Aurora Nova Lux
A Line Development Challange
CLO 3D rendered images of 3 of our garments including the Diane Suit, the Viva Dress and the Zoe Jacket and Dress set.
The senior capstone class for the VCU Fashion Merchandising Program is called Line Development. In this class students are tasked with creating a brand, 8 garment line based on that semesters theme, cost sheets, line sheets, a brand marketing package and store design all in one semester. The class was broken into 6 teams of 6, each including 1 or 2 designers and 4 or 5 merchandisers. Cotton Incorporated sponsors this class and tasks us with making each of our designs 51% cotton. Throughout the semester we are critiqued and judged by industry professionals such as Synthia Hisel. At the end of the semester we create and present a 20 minute presentation of our brand and designs to a panel of judges. Our presentations were then judged and a first and second place winners were chosen and received scholarships. My group, Aurora, received first place during the Fall 2021 semester. Here is our presentation.
Inspiration
The inspiration for our collection, Nova Lux, is built on exploring how social renaissance will be reflected in special occasion and social nightlife scenes. Our inspiration derives from past decades that have experienced similar zeitgeists, specifically the 1920s, 1940s, and 1970s where the spirit of the times was heavily represented in fashion. We wanted to utilize bold color tones, dramatic patterns and textures, eye-catching silhouettes, and elevated versions of classic looks to revive and build upon. The name of our collection, Nova Lux, translates to new light in Latin, which captures the essence of our collection in bringing new life and feminine empowerment into special occasion wear.
Sketches
We were first tasked with created 30 inspiration sketches for our collection which we then narrowed down to 8. Our silhouettes are inspired by the 1920s, 40s, and 70s . We used elements such as flared pants legs & sleeves, fringe, beading, peplums, suiting style, and suspenders to create looks that combine our current generations fashion trends with that of our past generations landmarks. Our collection is a fall/ winter collection, so many of our pieces are longer and have more coverage, but thanks to our CottonWorks finishes we are able to make sure our wearers are comfortable whether they are dancing outside or in the club. We used the bright colors of the dawn, unique construction techniques, and dynamic trims to make our collection stand out even further. We also incorporated the use of gradients to show off our iconic color palette and ombre beading to give our collection more depth. Here you can see some of our trims we used in our looks. We have buttons, fringe, and beading all made out of cotton, as well as our prints and patterns that give our looks a more vintage feel.
Consumer Profile
The Aurora brand customer profile included women between the ages of 23 and 35 who were outgoing, adventurous and ready to express themselves through what they wear. These women enjoyed socializing and a variety of activities from attending art galleries to picnics with her friends. The Aurora customer is smart, confident, successful and knows exactly what she wants out of life. She is a reflection of where we saw ourselves five years in the future.
Line Sheet
This is a sample from our line sheet. For each look we created digital outlines and mockups of each of the looks using Adobe Illustrator. Each garment was given a style number, size range, wholesale price and msrp (manufacturer suggested retail price). Line sheets are creates by brands to send to manufacturers to aid in product production.
Full Collection
This is our full Nova Lux by Aurora Fall/Winter Collection. The images were digitally rendered using Adobe Illustrator. Our collection embodies our brands theme of self-expression, personal empowerment and diversity. To see our full presentation and project please click the video link below.
Below is the Final Presentation for Aurora Nova Lux. Enjoy.
The presentation was created using Canva.