Mapping and Planning Shirt Workshop
The Shirt Workshop is new and my second intervention.
Step 1 – Booking
Booking room Visual Studies 1315 at East Bank from 10.00 am to 2.00pm on Wednesday 11th December, allowing me one and a half hours to prepare and set up for an 11.30am start.
Step 2 – Theme
I wanted to encourage as many relevant people as possible to attend the workshop.
To do this I commissioned Museo-Design to create an original graphic and decided to include a light traditional Gujarati lunch to conclude the day and make it memorable.
In briefing the designer, Craig Yamey, I gave him 3 key words: White shirt (do you own a white shirt), hangers (what you don’t see), blossom tree (cross-pollination). He then used AI to present 4 suggestions to consider.
Credit https://www.museodesign.com/
Step 3 – Invitation
In the same way that a workshop gets the best outcome through collaboration, I worked with my partner whose background is design and printing, to create the actual invitation. His input was the layout and overall design of the invitation whilst mine was the specific wording. It was created using InDesign, so I learnt how to convert it to a jpeg to post it online.
Invitation
Step 4 – Posting
I posted it on Teams, Garment and Textile Forum on 18th November as well as emailing line managers (so they were aware if any of their staff wanted to attend) as well as academics to give everyone plenty of time to put it in their diary and to ask me any questions.
Please see Participation Forms
Step 5 – Preparation
Preparation for the day of the workshop included:
Collecting 4 white shirts
Gathering lots of different images for collaging
Selecting various fabrics
Providing sticky tape, markers, pens, glue stick, pins, needle & threads, scissors, paper
Food and utensils
PowerPoint presentation
Questionnaire
Step 6 – Reminder
On 27th November I sent a reminder via Teams which has 36 people in the group
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Shirt on the Day
Background
10 members of staff attended:
2 academics 1 line manager 7 technicians
Participation form signed by all
Name badges were done as a way of introducing each other
Participants split into 2 groups with one academic in each group to give balance
Group A also had 4 technicians
Group B also had 3 technicians + 1 line manager
The tables were laid out to accommodate A&B groups
The PowerPoint presentation included
- Background to my project
- Timetable for the day
- Brief history of the shirt
- Cultural context of colour
- 3 tasks
- 1 questionnaire (handed out at the end)
- Lunch
Shirt PowerPoint presentation (please download)
Shirt PowerPoint presentation opening slide
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On the day of the workshop The 3 tasks – Writing, Collage, Draping
1 – The Writing Task
PowerPoint page
For the writing task, we started off with a mind-map to get each group thinking about the white shirt and I provided some questions merely as a guide.
PowerPoint page
On the front of the shirt, I asked them to take keywords from their mind-map and then write them here.
For the back of the shirt, I gave them a question to think about where the London College of Fashion originally stood in education, specifically thinking about where the word London stands in the global world for our students, what it means to us about colonisation and decolonisation.
On the right sleeve, I wanted the group to think about the working industrial docklands heritage of Stratford and how as a university we play a part in there by looking at how the borough has developed as an area where cross-pollination has naturally occurred through the influx of people over time.
On the left sleeve I really wanted the group to think about how, as educators, they could use the first three elements of this symbol of colonisation in order to create a method of cross-pollinating their own workshops. To encourage them to see through not only their lens, but the lenses of our diverse students, to accommodate their needs.
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2 – The Collage Task
PowerPoint page
By picking a member of the team to draw around, meant the group were engaging with each other and building a team spirit.
Once they had drawn around the body it gave them a blank canvas to think about the white shirt.
They then used one third of it to identify traditional details of the white shirt and
the remaining part was where they collaged freely and without limitations, to give it a new identity and to cross-pollinate
Images for COLLAGE task
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3 – The Draping Task
PowerPoint page
The draping task was taking the 2D collage with keywords and making it 3D.
By draping onto the existing shirt and keeping parts of it or removing areas, I was hoping that by combining the traditional and new elements from tasks 1 and 2, it would allow the cross-pollination to take form naturally.
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The Shirt Outcome
Data Collection and Reflection from Questionnaire
Questionnaire Form Please Download
All of the participants completed the questionnaire at the end of the workshop – I had paper copies at hand because I reckoned that they’d find it difficult to refuse a personal request rather than an email later, especially as lunch was provided and ready laid out!
The 12 questions were in two formats: Tick boxes (8) and written feedback (4)
Within the written feedback the participants are labelled A – K and for each of the questions, A is the same student, B is the same student etc – This allows me to see if there are any patterns for them. The written feedback is verbatim to reflect any diversity of the respondents and to maintain accuracy.
For clarity and analysis, the original documents were either created in Excel or in Word with images, but they do not transfer easily into the blog and so have been loaded separately as images.
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Tick box responses are in 3 sections
Each extract below is a summary taken from the questionnaire, with the outcomes shown with grey shading across from the heading.
The main outcome is highlighted with a black box
Section 1
1 – Most of the participants covered colonisation in their own workshops to some extent which is positive, but only 1 always talks about it.
2 – More so than the teaching staff, which shows that we need to recognise the importance and respond accordingly
3 – The spread of responses suggests that suitable materials might be supplied to all teaching staff for continuity. By having the materials readily available will also mean that more staff will use them.
4 – ‘Sometimes’ is again the prevalent reply, so again it needs to be clarified at the outset.
Section 2
It’s gratifying that everyone found value in the tasks and the written feedback clarifies this further, so having varied tasks appears to be as inclusive as I had intended.
Section 3
The purpose of this workshop was to establish if moving away from solely addressing decolonisation, to include cross-pollination has potential as a way forward in our workshops. It would have appear to have succeeded, which going forward, can be further researched and implemented.
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| Written feedback comprised 4 questions I have highlighted what the key themes are for me and gathered them together as a reflection after each question, which also shows how I collected the data. Q8 – From this workshop, what can you take back and apply to your teaching practice? |
A – The speed of the tasks and the way they changed over kept the process dynamic. The action of standing and doing helped with my engagement in the task. I wish to find ways to include more input from students. To hear more of their voices.
B – I do not deliver workshops. However really enjoyed the safe space, not a lecture, thought provoking and fun. Poignant questions where asked and were not expected to have answer. Students would think after.
C – Some ideas about using resources + collaging techniques to teach students about decolonisation or the cross-pollination of ideas.
D- Yes an open mind to decolonisation and how useful it would be in my workshops. Thank you very much Navin!
E – Conversation and communication is key to helping people understand crosspollination.
F – It was a very interesting take on a ‘staple’ garment. The tasks allowed us to not think too literally about a shirt which allowed us to be more creative. By making us keep 1/3 made us focus on the identifiable aspects which then gave us free reign to change everything else. The tasks are essential to that and that is what I will be taking from this.
G – The fun and relaxedness.
H – I think it is a good chance to work as a group, discussing everyone’s thought and see what other people will react to problem. I will encourage students have more peer critic or just chat as group to give their opinion in the future workshop.
J – Maybe that the conversation is moving into a new phase/ideas. Moving from hand wringing and worry to celebration
K – Rapid nature of the tasks – action-related.
The responses here demonstrate clearly how involved everyone was or they wouldn’t have expressed themselves so well. For me the key response is F as it summarises where we can go with the method of the workshop.
By introducing varied and inclusive tasks at a swift pace it helped maintain the momentum and keep the interest going. A tight 90 minutes shows that if there is a carefully framed time limit, we aim to complete whereas if it goes on too long, we can wander and lose the sharpness of the experience.
Inclusivity is crucial to me personally and everyone in the groups joined in all the tasks, working to their strengths as well as discovering new ways of working through each other. The reason for it being important to me is that due to my dyslexia I’ve been excluded from so much in my early education, but having support from university disability support and my partner has allowed me to take on this PG Cert.
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| Q9 – How do you feel about using the term cross-pollination vs decolonisation? |
A – I really like this aspect A much more positive uplifting term.
B – I really like how it was discussed and referred and compared to decolonisation. Think of it as a positive phrase and welcoming. Like it.
C – Interesting and good idea.
D – I’m fine with the terms
E – It is a more welcoming term. Makes it easier to talk about.
F – It feels more positive and therefore creative. It feels like a good change.
G – LOVE the term cross-pollination it’s a keeper
H – I would say it is very strange to me at the first time to these vocabulary
J – I feel it might open the conversation more.
K – I think decolonisation is important because we have to address power relations.
Only one person held on to the term decolonisation rather than looking at how a new approach might be useful in teaching. The others all felt comfortable using ‘cross-pollination’ and that it has the potential to encourage discussion as it’s a softer term which opens possibilities. From these responses it is G which stands out. And of course that’s what I hoped to see.
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| Q10 – What more can we take from the term cross-pollination into our teaching practice? |
A – We are trying to get our students to grow as people and practitioner. This term helps them to understand what there course is trying to {inculate} inculcate
B – Encouragement to think differently to appreciate differences of cultural experience and representation and feel confident to merge them, breaking down barriers.
C – Food for thought – designing interesting workshops to deliver to students.
D – That its all ways good practice to leave an open mind
E – We can use it to help students understand why these conversations are important and relevant
F – This gives our students more freedom to be creative and make changes to the curriculum
G – Mix it up, get the discussion going a bit more {routinally}.routinely
H – Just be open to hear others thought. And open the mind to all possibilities.
J – That there is a wealth of knowledge out there to use.
K – I also like cross-pollination because it gives agency
The responses suggest that the term cross-pollination immediately means something. It looks like they’ve grasped it and already are able to see how it can be integrated into their workshops immediately as a method and not a big change. The person who did not specifically answer the previous question has said here that the term ‘has agency’, so that’s good. Respondent B summarises how we can take the term into our teaching practice –‘think differently’, ‘appreciate’, ‘merge’ as that what it’s all about.
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| Q12 – Is there anything else you’s like to say about this workshop ? |
A – Realy well organized. Great preparation. Good timely direction of our thinking. Good group size. Interesting.
B – Really enjoyable and thought provoking. Thank you Navin.
C – Thank you for delivering this workshop and fostering new ideas.
D – Great workshop!
E – Really interesting and engaging. Opened up interesting conversations and creativity
F – This was so enjoyable!! The history at the start was very informative and a great set up to the session. It was very thought out and planned to get the best out of us!
G – You did a very thorough job, thought of and provided everything. Mos enlightening and enjoyable.
H – Thanks for the opportunity.
J – [blank]
K – [blank]
A kind and positive outcome from everyone, which is what you would expect and hope for from colleagues. It would be unusual to see any negativity but what I’ll take from the comments is that: ‘prepared’, ‘organised’, ‘timely’, ‘enjoyable’, ‘thorough’. If these words had not been used, it would have implied that something was missing.
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Reviewing The Shirt Workshop 2025-01-08 FINAL
Please see Participation Form
Why a Shirt workshop?
In the Sari Workshop I was re-evaluating one of my own cross-pollination workshops to students where their own heritage became relevant.
To date, workshops have been presented through a lens of western garments – Shirts, jackets, trousers etc, so the next step was to see how, by using a similar method, teaching staff could be taught how to introduce cross-pollination into their own workshops by taking one of those garments. The Shirt.
The shirt has evolved throughout history and in many forms around the world. The first recorded example of a shirt as we know it comes from Egypt c3500bce, where the climate and agricultural techniques allowed cotton to grow easily. The V&A Museum, (2018). The Roman Empire some 3500 years later, with its elaborate forms of dress, took the tunic as a statement of power and position, whilst in China the Shenyi with its cross-over lapels became the stylistic form in Korea and Japan too Young man wearing Shenyi (date unknown). These were all trading societies in the so called civilised world, whereas in Africa tribal dress evolved quite separately using materials available more locally amongst the 54 nations. Racinet, The Complete Costume History (1876- 1888). and Peru there are a number of recognisable shirts / tunics dating back 500 years The Metropolitan Museum of Art, ‘Shirt’ 1460-1540 (date unknown).
I came across a book recommendation which showed and demonstrated the evolution of the white shirt through garment construction and pattern cutting. witness2fashion, 2015. What I found fascinating is that it shows zero waste pattern cutting in its earliest form as cloth was so expensive. “You must cut your coat to fit your cloth.”
Colonisation had a huge impact on nations where the colonisers imposed their beliefs and values on the colonised, taking away tradition and introducing formal attire – Especially the white shirt.
But it was not until the early 1800s through to the late 1900s that the white shirt evolved into what is the ‘uniform’ of today all over the world. Rainer, Beau Brummel (1967).
We tend not to acknowledge this in our workshops and so it is with this background, I developed The Shirt Workshop, which can be seen in the PowerPoint presentation.
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Observing and Reviewing the workshop
As with all of my workshops, I carefully prepared, planned and rehearsed, but this time it was for my peers who I knew would be on the ball, so it was especially important to show, by example, every aspect of presentation and participation. I wanted them all to embrace the concept of cross-pollination by working it out for themselves rather than being told.
In the PowerPoint presentation at the beginning, I gave an outline of the day, including breaks. After a brief introduction to the shirt and its historical evolution, there were 3 tasks with time for reflection and lunch at the end.
Within any group there is diversity – Neuro, cultural, sensory and gender and so to be inclusive each of the three tasks allowed people to work to their strengths.
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The Three Tasks
Task 1 – Writing (good for many but awful for dyslexics like me).
Sowing the seed
Before starting any task, you need to plan. With seeds, you read the packet to see what you’re growing, the conditions it needs, the temperatures and the amount of water, the soil type it grows best in. In other words, it’s origins.
When the ancient Egyptians were creating smocks, they needed the right materials for it and grew what they knew best. V&A Museum, (2018). By applying this technique to a workshop you’re creating an ambiance, setting the scene and by posing open questions as a guide, you’re starting the thinking process.
By asking each group to create a mind map of their thinking, the members of the group were able to participate equally and freely leading to taking key elements and writing them on an actual white shirt.
The guide-questions are written very carefully so that they can be interpreted however you want, to stimulate without determining.
Carrying on the analogy of growing from a seed, hybridisation leads to similar though indeterminate outcomes and in the case of shirts, the easiest example is in the expressions white collar, blue collar and pink collar. Hall Geisler, Why Do We Say White Collar and Blue Collar? (2024). Lubrano, Limbo: Blue collar roots, white collar dreams (2005). The Latin name of plants gives us clues of their origin, so when we consider this in terms of garments and apply it to cross-pollination, we are acknowledging and incorporating where it has come from. BBC Science Focus Magazine, Shead, (date unknown) “The scientific naming system for animals and plants was systematised by the 18th-century Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné, better known as Carl Linnaeus. He created the hierarchical system of grouping animals and plants and used Latin and Greek names for the groups because these were the international languages of science at the time. Nowadays, non-Latin parts are sometimes used as well (Denversaurus, for instance), but the whole name tends to be Latinised for consistency and to avoid accusations of national bias”
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Reflection on Task 1:
Reading the instructions on a seed packet
Each of the two groups produced a different mind-map and I didn’t track which group wrote what, nor who was in each group. I did this to maintain confidentiality and because there was nothing to be gained for the purpose of this research.
The first group used the A3 sheet portrait, was a single colour and appeared to be written by the same hand with lines drawn from a circled ‘white shirt’ and is quite wordy.
The second group used the sheet landscape with a squiggly bubble around ‘The writing task’ in 3 colours, in different hands with lots of single words.
Messy and formal were words common to both as well as a theme relating to past memories / specific periods of time.
So their approach was different, but I think the method worked because each group was able to use what they did to move on to the second task. This is important because it might show that a mind-map start to a workshop can be applied to other specialist areas.
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Task 2 Collaging ( useful for those who think and people who are spatially aware or who like to organise a task).
Nurturing the seedling
Here we are looking at nature vs nurture, (appropriation vs appreciation) that is what is in our dna and the influences around us.
For this task a member of each group lay on a large sheet of paper and an outline of their torso was drawn ready for collaging to begin. The only limitation was that one third should remain empty and I didn’t explain why, but the reason was to retain some essential elements of the origin and to see what we remember of the garment or what stands out.
Both groups retained key elements like a collar or cuff. The remainder of the outline was blank empty space for unrestricted collaging to leave open space for what we might achieve.
Using the seed metaphor, collaging allows the seed to grow naturally, not to be forced. It’s a natural process which relies on nutrients and conditions. In a workshop setting it allows people to do (whereas task one needed thinking) rather than think. It is a sensory experience of starting to touch, feel and start a connection.
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Reflection on Task 2:
Each group was presented with identical items then worked at a similar pace. Each group also started with something familiar to everyone and that is the face, which was the starting point for their identity of the image they were creating. This is the same for when we’re creating a workshop, we’re identifying the learning outcome.
In a pattern making workshop there is a sequence to assembling the pieces and here each group followed a similar process – They gathered the elements which represented what they’d noted on their shirts and using their hands this time, started clipping, tearing and sticking without knowing exactly what the outcome would be. The scale of the elements varied, which might suggest what was at the forefront of their minds, it might be that someone wanted to give emphasis without saying it out loud and an example might be that they felt the need to put their heritage to the front. But we don’t know for sure which is the beauty of collaging, especially as a timed task where there’s no time for “perfection (which) is the paralysis of the creativity that you really wanna explore” . Metaferia, (2023). She goes on to suggest that the method becomes part of the outcome with the example of glue not sticking so part of a dress might lift, revealing what lies beneath it. Please watch the film, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUOMhVwnQ98
It a was lively and fun session which kept the interest up and because it was a timed task, there wasn’t time to overthink it or get bored which is important if there is to be an end-point which they could use to go to the next task. The speed at which a collaging task takes place can be useful if you reach a creative block which might otherwise stop you from reaching that end point.
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Task 3 Draping (for some this is incredibly difficult).
Enjoying the fruits of your labour
Here it was time to take the thinking and creating tasks and to make them happen.
As a result of sowing and nurturing, what comes out of it and each group created a different, though relevant outcome. They were relevant because they achieved an outcome clearly showing cross-pollination through the process of the tasks as well as enjoying the making processes themselves.
Pollinators move around and gather then distribute to create a new seed with the hand of nature (wind) to move it on to places we might (not) see to form something new and potentially beneficial. In the plant world this might be a drought resistant vegetable.
Sometimes it’s only by reflection we can see what we’ve created and how we came about it.
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Reflection on Task 3:
This is where it all came together and turned out to be better than I had hoped for. Better because the participants not only created a finished piece of cross-pollination which achieved the objective, but because the process of 3 tasks led them there in unexpected ways.
What I hadn’t expected, and was thrilled by, was that they all didn’t limit themselves to the items provided – They found other bits and pieces around the studio like pattern paper and fabrics to scrunch up and utilise as well as using different technical skill like pleating. The groups also combined historical references with technical processes
Cross-pollination is all about seeing an object through different lenses and how each lens perceives it. Historically this will bring about different reactions (from the coloniser to the colonised) but also the layers between them – Watching the film ‘A United Kingdom’. (2016) led me to researching the fashion of local men in 1960s Bechuanaland, a former protectorate of Great Britain, now called Botswana and it is fascinating to see how they had adopted western jackets, ties and hats as everyday attire
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King Khama III of the Bamangwato people of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), in his throne. 1920
Wearing a hat, jacket, waistcoat and shirt
Statue to honour the three traditional Chiefs Khama Sebele and Bathoen credited with Bechuanaland independence
The monument in Gaborone of 3 chiefs Khama III Sebele I and Bathoen I responsible for securing the independence of Botswana shows them dressed in this style and note that virtually the tourists are also wear shirts.
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The band at Moeng College, Bechuanaland Protectorate 1954
Wearing shirts, jackets and ties – Were they choosing to wear them, were they emulating western style or were they indoctrinated into wear?
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By splitting everyone into groups, not only could they combine their strengths but get help if needed. From my perspective as researcher and observer it allowed me see if the process actually led to cross-pollinated garments. Which it did.
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Reference list
(Please note that any references for teaching are the same as in the Sari Workshop)
A United Kingdom. 2016. Directed by Amma Asante. Fox Searchlight Pictures, BBC Films, British Film Institute, Ingenious Media, Pathé.
Hall Geisler, K. 2024. Why Do We Say White Collar and Blue Collar? How Stuff Works. Available at https://people.howstuffworks.com/white-collar-and-blue-collar.htm. (Accessed: November 2024)
Lubrano, A. 2005. Limbo: Blue collar roots, white collar dreams. Whiley. Available from https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rGvDDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=blue+collar+roots&ots=YFz5IR-PJ1&sig=5z-Ncdz1J80aAj1iuZEcFpm4WKs&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=blue%20collar%20roots&f=false (Accessed: November 2024)
Metaferia, H. 2003. How to make college I IN THE STUDIO [online video] MoMA. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUOMhVwnQ98 (Accessed: November 2024)
Rainer, Paul. 1967. Beau Brummel, (Gouache on board). Available at https://neverwasmag.com/2008/11/beau-brummell-the-most-stylish-history-maker/ (Accessed: November 2024)
Racinet, Auguste. 1876- 1888. The Complete Costume History. ‘Ancient African tribal fashion and accessories’ (online). (Accessed: November 2024) ). Available at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/ancient-african-tribal-fashion-and-accessories-p1-historic-illustrations.html
Shead, S. Why do we give flora and fauna Latin names? [online] BBC Science Focus Magazine. Available from https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-we-give-flora-and-fauna-latin-names. (Accessed: November 2024)
‘Shirt.’ 1460- 1540. Central Coast artist (online image). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/314618 (Accessed: November 2024)
The V@A Museum. 2018. Linen the original sustainable material. [online] Available from https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/linen-the-original-sustainable-material (Accessed:
witness2fashion. Nov. 8th 2015. The Evolution of the Shirt and Cut My Cote: Book Recommendation. Available at https://witness2fashion.wordpress.com/tag/mans-shirt-1800s-1700s-1900s/ (Accessed: November 2024)
Young man wearing Shenyi. [n.d.] [online image] Available from https://chine365.fr/images/content/hanfu-shenyi-3.jpg (Accessed: November 2024)
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Reference List Photographs
King Khama III of the Bamangwato people of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), in his throne. 1920 [online] Available from https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/8eyyyg/king_khama_iii_of_the_bamangwato_people_of/?rdt=40398 (Accessed: December 2024)
The band at Moeng College, Bechuanaland Protectorate, Botswana (INF 10/54/21), 1960. [online image] Available from https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/outreach/five-photos/band-moeng-college-bechuanaland-protectorate/ (Accessed: December 2024)
Weldon, R. (n.d).The Three Dikgosi in Gaborone. [online image] Available from 11_164516_636x358.jpg (636×358) (Accessed: December 2024)
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