GMU:Designing Utopias: Theory and Practice/Mavie Beisheim

Realization

For some reason it’s important to know that when I started the project, I wanted to do something completely different. I was stuck with the idea of doing something with Chat GPT since the class has somehow an electronic background. Over the semester I learned something about Arduino and sensors but it was not what moves or catches me, it just didn’t felt right for me working with that. Maybe it is not the right time or anything, who knows. While the semester continued, I became more and more frustrated and scared because I had nothing. Often, I sat on my laptop, enthusiastic to start but when I sat there, my brain was suddenly empty. More and more often I started knitting or thinking about some fashion designs rather than working on ‘my real project’ and saying to myself that I just need a short break with some knitting to start. Time went by and it was always the same. So I finally accepted, that maybe ‘my real project’ is something else and I was working on it the whole time but just didn’t see it because I was trapped in my own expectations of something different even though it didn’t feel right.

Why am I writing about that here? I want to record these feelings that I had not only as a stage of this project or class but as an important lesson that I learned:

I am in art school to find my own way, try new stuff, make mistakes, learn new technics and about references, history and all that. I don’t visit classes for credit points. I go there to learn and to develop myself.

Motivation

After realizing all that, I found new energy for my work to continue. My teacher asked me several times what brings me joy or what I usually do and I always answered that I am really interested in costume design. Since I was always knitting while hiding before the project, I decided to use this class to learn more about working with textiles and expand my knowledge and skills in knitting and sewing. So, my plan was set: I would design one outfit.

Idea

When I thought about what I would like to make, an idea that I had back in my head for quite some time became present again: A jeans that allows people with vagina to pee outside without undressing completely. I was so often outside in the middle of nowhere and there is obviously no bathroom but I had to pee. It always made me so uncomfortable to almost put down my whole trousers and being naked because strangers or other people could see me. But not only that, also when you are in or near high grass or you can hear many insects, afterwards everything itches and during the procedure you just think ‘please, let the mosquitos, ticks or whatever else just have another victim…’ For people with a penis it’s so much easier I think so I wanted to make a prototype of trousers that could solve this problem or at least make it easier for people with vagina. For the top I honestly just wanted to learn a new stitch for knitting so I decided to make a loose lattice design.

Draft

I made several drafts for the jeans and tried to figure out how to make it look the best. First I tried to cover the necessary regions with a piece of fabric that you could just fold aside but I thought it wouldn’t feel very secure and also it often appeared to look like diapers or underwear. So I decided to use a zipper and just make it longer that in the common jeans.

Jeans

Top

Usage

Pull down the zipper until the back of the jeans. Go down and hold the jeans and underwear aside while peeing. Close everything again.

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Material and Tools

I decided to make a jeans because it’s fabric is robust and good for outside and also in todays fashion it’s like a must have. I also wanted the result to not look like a typical outdoor or work wear trousers but more like an every day piece that you can wear and you wouldn’t even notice it’s functions if you don’t look closer or know about it. Since denim is environmentally seen not the best choice, I decided to give an old jeans a new design and reuse it.

I took a jeans which was too big for me and adjusted it to my size. Usually, you can also get those jeans in a bigger size very cheap in second hand shops but you can also use jeans that already fit your size which makes it easier.

For the top I decided to use wool that covers the loose lattice design with its little threads so you cannot see the underwear so much but it’s still a loose stitch.

Jeans

Material

• Old jeans
• Zipper (50cm)
• Thread
• Rubber strap (30cm)
• 2 buttons (I used lingerie buttons because they have fabric on the outside so it’s more comfortable on the skin)

Tools

• Sewing machine
• Seam ripper
• Measuring tape
• Chalk
• Scissors
• Cutter Knife
• Needles
• Clips
• Clothespins
• Iron

Top

Material

• 2 balls of wool

Tools

• Circular knitting needle
• Crochet hook
• Needle

Process

Jeans

Here I’m gonna write down just the main steps because actually I was ironing almost after every step and each step itself has of course own steps etc.

• Unstitching steams
• Measurements to adjust the size of the jeans
• To neaten the fabric with new seams
• Sewing the zipper
• Ironing
• Apply a piece of fabric over the top part of the zipper
• Apply buttons to fixate the fabric over the zipper
• Sewing in the rubber strap

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Top

• Picking up stitches
• Knitting
• Closing the stitches
• Put together the two sides with crocheting so you have a sleeve top
• Crocheting straps
• Sewing straps on the top

Result

For a prototype the result is satisfying. The idea worked out and its possible to use it as I imagined. The only problem that appeared is that the zipper I chose is not strong enough for the everyday life and all the movements that you usually do are to much for it. When I wore it, suddenly the zipper bands just opened. I was able to repair it short terms, but it will eventually open again so I cannot really use this exact pair of jeans. This is why I decided to not sew in the zippers on the legs as in the draft but to save the materials for another try.

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Images by Felipe Cuartas