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FASHIONTECH: WHAT’S NEXT? (PART 3)
The past weeks I have been blogging about fashion and technology, so called wearables. I discussed experiments, gadget- ish items and small steps towards collections where the estranged disciplines emerge in a fashionable manner. What’s next?
On the 17th and 18th of may V2, an institute that is experimenting with wearables for decades, is organising a conference called Crafting the Future. There will be a debate, a workshop and a chance to meet the international innovators in the fields of fashion and technology. Moritz Waldemeyer, the man responsible for Hussein Chalayans moving dresses will elaborate on the role of craft in his daily practice. Cutecircuit, a wearable label that introduced the galaxy dress, a dress with dozens of moving and colourful lights, will talk about the relevance of their practice. Syuzi Pakhchyan, author of the book Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro to Smart Crafting and founder of the website Fashioningtech.com, will be moderator during the debates.
I urgently recommend all fashion designers to take a visit. Wearables have been in the experimenting fase for years. The Netherlands has been stimulating these developments through grants. The time has come to use them for fashionable, preferably Dutch, collections.
It is an idea that has popped up in the mind of innovator and stylist of Lady Gaga; Nicola Formichetti as well. Mid 2013 he will present a line that will include fabric that molds to a wearer’s body (to avoid having to use zippers), and solar power-enabled fabrics.
Until then, or rather, before then, let’s try to get inspired by the techno trend that is surrounding us on a growing scale. Not only in fashion we see proposals for the future, also art is getting more techno driven. What about ‘posthumanist’ artist Orlan who transforms herself into an alien through plastic sugery? Artist Ryan Trecartin involves internet aesthetics in his hysterical videos. Graphic designers Pinar and Viola created an app that allows you to transform into a panda bear!
Concerning young fashion designers we left were we have taken of – at the London Masters Fashion Design Technology. Take a look at the designs of Kay Kwok that consists out of printed neoprene fabric and 3D hats. Growing up in a day and age where technology was as normal as going to the supermarket, maybe we have to count on the next generation for the real innovation. Sooner or later fashiontech will define our future.
Urban Beekeeping
Extraordinary creatures: by law of physics it should be impossible for bees to fly, yet they do. Another thing they do is pollinate a whopping 67% of all plants and a byproduct of this process is liquid gold which makes Winnie the Pooh behave like a certified crack head.
Bees in cartoons are usually portrayed as friendly creatures and they are: Bees pose no threat to us humans, as they are only interested in pollen. In fact, the declining global population of bees is a serious threat: If those 67% of plants are no longer pollinated, imagine what that would do to our environment. No plants means no seeds and no fruit means no food for birds and mammals in our surroundings and that makes a pretty boring concrete jungle if you ask me. Take it a step further and within four years we might be facing extinction, according a quote (falsely) attributed to Einstein.
Enter the world of urban beekeeping:
New York, Paris and Gent have preceded Amsterdam as beekeeping cities (Amsterdam actually already tried in 2004 with contemporary art piece ‘de Bijentafel’ by Frank Mandersloot, to no avail): Now there is a colony of 20.000 bees on the roof of the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam. The city hosts a variety of city gardens and with the growing trend of urban gardening on balconies, it should provide an excellent harvest ground for the honeybees.
BEECOSYSTEM
At last years Dutch Design Week I encountered the Beecosystem concept by Michele Liu. It combines tangible objects for the real world like modular honeycomb shaped planters with an online community and interactive map of where to find other- and place your planter, which in todays Facebook age makes total sense.
URBAN BEEHIVE
The Microbial Home Project by Philips consists of various concepts to challenge conventional design solutions regarding energy, cleaning, food preservation, lighting and human waste. One of these concepts is the Urban Beehive. It looks like a futuristic ant farm and even comes with a device to release smoke into the hive to calm the bees down so you access your private stash of honey.
More information on how to be an urban beekeeper can be found here.
RAW POWER
I still can’t help thinking of London as the greatest city in Europe, at least when shopping is concerned. Calculating pounds sterling to euros only adds to the sheer fun of it. On one end, the well known Oxford Street shopping giants, and on the other, more arty and alternative streets and squares of east London. Just the place to wave your plastic about in exchange for the bags full of goods.
Less likely found on the high street, Shoreditch harbors smaller one-off shops and vintage markets (in abundance), and it’s pavements and bars are patrolled by often edgy and cool looking people.
Walking through the first Topman General store in Shoreditch (they recently opened a second one in Covent Garden) made me think of one particular T-shirt label of two guys I have met, sold at Topman.
Michael started RAW POWER in 2002 and re-established the brand together with Ben two years ago. So, for their ten year anniversary, I think they deserve a little blog party here with us.
What they are on about, besides of hand printed graphics on 100% cotton, is celebrating both the success and failure of celebrity culture. The rise and fall of a star. The birth and death of an icon. Mugshots in your face and bold slogans in print put a social comment on our times of reality soaps, social media and style icons. Let’s hope they can be more then a hype themselves, because they are doing insanely good! Selling points like Selfridges, Topman, Asos.com and Harvey Nichols make it even odd to me that they are not yet available in Dutch stores. So if anyone knows a good agent, give me a call and I’ll hook you up with them. For now, you can take your digital earoplane: http://shop.rawpowertshirts.com/ and they have Twitter And Facebook obviously. Lets ‘like’ the page, as a present.
A short interview with Dutch stylist Majid Karrouch
There is no doubt that the 28-year-old Majid Karrouch is into fashion. It is clearly recognizable in the moment you see him. But instead of being the exemplary fashionista, he stands out for his distinctive style. And it is exactly that what makes not only himself so special, but also his work as a stylist. Magazines such as Zoo Magazine, L’Officiel Hommes NL, Indie and labels like Louis Vuitton draw on it.
You are working for different clients, which are as varied as the results that you are individually developing for them. What does fashion mean for you; is it about following the latest trends or finding an own style that is modifiable with the looks of the different seasons?
My starting point has never been fashion. In the process of developing my concept, I start asking myself: “What would this person wear?” Or, “What story do I want to tell?” I’m not a stylist implementing trends. I actually don’t even know much about it. For me, fashion is an accessory that vivid my stories.
Is there then a certain style that you are already following for years?
Shirts with condensed collars.
And one that you rigorously dissent from?
I really don’t like broad collars. They make the neck less elegant.
Do you have a personal “fashion”-addiction?
I’m a big fan of printed suits. Almost all my suits have a print. I think prints make suits less dull but playful instead. I’ve the feeling that people tend to dress more and more pale. Of course, trends on catwalks aren’t especially the trends that you see on the streets. Lots of catwalk trends are too extreme for the regular daily life. But colors or prints, can be a simple step to make daily life more fashionable.
Did you already buy a piece of clothing from a spring / summer 2012 collection?
I proudly got myself a nice double breasted suit with vertical stripes in light blue and white. It is from Hugo Boss and I can’t wait to wear it!
Majid Karrouch is represented by Manja Otten X Cake.
FASHIONTECH: WHAT’S NEXT? (part 2)
We can’t imagine our daily life without technology. Why don’t we see this development reflected more on the runway and in the way we dress?
Last week I ended my Fashiontech part 1 blog with the issue of the fashion aspect in techno clothes. There is a whole lot of experimenting going on when it comes to gadget- ish dresses and T-shirts. Look at this clip for instance where the so-called climate dress is shown. It lights up when there is a high concentration of CO2 in it surrounding. Or, the Intimacy Dress, designed by Dutch designers Anouk Wipprecht and Daan Roosegaarde. The closer a person gets, the more transparent the gown becomes. Last but not least: the spray on shirt.
Great experiments, but where is the fashion part? The part that makes the piece of clothing feel modern and makes the wearer feel refreshed; makes her dream about what you could be when wearing a dress like this?
Gradually a bridge is being created between the world of technicians and fashion designers. Two groups that you could imagine needed the time to get to know each other.
A great example of how the two can melt into a fashionable sculpture is a dress by Canada based designer Ying Gao. It seems as if the subtle moving gown is not just a gadget, but really adds to the fairytale atmosphere of her show. In other words: it makes you dream of nymphs and princesses in a windy forest.
Next week the last fashiontech blog will be about the activities concerning wearable technology on DEAF Festival, held from May 16th till June 3rd in Rotterdam. In the meantime the Dutchies can contemplate further on the subject by watching a talkshow I presented commissioned by Vodafone. Among guests are fashion designer Pauline van Dongen and Natasha van der Velden; researcher on sustainability and industrial design at the Technische Universiteit Delft. What if the two would start a structural collaboration?
Neue Berliner Welle
Over the past decade, Berlin has become recognized as Germany’s fashion capital. The city is bursting with creativity and always leaves me excited and inspired after each visit. Every season, the presence of young Berlin designers is growing, and gaining support internationally. I reckon it is the Berliner’s sense of imagination and willingness to experiment that makes their fashion scene so interesting. I recently came across three emerging Berlin-based menswear designers that are definitely worth keeping an eye on in the near future.
During the recent Berlin Press Days, Martin Niklas Wieser caused the biggest buzz. His minimalist and discreet designs – holding the balance between fashion and art – impressed editors and stylists from all major German publications. Wieser’s work is aimed at creating exciting products and at the same time provoking discussion on contemporary social and cultural issues. Wieser can boast on thorough experience in the international fashion industry, through his work for the Viennese label Fabrics Interseason, Paris-based designer Bernhard Willhelm, and most recently New York designer Tim Hamilton. Martin Niklas Wieser’s presentation during Berlin Fashion Week in July is already tipped as one of the highlights of the season.
Sissi Goetze graduated with a diploma in fashion design from HTW (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft) Berlin and an MA in menswear from Central Saint Martins in London. After showing her almost surgical, all white menswear graduate collection during London Fashion Week in 2010, she is now based in Berlin. Goetze’s refreshing, minimal take on menswear is youthful yet sophisticated and has a subtle edge to it. There is a kind of purity about Sissi Goetze’s work, which stems from her conceptual approach to design. Her collections combine precise simplicity with refined cuts, high quality of materials and outstanding craftsmanship.
The creations of Don’t Shoot The Messengers, the moniker of young designer duo Jen Gilpin and Kyle Callanan, show a clearly defined style, which unfolds with each collection. Attitude is key and black dominates. Experimental craftsmanship and a desire to create precious objects, along with geometry in relation to the body, is the essence of the label. Leather is used to define the lines and contours of the body, while silk adds a sense of fluidity and levity to meticulously crafted forms.
Milan Design Week 2012 – The honouring of craftsmanship and storytelling
The Milan furniture fair (Salone del Mobile) has grown enormously, it goes far beyond the sale of furniture, and even beyond the product. It’s more and more about the concept, the ideas behind. For me, the most inspiring part are the activities outside the fair called FuoriSalone, this means wandering from the city center to industrial ares like Zona Tortona and Ventura/Lambrate, giving an interesting mix of fresh and upcoming designers and established companies. There were a lot of collabs between traditional companies and designers to preserve craftsmanship and to brand nations. And this is inspiring me. It’s all about communication.
HANDMADE – WALLPAPER
For the third time Wallpaper organised a stylish exhibition under the name Handmade in a side street of Via Montenapoleone, in the Palazzo of the Italian suit company Brioni. In July you can buy Wallpaper’s August issue to check out these creative collaborations and their stories behind yourself.
SPAZIO ROSSANA ORLANDI – LI EDELKOORT CURATOR FOR RUBELLI
Another place I never miss is Spazio Rossana Orlandi. This venue – a former tie factory- has spaces around a green courtyard and is a pleasant place to have coffee and cake while you see the design world passing by. The aim of Rossana is to promote upcoming designers. The gallery and the design store are opened the whole year. During the Salone, the fabric manufacturer Rubelli, founded in 1858 in Venice, showed how the design world can integrate with the decorating world in an austere installation. One of the gallery’s spaces was transformed into a dark vision of romantic beauty, reflecting two important trends in design: the revival of textiles for interiors and a focus on black. As part of an ongoing collaboration, Lidewij Edelkoort was asked to select textiles and contemporary design, upholstering the space and previewing a revival of the gothic movement.
Edelkoort feels that black resonates in today’s world; “Becoming the order of the night, the guardian of dark humour and the romantic troubadour of cynical songs. Whether dozing upon a daybed, draped against a male torso or piously kneeling on a gothic chair, it is all more beautiful in black.The Rubelli family of brands is conscious of the newest societal trends exploring the darkly romantic and sometimes even surrealistic side of interior design. Design will embrace black and faux-black in every texture, for a black-on-black celebration of glorious gloom and doom, in an audacious and eccentric enactment of the night, where all is a majestic sombre monochrome of soft shadows lit by the full moon.” The design on display included a special edition of Maarten Baas’ Smoke! armchair produced by Moooi and dressed in Rubelli’s Les Indes Galantes fabric, a chandelier by Piet Hein Eek, re-upholstered modernist armchairs by Gio Ponti and Franco Albini, furniture by Donghia, and a mysterious new flock of birds by Guus Kusters & Maarten Kolk.
1616 ARITA AND SCHOLTEN & BAIJINGS
Also my favourite Dutch designerduo Scholten & Baijings had a presentation at Rosanne Orlandi’s place. They showed their collaboration with 1616 Arita, one of the oldest (1616) Japanese porcelain manufacturers. For the collection of 1616 Arita, Scholten & Baijings prepared a colour analysis involving historical masterpieces. Typical Japanese colours, such as aquarelle blue, light green, red-orange and yellow ochre, were the ones that played a prominent role. The results are layered colour compositions, executed in different shades of glass, in combination with the natural porcelain colour. The latter has a special delicate grey-white hue, which makes it unique in the world. By applying the compositions to an extremely functional service, a splendid dialogue has been created between applied art and everyday use. The combination of this traditional craftsmanship and Scholten & Baijings’ recognizable signature style has resulted in a unique mix of Asian and European culture.
JAPAN CREATIVE
That Japan has a long-cherised tradition of highly-skilled craftsmanship and has an enterprising spirit, was reaffirmed at the presentation Japan Creative. From old artisans to the latest technologies and international creativity. This exhibition themed Simple Vision, showed the ability of design as a manner of innovation, how it can give an economic bust to a country that has suffered and about the importance of roots and branding a nation. First of all, it was the beauty of the designs that attracted me, so it was great to discover the stories behind, the different layers. Because that’s where it is all about today in my speciality as communication consultant. Therefore I like to end this post with the following Simple Vision text:
The earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, made us realize one thing: true wealth in life does not lie in material affluence. Since the old days, the Japanese have valued the aesthetics of simplicity – that is, the beauty lies in what is simple, space-efficient, multifunctional, and multipurpose. Incorporating the wisdom of past generations, and in collaboration with designers worldwide, we have begun to express our vision and propose a new lifestyle. The theme of the exhibition, ‘Simple Vision’, represents a door to a future world, were we rethink and redefine the role of designs in our lives.
A juicy fact
The concept is originally from Denmark -where the main office is also located- but I’ve discovered Joe & the Juice in London, and there are two more opening in Germany soon.
They actually sell more than juice. Coffee and sandwiches are on the menu as well, and some of the new stores are now divided with coffee on the top floor and the juices on the lower level, but the smoothies and vitamin boosted juice-mixes are still the main attraction it all started with.
Founder Kaspar Basse used to be an elite athlete who was inspired by the succesful concept of Starbucks, and took on the mission to create a place where the surrounding was equally important to the freshness and quality of the products. Employees of Joe & the Juice can even go to the juicer academy to follow courses and become a professional juicer! Like barrista’s are trained to make coffee.
What attracted me to set foot at Joe & the Juice was the cozy athmosphere. After running around all morning in London, I felt like sitting on a sofa in a living room with my newspaper and healthy juice, and that’s exactly what I got. Another added value is that the juicers –mostly guys I’ve noticed- seem to have been selected for their good looks. Handsome hipsters with funky hairdos and ripped jeans.
Joe & the juice has a wide range of juices one can choose from; fruit and vegetables can also be mixed together, always containing at least three flavours. The names are quite relevant to different moods or physical states. What about a freshly squeezed Pick me Up (raspberries, banana, apple), Hangover Heaven (elderflower, apple & mint), Hell of a Nerve (a smoothie with strawberry, elderflower and banana) Iron Man (strawberry, kiwi & apple) or Energizer (red grapefruit, apple and ginger)? The vegatarians amongst will be delighted with The Veggie Focus; mixing celery, carrot and apple.
It is a bit pricey though, but this unexpected oasis of calm in the middle of Oxford Street, made it my favourite hangout after a shopping spree at Topshop.
A list of Joe’s juicebars can be found here: http://joejuice.com/site/#/stores
Untouchables Retouched
The Salone di Mobile in Milan is the place for designers young and old to present their latest wares and mingle with the design crowd. While most events take place either at the Salone itself (the huge commercial trade fair on the outskirts of Milan), or at one of the other designated design districts, Dutch Invertuals opted for a more secluded spot close to Garibaldi station.
Based on the Untouchables show presented during Dutch Design Week, Untouchables Retouched sees the collective revisiting its projects through upscaling, upcycling or completely new work.
What binds the twelve creatives/studios seems to be their fascination for pure and honest materials which are thoroughly researched before they are used to create interesting products and projects. The theme of this show was the beauty of vulnerability, something that could be found in many different forms. Raw Colour for instance presented a cryptographer allowing visitors to text a message which was then ‘translated’ into code. The code itself can be printed on fabric, resulting in a scarf whose code is only known to the wearer.
For the show Jetske Visser deepened her research into soot and looked to ancient Chinese tradition for inspiration. Stumbling upon the lost art of ink tablet making, Visser created an entire tabletop which can be used for that purpose. The cracked tabletop seems to relay a poetic message to its user, as over time the layer of carbon will gradually diminish, leaving no ink left to write with.
Two new Invertuals were also added to the group exhibition: Maurizio Montalti and Kirstie van Noord. Montalti offers a critical view of our design world as he looks at ways to reduce our earth’s plastic waste problem by using living organisms in the form of fungi. These improved life forms decompose plastics while simultaneously turning them into bioethanol which in turn can be used as fuel. Van Noord has researched the mining process of porcelain and discovered that one kilo of pure white porcelain equals six kilos of waste. By using proportions (6:1) of this orange-coloured residue in her work, the designer shows its beauty through texture and colour.
Many other interesting, thought-provoking and sometimes rather strange projects were on show at Dutch Invertuals, definitely worth the journey out.
http://www.dutchinvertuals.nl/
ZOOMING IN ON A FASHION APP: THE COLOR FORECAST
What colour are people wearing on the streets of fashion capitols Paris, Milan and Antwerp? Right this minute, colours like marine and ocean blue, black and various shades of grey are ‘trending’ in Paris. It might have something to do with the rainy weather. In Antwerp it’s almost as if it’s autumn and people match their wardrobe with the windy, grey coloured air of the city. Milan on the contrary is dressed for spring with its fuchsia and bright greens. All of this can be experienced on the new app called ‘Color Forecast’.
How does it work? On strategically placed cameras you see people crossing the streets of the earlier mentioned cities. 24 hours a day. The camera decodes all the colours on the screen and translates them into pie graphics and other information charts – visualized like a traditional weather report. In this way you can see what colour is worn the most and that makes it a fun app: being able to see what people are wearing, real time.
Inspired by the thought that fashion nowadays is more and more determined by streetstyle (think of the numerous streetstyle blogs!) Pimkie created this concept. The French highstreet brand connects the trending topic colours with her own collection; for every colour that is trending, Pimkie offers a selection of items. For example, if today’s colour is Prussian blue then Pimkie ‘suggests’ Prussian blue sweaters, trousers and accessories. The result? Aside from the buzz the items get sold out easily. Combining weather reports, streetstyle and colour forecasting in one app: an inspiring marketing campaign.
Take a look on pimkiecolorforecast.com for todays trending colour.
