Digital Fashion Design IFDS Showcase of Excellence 2023 Award Winner
Every day when getting dressed in the morning many women struggle to find the perfect outfit, something comfy for the long day ahead but also stylish and unique. In scenarios like this, what if there was a coat that could be easily worn over any sort of garment, a coat that would speak for itself and make a statement wherever you go? This is the thought behind the Art of Alpaca, beautifully unique handcrafted coats that are the statement piece every woman needs in their wardrobe. Each of the three coats allows for making a statement, Whether you’re running late or simply don’t know what to wear, these coats are meant to be the focus, there’s no need to worry about what you’re wearing underneath. My concept relates to the theme ‘Alpaca: The Earth-Friendly Fiber’ by showcasing beautifully hand-crafted coats made of 100% alpaca felt wool and yarn, creating beautiful organic patterns and shapes using needle felting. About the theme, these coats are not only sustainable but also unique in their way. The inspiration for the designs is based on the land where alpacas originated from, beautiful mountains full of green life where is possible to see a sky full of stars every night. The result is unique coats designed to make an impression wherever you go.
Alpaca offers many amazing properties; it is eco-friendly with many different natural pigments so there’s no need to dye which is the base for these coats as the felt wool is a natural color. It is Hypoallergenic, which is great for consumers like me who get constant allergic reactions from sweaters and coats, and a great alternative to many designers’ wool coats that often cause allergies in its consumers. This amazing fiber is also warmer than sheep wool and so breathable making it year-round wearable. Even during the hotter months, there’s no need to worry about unpleasant small as this fiber is also odor repellant, which makes this fiber the perfect coat for women who are always on the go and don’t have time to worry about unpleasant smells. Alpaca is the choice for my designs because it is newer to the market and most consumers don’t know this is a great alternative to wool fibers. All three coats have been based on the land alpacas originated from, as previously mentioned, they are based on mountains, all the surrounding flora, and the beautiful night sky which is always filled with stars. All of them made use of needle felting to create designs based on these features, One of the main focuses also is the loose yarn at the edges which gives movement and adds more fun to the already unique designs, making this perspective of fibers smooth and related to the overall theme.
The target market for this concept is designers (designer women’s outerwear). When researching what the target consumer is for designer clothing, I came across Instagram accounts of extremely wealthy Asian women who enjoy anything designer and haute couture, They have an incline to more unique and handmade garments than the regular consumer such as custom-painted handbags they love to carry around for their pleasure. Some of them I have followed for years, and I have seen the lavish lifestyles they live, surrounding themselves with incredibly well-known people in the industry such as Anna Wintour, and one of them also owns one of the largest collections of Birkin bags in the world. I believe these women to be my consumers for these garments as they would appreciate the handcraft and the many hours each of these coats will take to be constructed, not to mention the unique designs they offer.
