smock x knit : Exploring the possibility of shape in knitwear by looking at theaesthetic properties of smocking, drawing inspiration from sportswear.

Since late eighteenth century smocking has been a part of different fields of fashion. From agricultural clothing and swimsuits, and also inspiring architecture. The approach of smocking has always been to tighten the fabric against the body. This work will challenging this by exploring the possibility to build form with smocking on the body, placing it in the context of personas on a winter vacation. By extracting elements of the smocking and sketching directly in the knitting machine using different techniques and yarn with contrasting characteristics, the ambition has been to translate aesthetic aspects of smocking via volume, pattern, material and colour into knitted material, targeting a sporty silhouette and expression. The result show an alternative way to bout fabricate and view the smocking. By letting the technique build form, placing it in a sports context suggest that smocking no longer is a technique solely for romantic dresses