Design Assistant to Jisselle Pineada

Jisselle's project was a really interesting one to work on because her style and method of working is so different to my own that it gave me a chance to experience new and previously unknown techniques. Her project takes a very minimalist approach to construction where pattern pieces are cut specifically to minimise the number of pieces needed to construct the garment. For example her trousers  despite being detailed and complex looking upon completion only required 4 pattern pieces including those needed for the lining. This meant that there were less visible seams and the fabric was allowed to fall more freely to create an uninterrupted flowing effect.

Her taste for simplicity extended to her colour palette also as her garments were cream with the occasional splash of black lining for contrast. The way in which this was done was highly effective as any kind of print or bright colour could distract from the form of the clothes which was the designer's main focus.

My first tasks to help Jisselle were mostly preparation based. She had a lot of fabric to be prepared for cutting which we elected to steam rather than iron so as to remove the creases but to minimise shrinkage in the fabric as it was silk based. She also had a crepe which I began steaming but then decided to iron as the heavier fabric meant the creases were harder to remove.

After that we looked at the notes from Jisselle's previous fitting and started applying the alterations to her pattern pieces. Her patterns were all organised in one bag per garment which was labelled. Then each pattern from the first version to the third was colour coded. We began the last edition of the patterns by tracing off the previous versions and then coding the new patterns in blue. The alteration I helped with was to create lining to the trousers.

Due to Jisselle's trademark of minimising pattern pieces the facings needed to attach the lining had to be integrated into the two initial pieces required to construct the main body of the trousers. This meant tracing off the pieces exactly then mirroring the top 10cm section from the waistband. We also had to alter the fly in order for it to lie flatter against the body of the wearer.

Once all the pattern pieces were adjusted they needed to be cut out. Jisselle's cute her pieces with a rotary blade as opposed to scissors which was a new method to me. It was difficult to master but the cleaner line and greater control were obvious advantages.

Most of the work on Jisselle's clothing was within the pattern cutting so when it came to construction she completed most of it on her own. However I did attend her final fitting. I helped to dress the models  and give them shoes as well as assisting with pinning and alterations throughout the fitting. I then took photos for Jisselle before helping to undress the models again and store all the garments away in their garment bags to avoid them coming to any harm.

The end collection was beautiful and seamless. It had a light airy feel and was highly cohesive without being boring.