. The tenacity I have with my final year has helped me through, as I am striving to get the best grade possible, and I feel I have worked so hard. Looking back it may not be the year I envisioned, with cancellations of final year shows, but it truly has been a year of growth and determination which I think will shape the way I work and think for the rest of my life.

Due to not being able to visit the minories to plan for the exhibition I have found it very difficult. I have planned it in my bedroom with a tape measure and dropped images into a digital plan on illustrator. I am very happy with the plan, and as and when the exhibition is confirmed and we can visit the space I can make a more detailed plan.

Above are my two images of the plans I have made for the section of space I have been allocated at the minors. I have included 4 mannequins with my 4 outfits on them, a rail for the lycra undergarments and accessories, a card holder for my business cards and a plinth for my portfolio. I feel this will showcase my work very well, and enable viewers to contact me quickly through my business cards if the are interested in my work.

Due to not being able work full time at Lucy can’t dance, I will hopefully be working at my local climbing wall. This has opened up some interesting opportunities and conversations, as I know the owner well. We have recently spoke about his interest in starting up a climbing clothing brand, which I suggested that I could help with. So I feel working at the wall could help me push my involvement with this project. I also am close friends with an award winning film maker, and I feel this could give me a lot of opportunities for the future, working with him and the climbing gym.

https://fassion.co.uk/designer/chloe-jones

A new platform for designers to emerge is Fassion. It is similar to Artsthread, but more for fashion design rather than textiles. I have uploaded my work there, and I hope that I get some exposure from it.

Fearful ocean 

70% of our planet is covered by water, and due to sea-level rise, this percentage may increase rapidly. This means for us as humans, there will be less habitable places to live on land, meaning we will have to become more dependent on the water. A conscious collection prioritising sustainability and highlighting our impact on the planet. Sails are reworked into oversized protective coats and garments; the random placement of print graphics and numbers make each piece in this collection unique. Digitally designed and printed undergarments inspired by natural disasters and water pollution, keep the wearer warm against harsh weather conditions at sea. 

Throughout my FMP I have learnt so much about myself, and have acquired some amazing skills, such as working with sail fabric, and I feel this has pushed my knowledge so much. Looking at my project from an outside perspective, I would hope that it is perceived as an eco-conscious collection, and I hope that it captures the ideas of sustainability and educating the viewers on the impacts of global warming on our planet.

As I have not been able to have a professional photoshoot, I have had to style, model and photograph my own collection. I am lucky enough to have a close friend who was happy to take the photographs for me at a social distance, and I feel they have come out amazing.

I started of with researching different styling ideas, and make up looks for the shoot, and I ended up doing two separate shoots for the looks.

One I did in the field next to my house, then as restrictions lifted, I went down to Mersey beach. I am very happy with how my final photographs have come out, and although we didn’t have all the resources we usually would have had, it was very successful.

A lot has changed and keeps changing as we near the end of our degree. The biggest change has been my job. I was hoping to go full time at my current job, working as a seamstress, however due to the pandemic she hasn’t had business coming in, which in turn means there isn’t enough money to hire me full time. I recently found out I would only be able to work 2 days a week and a full time job probably won’t happen till next year. I have decided that this is a great opportunity for me to take some time for myself, and try and start up a small depop business making and selling bikinis, and I will also be looking for another part time job so that I can continue to save up to move out. I am very lucky to be in a position where I do not pay rent, and have very limited out goings, so I have more time to wait, or maybe look for employment elsewhere.

Due to our final year fashion show being cancelled, I took it into my own hands to collate a graduate film for the class of 2020 instead. My task was to collate our work together, and organise and plan a film. I am lucky enough to have a personal contact who is a graduate film student, and who has worked on set for ITV. I contacted her about editing our film for us, and have since been helping organise and collate it with her. I have been arranging deadlines for filming to be completed so the editing can be done before we hand in. I am also planning on releasing the film once we graduate, so would like to organise a place for it, and maybe even a live preview of the film on social media. I am very excited for this, and am very proud of myself for putting in the work to produce something as a collective for all the students, even though our show was cancelled. I feel I have made the best out of a bad situation and I hope it brings along many opportunities for me and my fellow graduate students.