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seeking & creating : researching & discovering : applying & practicing

sustainability in design = changing mindsets + deeds

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Arigato Shingo Sato Sensei!!!

TR Cutting School by Shingo Sato is just one of the many YouTube channels that could get me totally addicted for days. So many pattern-making ideas, and a totally alternative approach to 2D/3D pattern cutting. Must-watch...the following are just a few of the more popular videos.





Friday, September 14, 2012

Printsource: Art: Paul Jenkins



Printsource: Art: Paul Jenkins:
Paul Jenkins was an artist originally associated with abstract expressionism and his work looks more relevant and inspiring today than ...

Friday, September 7, 2012

Light/Soft Sculpture/Movement: DIY Possibilities & Inspiration

Due to major renovations to the family home, I have recently been paying more attention to interior design and home decor stuff, which has led to a hunt for eco-friendly/upcycling DIY options for certain singular items, such as light fixtures.

SO that's how it's done!

Pretty complex huh!

With the sheer trend in fashion still around, (it will always be around in bridal I guess?) it is also interesting to consider design ideas revolving around how elements of moving/travelling light, varying degrees of opacity and translucence, and sculpted material/fabrications interact with the movement of the human body...this reminds one of the experimental "emotional-sensing" SKIN clothing - integrated with moving light reactive to various environmental/physical changes-  that Philips Design was doing before...

The garments, which are intended for demonstration purposes only, demonstrate how electronics can be incorporated into fabrics and garments in order to express the emotions and personality of the wearer.
The marvelously intricate wearable prototypes include 'Bubelle', a dress surrounded by a delicate 'bubble' illuminated by patterns that changed dependent on skin contact- and 'Frison', a body suit that reacts to being blown on by igniting a private constellation of tiny LEDs.

 And the inspiration hunt went quite naturally in a more performance art direction...super-cool stuff...





Saturday, March 24, 2012

Better than bamboo: Kenaf

From: http://fashion-incubator.com/archive/better-than-bamboo-kenaf/

An excerpt: "If you don’t know what kenaf is it can be briefly summarized as a tall, fast growing plant (hibiscus cannabinus; related to cotton and hibiscus) that requires less energy and chemicals both in growing and processing. It can be made into paper that is superior to wood pulp and it can be grown in less than ideal fields -like tobacco. Kenaf has also been used in plastics, both to strengthen and to make plastic more biodegradable. But that’s not all, it could be a solution to global warming in that it absorbs more CO2 than any other plant. It is claimed that one acre of kenaf absorbs as much CO2 as 8 acres of pine forest or more CO2 absorption that 2 -3 acres of rain forest. In areas that don’t freeze, kenaf can be grown year round (3 crops).  Research from Purdue says that over 20 years, one acre of kenaf can produce ten to twenty times more usable fiber than an acre of pine."

Gotta love K.F's commentary at the end of the article: 
"Keep kenaf fabric on your radar and you’ll be the coolest kid on the block. It is much much better than bamboo because bamboo is very chemical intensive -it’s rayon. Kenaf is much cleaner and more sustainable. Now we have to find a way to make it cool. What we lack is a substitute for a cute panda bear to sell it to consumers. I vote for chinchilla bunny puff-balls. What those would have to do with an African plant is beyond me. Say, maybe we could show cheetah kittens romping amid a field of kenaf?"