Meet GFF Talent, Shay Corney, a fashion design graduate from the University of Central Lancashire. Her final major project was inspired by EBoys culture on TikTok, and the androgynous style they showcase online. Read more about her work below!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
The most important thing I learned at university was the importance of technology in the industry. Before I started at UCLan, most of my work was done by hand but I quickly learned that in industry, it is all computer-based whether that is on programmes like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or Procreate. I worked hard in my first year to learn the ins and outs of Illustrator once I found out how important it is to have these skills when looking for a job in the industry and it quickly became my favourite aspect of the course. Having these strong digital design skills was a big factor in getting an internship on my placement year and a second internship while I work on my Master’s.
The pandemic was a big influence on my desire to learn 3D fashion design in my final year since I was seeing more companies implementing 3D design into their design flow and displaying outfits in 3D on their social media feeds. Having the university tutors’ support in focusing my skills on the digital aspects of fashion was the push I needed to help me further my career and help me realise what I wanted to do in the fashion industry. My advice for students who are currently at university would be to develop the strong digital skills that employers are looking for. There are so many resources to learn Illustrator and Photoshop and it is such a valuable skill to have.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
My starting point for my final collection came from the amount of time I spent watching TikTok in bed during the pandemic. I would often see guys on the app wearing edgy and sometimes androgynous outfits and labelling themselves as ‘EBoys’. I loved the style of these TikTok users and thought it would be fun to explore that in my final collection. I spent a lot of time going through #eboy on TikTok as well as Instagram to understand how they would put their outfits together and what colours, patterns, and fabrics they would wear. I was also writing my dissertation on androgyny in fashion and how men’s fashion will eventually include skirts and dresses, so I wanted to include that aspect into my collection.
I had already seen a lot of EBoy influencers such as Conan Grey wearing skirts, so it was a logical step for my collection to take. My specialism at university is commercial menswear so I wanted my collection to be wearable but edgy and something EBoys would wear and take photos in for their social media. I wanted to take aspects of androgyny, streetwear, and tailoring to create a versatile collection that could be layered up in so many ways to create a whole variety of looks.
What form does your final major project take?
Since I wanted to focus on the digital aspects of fashion, I made the decision to create my whole six-piece collection in CLO 3D. I used Daz 3D to design an avatar that accurately depicted my customer then created the garments in CLO using a variety of methods such as flat pattern cutting and draping on the figure. It was a steep learning curve when I started working with CLO since it is so in-depth and can be difficult to use but I believe I have created my collection in a unique way that helps me stand out from my peers.
What materials have you used and how did you source them?
Since I was using CLO 3D for my whole collection, sourcing fabric was not an issue I faced when developing my outfits. In CLO there are pre-set fabrics you can choose from to accurately display your garment. I would select the fabric I had in mind for the garment, change the colours, add any print and it would look exactly how I wanted it too without worrying about finding fabrics or colour matching Pantones. CLO also has a store where they offer more fabrics so if a particular garment needed a specific fabric, I would look on the store and be able to find exactly what I needed.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?
Initially, my collection was just going to be streetwear and more true to the EBoy aesthetic but after doing my dissertation on androgyny in fashion, I wanted to bring that aspect into my collection. That is how I ended up adding skirts to each of my outfits while still keeping the looks wearable to the mainstream demographic. I also initially didn't have as much hardware on my garments but after watching some EBoys DIY there jackets and hoodies with chains I knew I wanted to add loads more chains and eyelets in my outfits.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
The message behind my collection is accepting change. I communicate this through my clothes and my methods of producing my collection. More men, especially younger men, are embracing the androgynous look and I believe there will be a market for men's dresses and skirts in the near future and the older demographic will have to learn to accept that younger people are more open to exploring their sexuality at their identity particularly through their fashion.
With more brands using 3D designers to develop samples, companies will have to accept this change in design flow to fit this more sustainable method of producing samples. There will be a surge in demand for 3D designers once more brands realise how useful 3D designing is and how much time it can save when it comes to producing samples.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
My passion within the fashion industry is the technology-driven side and how we as designers are going to use new and progressive software to reduce the waste produced by the fashion industry. A lot of brands have already taken the step towards phasing out the need for factory samples by using 3D design software such as CLO which I hope more brands will adopt in the future. Also, I hope by learning more about artificial intelligence and how to implement it into my career, I can develop new ways of producing clothing more ethically and sustainably.
What is your plan once you finish your BA?
I have already been accepted on to a Master's in Artificial Intelligence at Northumbria University where I hope to better understand how technology can help brands become more sustainable and how AI could help predict trends and forecasting in fashion. Currently, I am interning at a luxury children's wear company called House of Juniors where I am working closely with the owner to develop their collections for future seasons which is a great experience. After I complete my MA, I hope to get a designer job at a more tech-driven brand so I can learn how they are using technology to progress their design capabilities.