"SECOND SKIN"
Partnerned project with CSL
Imogen Briggs
Partnered Project
15.11.2020
PART A
FASHIONIN MEDICAL WELLNESS
How can an awareness of allergies and face sensitivities inform the development of comfortable PPE facial coverings?
Allergies an face sensitivities can be intensified in the medical field, creating agitation and pain. Exploring the concept of PPE as a second skin, What properties and primarily sensory textures, can this help the mentality surrounding both restricted/less abled users and dominant beauty standards?
200 WORD STATMENT
I decided to focus on a personal question that both addresses modern day healthcare issues and the current restrictions of the world’s pandemic. Creating the set of masks, produced with a new level of thinking, to develop a product that accommodates for more people with todays changing society. As more and more allergies become known, emerging this the publics disapproval when not wearing mask is decreased whilst also creating something for those who don’t feel safe without a mask on. By doing this the development of rapidly changing healthcare, can provide for a larger range audience.
While also addressing this in a reflective sense creating a physical fashion outcome reflecting back onto allergies and how they are experienced. Thus, the outfit provides an emotive example of meaningful garments that convey information researched and understood about the social obstacle of being different and accepting the way our bodies react to certain things. Hence, a garment with a narrative as well as an innovative medical approach. This can create a both educational and creative understanding.
Creating these outcomes are able to produce a non-judgmental and educational background to assisting the increase of a rapid changing environment in both the medical and fashion industry.
As I suffer from a range of allergies and skin sensitivities, I was able to conduct a range of primary research.
To initiate this, I wanted to track my face and document the changes it went throughout the day. This was completed through a series of photographs of my face in the same position, to document slight changes. Thus, aiming to generate an understanding of how skin and sensory aspects are affected through redness, swelling and irritation.
This is a refined selection of these photos take over a months’ time and three photos take per day. With majority being in a home environment with no need to wear a mask. My face would constantly change throughout the day, turning red or swelling up. In most of the photos, this would be in the same positions on my face. I have chosen these two larger images to display, how not only these sensitivities spread down to my neck, but my face alters shape. Some days being chubbier at the cheeks and some days not. A reoccurring inflammation is seen in my left eye.
After concluding my initial research, I wanted to understand the composition of the surgical face masks and the layering they use to create them. This was to recognize how to make a mask as effective as possible for the current COVID-19 healthcare issue. While also researching into which materials often cause irritation or what should be used on sensitive skin.
Using a non-woven outside layer, then a filter and instead of another non-woven I will use different types of cotton or silk to prevent any agitation to the skin. This still being protective while reducing irritation.
A main note that always came up was to avoid any Wools and Nylon, as they have rough fibres that can agitate the skin when in close proximity. Or that most people could have true allergies to wool that leads to hives.
I would like to investigate further to experiment different fibres and how they cause the skin to react, although this can be difficult as it is causing someone to possibly have an allergic reaction. That could be dangerous or life threatening.
PART B
CONCEPTUAL OUTCOME
To extend on this partnered project I chose to develop a fashion outcome reflection of allergies and how and where it affects the skin. I made a personal reflection of how I feel when going through this and where on my body I’m affected. I normally react on one side of my body, this being the right, which is while I chose to make a asymmetrical garment. The design is focused on the top half of the body, as I have never suffer any allergic reactions on my bottom half of my body.
I wanted to address feelings and emotions of discomfort, tiredness, swelling, irritation and lumps.
Extended from the pitch these images display what my initial inspiration and ideas were coming from.
I began toiling my garment in a half scale form, testing different methods that could look like allergic reactions. I didn’t have many resources of fabric as stores had not open so I decided to produce gathered fleece and embellish them onto the top. As the garment’s idea revolved around the body, I paired it with a bodysuit made from the same main fabric to continue that flow.
to understand the design my technical sketches, were able to be spilt up and communicate the overall outcome. To the left I show what the design looks like separate and with no embellishments, then to the right the outcome all together.
