Paired with two other classmates, Megan Marie was tasked with co-designing a cohesive collection that only utilized knit textiles as opposed to woven textiles. The rough original illustrations pictured to the right show Megan Marie's design process. "Grade A" is the concept line that she co-designed, targeted at women ages 25-40 with an occupation in education. Knit material, due to its comfort and ease of movement, was appropriate for those involved with active students in grades K-12. Designs were kept conservative yet playful. After their target market and designs had been established, the group of designers swatched various textiles together. The end result was neutral knits combined with a single knit with a vibrant print design. The fitting shell, Muslin textile used exclusively for assessing fit, was originally draped on a standard industry Size 8 dress form. The adjusted fitting shell pattern was later transferred to the master pattern work to be cut from the final fashion fabric. |
Megan Marie had the opportunity to volunteer her time as a co-designer of a costume for rescued puppies in need of adoption. Puppies like Beau, pictured in his harlequin inspired costume, were featured in a fashion show as part of the Killuminati Foundation's Annual Project Puppy Gala. The Killuminati Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that offers financial vet assistance for non-routine vet care. In preparation for the Gala, both designers created mood boards featuring key design elements, trims, fabric swatches, sketches, and colors for their themed "Masquerade" look. Megan Marie scheduled a fitting with Murphy, her design team's originally assigned puppy, and his foster owner. After sourcing, gathering measurements, and creating a projected costing sheet, the designers agreed that the theme of a jester best fit Murphy's playful mood. Weeks before the costuming deadline, however, Murphy was adopted and another weimaraner named Beau took the open slot in the show. Megan Marie and her co-designer were easily able to adjust the costume for their new model puppy as Beau's build was similar to Murphy's. |
Tasked with designing an original pair of pants, a garment Megan Marie had yet to construct, she selected a pair of dress slacks with pleats, fully lined pockets, and an even plaid textile design. Matching a special fabric before cutting it was also a new challenge to her. An original flat pattern was developed from a standard Size 8 sloper, tested and adjusted for fit in a Muslin textile fitting shell, then cut and constructed in the final even plaid fashion fabric. |
Challenged to create an original coat or jacket design, another garment Megan Marie had yet to construct, she designed a fully lined coat with a shawl collar. This jacket was designed using flat pattern methods, developed from the Bodice pieces of the master pattern. Throughout the design process, Megan Marie realized the importance of altering pattern work when sewing a lining into a tailored garment. While a vertical pleat was altered to fit the back of the lining to allow for ease, strain still persisted in the final fashion fabric at the lining where it was attached at the hem and through the sleeves. |