Maxwell Piccardo
Fashion Design BA
Academy of Art University
Specialisms: Atelier - Pattern Cutting / Womenswear / Formal/Couture
Location: San Francisco, United States
Maxwell Piccardo
First Name: Maxwell
Last Name: Piccardo
Specialisms: Atelier - Pattern Cutting / Womenswear / Formal/Couture
Sectors:
My Location: San Francisco, United States
University / College: Academy of Art University
Course / Program Title: Fashion Design BA
About
Enamored by pattern cutting, Maxwell Piccardo is a womenswear designer who focuses on approaching design from a 3D perspective. Graduating from Academy of Art University in 2023, Max developed his passion for pattern making and draping techniques. Influenced by the likes of Cristóbal Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons; Max believes that to be a designer is fundamentally to be a dressmaker.
This project is inspired by a scene in The Silence of the Lambs in which Hannibal Lecter is completely restrained by a straight jacket, but is still in complete control of a room full of police. The straps and restriction of the upper body from the straight jacket are what spoke to me the most. I contrasted these motifs with flattering silhouettes and garments that allowed for and created movement in the lower body, while limiting the movement of the upper body and arms. This dichotomy was further explored through print – using a muslin fabric washed on high heat, I was able to create a soft, wrinkled fabric which was then printed with a dirty and chaotic textile design. The result is a cohesive, six-look collection that seeks to explore the dynamics of restraint vs. power through the use of restrictive clothing, print, and pattern cutting, while underlining my appreciation for craftsmanship.
Competitions
Global Design Graduate Show 2023
This project is inspired by a scene in The Silence of the Lambs in which Hannibal Lecter is completely restrained by a straight jacket, but is still the most powerful person in the room. The goal was to show that dichotomy of restraint/power through the use of innovative pattern cutting techniques. The straight jacket and bondage soon became the main inspirations I pulled from. I also developed a print for my collection, the concept behind the print was to see what it would look like if someone was covered in paint and restrained, while thrashing around on a piece of fabric. So I tied up a friend of mine using bondage knotting techniques, covered her in black paint, and had her roll around on a piece of muslin. Images from this process later became the photographic screen prints used on my garments. I wanted to show my deep appreciation for the craft of the modelist in this collection. Thus, the development of happened almost entirely on the dress form, draping rough ideas of a design and then resolving it through pattern cutting. I also pulled some inspiration from a pattern cutting technique used in a F/W 1995 Comme des Garçons collection in which the armhole encompasses almost the entire bodice, resulting in an unusual sleeve silhouette. The result is a cohesive, six look collection that explores restraint vs. power, through the use of restrictive clothing and underlines my craftsmanship and love for sewing, draping, and patterning.