Experimenting with the Gestalt Principle to Develop a Modular Structure in Apparel Design

Team: Boowon Kim, Nick Cave, and Liat Smestad

Program: Ph. D. Program in Apparel Studies

How can the Gestalt principle use to develop modular structures in apparel design?

The purpose of this project was to experiment with Gestalt design principles to assemble the modular structure in a garment. This conceptual garment design began with design ideation using a paper, then constructed with a fabric. A paper was laser cut with a circle shape and structured with a circle unit repetition. Then, the circles were laser cut with 100% wool felt and hand sewn each other. The final design was determined while the hand-sewn circle units were draped on a dress form, considering the balance, harmony, and symmetry of the silhouette.

As the garment follows the modular structure, the design can transform into other designs by simply detaching or attaching the circle units. For example, the design (dress) can alter to a top by removing the circle units at the bottom, or it can modify to a long dress by simply putting additional units at the bottom. The design shows how modular structure can apply to apparel design while providing sustainable design solutions as the modular structure extends product longevity with transformation.