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Overheard a designer in Portland say 'texture is the new color'
Honestly, I was grabbing coffee last week and this person at the next table was explaining their collection to a friend. They kept focusing on how the fabrics felt, not just how they looked. It made me realize I always pick materials based on color first. Now I'm trying to design a jacket where the main feature is a mix of rough linen and smooth silk panels. Has anyone else built a piece around contrasting textures instead of a color palette?
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tessap982mo ago
Yeah, that "texture is the new color" idea is spot on. I made a skirt once with a heavy canvas and this really light, floaty chiffon. The trick is to baste the pieces together by hand first and just wear it around your house. You'll notice right away if the seams are pulling weird or if one fabric drags the other down. It saves you from finishing the whole thing and then finding out it doesn't move right.
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kim.emma7d ago
Ugh, the way you described the basting and testing process is so real. I've definitely been halfway into a project and suddenly realized the whole thing is just fighting itself. @wade_hall I get what your friend might be getting at but honestly I think some people just haven't had that moment where you put on something that's all one color but the different textures make it look so much more interesting. I did a wool panel with a silk sleeve once and the basting test basically saved me from a disaster of a jacket that would have looked like a sack.
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