Fashion Sculpture

Fashion can be fabulous and informative! Discuss what different types of clothing can tell you about a person. Use your sense of style and Crayola® Model Magic® to design an outfit all your own!

• 1.

  What is fashion? Is fashion limited to runways and designer shows? How do we use fashion in everyday life? Can fashion help you identify a police officer when you have an emergency? In a retail store, can a uniform assist you in finding an employee?

• 2.

  Think about some ways we use fashion to draw conclusions about people. What expectations do you have regarding fashion? Is there a certain style of clothing you expect your teacher to wear? How about your sports coach? What would you expect to see the lead singer of a rock and roll band wearing? Or a waitress?

• 3.

  How did these styles become associated with these groups of people? Until the end of the 1800’s, doctors wore black cloaks because, as professionals, black was considered a formal color. Why do doctors today wear white lab coats instead? Do some research with your class to find out the answer. What other fashion facts can you find? Make a list of questions to research on the board. Share the information you discover with the class!

• 4.

  Design a fashionable outfit for a specific type of person. Perhaps you’ll want to create a coat for a secret investigator! What features would the investigator need to have on the coat? Would large pockets help to hide a camera? Maybe a heavy hood would be useful to veil his appearance. Be creative when thinking of unique ways to enhance the clothing!

• 5.

  Mold the outfit with Crayola Model Magic. Start by forming a mannequin on which to drape the clothing. Carefully flatten pieces of Model Magic by pressing down firmly on a hard surface, such as a table. You can flatten pieces by rolling them with the side of a Crayola Classic Marker! Flattened Model Magic can be shaped into sleeves, pants, collars, and other items of clothing. Model Magic that is fresh from the pack will stick to itself. Dried pieces can be glued together.

• 6.

  Experiment with creating interesting designs by swirling, twisting, and blending different colors of Model Magic. Crayola Blunt-Tip Scissors can be used to cut Model Magic into shapes or to press patterns and textures into the modeling compound as well! Embellish the outfit with details such as buttons, bows, and belts. Place finished mannequins in a safe place for 1-3 days until completely dry.

Benefits

• Students define fashion.
• Students discuss the ways in which fashion is used to identify groups of people, like doctors or police officers.
• Students develop a list of questions to research and work together to gather information about common fashions.
• Students design fashionable outfits for specific individuals and determine what features in the clothing would be useful to include.

Adaptations

• Invite a fashion designer to speak with the class, and discuss the methods used to create useful, stylish clothing. What process does the designer go through before ending up with a final piece? What questions does he or she have to consider when producing new items?
• Explore examples of various types of clothing through a hands-on demonstration with younger students and those with special needs. Pass around shirts, pants, jackets, hats, gloves and other apparel for students to examine. What special features do these items have? How are they worn? What makes them unique?
• Assessment: Share your fashionable sculpture with the class. Discuss the unique features you included in your design. How will these features enhance the use of the clothing and benefit the person wearing it?