Camo Clash
What is camo? When, why and how has it been appropriated by civilians? This assignment looks at what happens when the military and fashion worlds collide. We look at lots of examples of this pattern, both historic and playful, and deconstruct its meanings. Why does a pattern designed to protect soldiers in combat have such wide appeal in a fashion industry dominated by women and people who identify as LGBTQAI (groups who have been excluded from the military)?
Then we talk about ways we can use the formal attributes of camo to create a pattern of our own. We devise a palette, letting go of the functional, neutral palettes used in military design. We experiment with composition — creating a repeat of shapes that lacks a focal point. We learn color theory, referencing the color wheel, mixing our palette, experimenting with color placement, hue, tint, shade and saturation. We layer in texture, play with blending techniques and finally, test our design on a pillow to see how it might look in the marketplace.
