Eliminating the Bust Dart: The Role of Pattern Cutting in the 1960-2002 Career of British Fashion Designer, Sylvia Ayton

This article examines the role of pattern cutting in the 1960-2002 career of British fashion designer, Sylvia Ayton, whose career is significant for its flexibility and longevity. During the 1960s, Ayton worked as a fashion designer in business partnership with textile designer, Zandra Rhodes, and as a commercial designer for Wallis, the British women’s clothing retailer, during 1969-2002. A review of the literature shows that pattern cutting has rarely been explored through the relationship of the designer with its technology and the craft. The underpinning research will bridge this gap by investigating the thinking, practices, and paradigms of pattern cutting during a commercially orientated fashion designer’s career. This article incorporates research cultivated from privileged access into Ayton’s private archive, located in London, England. This study identifies a lasting reference point for the fusion of pattern cutting craft with design, expressed in the context of fashion design professions within the global fashion industry.