The document summarizes a fashion design student's inspiration and initial designs for her Spring/Summer 2013 collection centered on the Greek myth of Medusa. The collection features bold digital prints on silk inspired by Medusa's paradoxical imagery as both a beautiful maiden and monstrous demon. Initial designs showcase layered, flowing garments with contrasting leather details. Accompanying jewelry concepts utilize safety pins and beads to extend the print motifs.

1. INSPIRATION FOR MEDUSA
COLLECTION
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
Presentation by Romaine White
BA Fashion Design
Module 304

2. THE MYTH OF MEDUSA
THE MYTH OF MEDUSA IS ABOUT
THE ILL-FATED BEAUTIFUL MAIDEN
WHO IS CURSED BY ATHENA AFTER
SHE HAD BEEN RAPED IN ATHENA’S
TEMPLE BY POSEIDON. THE ACT
WAS CONSIDERED A DESECRATION
OF ATHENA’S TEMPLE AND MEDUSA
WAS PUNISHED BY ATHENA BY
BEING TURNED INTO A GORGON.
HER HAIR TRANSFORMS INTO
SNAKES, AND HER MONSTROUS
EYES HAVE THE ABILITY TO TURN
PEOPLE TO STONE. THE TRAGIC
TALE ENDS WHEN THE GORGON
MEDUSA IS BEHEADED BY
PERSEUS AND MOUNTED ON HIS
SHIELD AS WEAPON.

3. MEDUSA: THE INSPIRATION
 My collection for my final year in BA Fashion Design is centred on fabric print
inspired by the ancient Greek mythological tale of Medusa, the ill-fated virgin
cursed by the goddess Athena. Medusa is an infamous icon, linked with
symbols of anger and vengeance. She is also depicted as a monstrous female
in contemporary visual culture and is a symbol commonly used in feminism.
 My collection is a Spring/Summer collection focused around bold and colourful
digital print and other types of surface print techniques. Due to the intensity of
the colours of the print, the designs will be simple with elements of Japanese
pattern cutting techniques. My collection is targeted at high end fashion design,
with garment construction targeted at high level market. My fabrics are soft and
draped silk charmeuse, chiffon and satins and will be contrasted with heavier
suiting fabrics and leather.
 My colour ways are deep, bold primary colours inspired by the intensity of the
central character of Medusa. My collection is an exhibition of the paradox
between ugly and beautiful. In ancient Greek mythological imagery on pottery
and coins, Medusa is depicted as a demon, being one of the three Gorgon
sisters. She has wings, fanged teeth, wild staring eyes and a protruding
tongue. However, contemporary culture depicts Medusa as a beautiful maiden,
with wild eyes and tumbling hair in the form of hissing snakes. The paradox of
beauty and ugliness is clear in this imagery, and in my digital imagery I have
explored this paradox by re-creating the images of ‘ugly’ Medusa and using
Photoshop techniques to ‘beautify’ them.

4. IMAGERY INSPIRING MY PRINT DESIGN

5. INITIAL DESIGNS
 These designs are on silk chiffon, silk and charmeuse. They are lightweight,
translucent, layered and flowing. The sections in monotone colour (neck, waist and
shoulers) are in leather. This is still not decided as I wanted to replace those parts
with jewellery)

6. IDEAS FOR JEWELLERY DESIGN
The ideas below are based on using the safety pin jewellery design. The ideas is to
use a combination of beads and graduating sizes of safety pins, with elastic to allow
stretch. The jewellery would compliment the garment as it it were an extension of the
design.

7. ANCIENT GREEK JEWELLERY
 These are a few images that I liked from ancient Greek jewellery. I want to recreate the
decadence, ethnic feel and metallic colours using the safety-pins as building blocks. I am
looking for large, bold, avante garde statement jewellery.

8. A FEW NOTES
 The ideas will develop and evolve as the designs do.
 There may be a lot of trial and error to get to the final design.
 It will require a lot of patience to work together, as I still have to complete
my dissertation while developing designs and toiles.
 There may be some weeks when I am unable to answer your questions,
as I need the idea to evolve with the garments
 If you’re able to get an effect using a different method, happy to discuss.
You are the expert on your field.
 Can only cover cost of materials, not labour, so if you think it will be too
much, its best not to go forward.
 I may be determined to stick to an idea – its important for you to accept
that because I need to stay true to that vision. But I am open to
discussing new ideas – it will only continue to keep the creativity flowing
on both sides.
 The important thing is to remember that this is developing time. You may
only get to make the final jewellery a month before the final collection is
complete. That’s just how the process works with fashion design!