Fragmented Nautical S/S 2018

When sent on our way for Christmas, we were given our brand new projects for the break. We were given a upcoming trend for S/S 2018, a brand and an outcome to research and base our project around. Mine was Fragmented Nautical - Agent Provocateur - Digital. Now when first faced with this brief, I was very confused and nervous about whether I could create a project I liked and was motivated to do, but once I started looking at the trend and brand my opinion and nerves were reversed.

Nautical fashion is an obvious, well-known and loved trend especially in British culture with our strong ties to maritime and the navy. However, fragmented nautical is a little bit more mainstream and a bit more subtle. To break the trend down I first researched and looked into nautical as a trend in itself. Words that I came up with related to nautical are maritime, naval, fresh, outdoors, authority, obedience, hierarchy, stripe and uniform. Relating to the image of the sailor and the navy, having extremely strong roots in our culture. In our culture, Queen Victoria inspired and started the trend by commissioning a sailor outfit to be made for her son Albert Edward, Prince Of Wales, on board a royal yacht. Getting a portrait commissioned of him posing in the all important suit. This then prompted a arrival of these styles in affluent classes - particularly obvious in children's wear and leisure wear. Turning the nautical fashion trend into a status mark and sign of pride for the richer classes - especially during the Wartime. Then in 1917, Coco Chanel introduced the stripe shirt which is now known as a classic as she opened her shop in Deauville, a resort town on the coast of France. She drew inspiration from the fisherman and sailors making her responsible for this viral trend which is still very present today.

So after researching nautical fashion as a whole, I looked at it in the context of fragmented. Breaking down the word and coming up with these: split, splinter, broken, divide and disunite. Leading me to the idea of light and fragmented light in the water when it hits breaking the light and creating lines in the sea, fragmenting the light - as shown in the pictures in the first photo. Leading me back round the classic stripe shirt that's been present in British culture for years and years - inspired by the introduction of the navy and maritime culture. The stripe shirt has become a recycled must-have appearing in trend upon trend - making them a classic fashion trend compared to a mega, macro or micro trend. Prompting me to think of the idea of rope on old war ships/pirate ships and looking at the intriguing compositions created in photography from them.

Once researching into this trend I am no longer stumped by it but rather excited about the possibilities and ideas I come up with as I feel the mix of this with my brand could be quite interesting and fun.