I started looking for similar images and looks on the internet to help my process of ideation. The images of smileys became my most important inspiration.

Once I had my inspiration pictures, I started doodling and playing around with colours to get me in the mood.

Finally with the help of my doodles I made a Themeboard which reflected the look and feel of my theme LOL. The quirkiness, the plethora of colours, the burst of energy.

Once I had my theme board ready, making a moodboard was simple.  The idea was now much clearer and I knew exactly what kind of mood I wanted to set in. The playfulness, the randomness, and overall a "happy feeling". 

Finally came the process of choosing the colour palette. I wanted to use all the bright colours that were possible. 

Before I could start sketching my illustrations I did a bit of research on the silhoutetes and looks which were similar to my theme.

My first garment, I wanted to portray the "burst of laughter". To get the "burst" I decided to use colourful balls at the hemline. This would give me an exaggerated look. The problem was how to attach the balls to the fabric without the ball deflating. Finally I resourced balls which were covered with fabric and i could easily sew the ball to the hemline.

My second garment depicts how laughter changes the mood. If a silent room is filled with laughter, the effect is a transition from a gloomy mood to a happy mood. I used small colourful balls tied with net to make a balloon skirt. I then covered it with fabric on top with a slit at the side. This depicted the seeping in of the burst of energy over a dull/constricted environment.

My third garment portrayed the mind. How the mind of a person reacts when there is sudden laughter. The mind goes into a swirl of emotion letting out the frustrations and restrictions and just being free of all troubles. This change in the mind is depicted through the upper and the lower part of the garment. The upper part is constricted and tense while the lower part is a burst of energy. The problem faced in this garment was to make the fabric stiff enough so that it can be twirled into random shapes. I stitched a wire at the edge of the organza fabric to give it a definite surface. I then twisted it to give shapes, thus overcoming the problem.

The fourth garment is a more subtle version of laughter. It reflects the layers of laughter. The undertones of laughter and the after effects of it. The problem faced during construction was how to make the entire fabric stiff so that it can be given a permanent form. I finally weaved wire into the fabric to make a mesh. This mesh of wires helped me to give the fabric any shape and form that would stay! 

The final realisation of the garment. From a sketch, a concept, an idea into an actual garment which was later showcased in our Graduation Fashion Show!