Executives start cutting back on orders, staff and other overhead to save money and meet budget demands. I would like to challenge decision makers to consider design as a tool to grow business in tough economic times.
Good design, design that is relevant, accessible, useful and compelling will make it’s way into consumers hands. This is the very definition of a must-have.
People are more discerning when money is short. Shoppers must have a reason to buy it. And that reason must be more powerful than any reasons not to buy it.
The United States is notorious for conspicuous consumption, a kind of greed and gluttony I find unhealthy. Now that credit is in short supply, many companies will need to scale back on spending, which is good. The response to this change should not end there. Companies need to consider improvements in design.
I challenge these brands to consider spending wisely on making better products, to use creative design as a means for succeeding. NATALIA
As of mid October Patagonia lovers can now buy a hipper version of the classic 1980’s Synchilla fleece jacket that has been a staple for the environmentally conscious brand. The jacket will be sold exclusively at Urban Outfitters and is available as a zip up ($99) or pullover ($89). The fleece is made from recycled plastic soda bottles and is also a part of Patagonia’s Common Threads Garment Recycling program, which means any piece of clothing with the Common Threads Garment Recycling logo can be returned to the company and re-used for future products. As stated by Patagonia, “Over the course of 13 years, we saved some 86 million soda bottles from the trash heap. That’s enough oil to fill the 40-gallon gas tank of the diminutive Chevy Suburban 20,000 times.” According to customer reviews the jacket is as well loved as ever with a slightly slimmer fit. The only complaint has been about the colors being a little off from online pictures, but Patagonia is keeping true to its range of brightly colored fleece in colors like turquoise and French red. It is inspiring to see the collaboration between two companies with such different markets fuse, bringing together markets of different ages as well as interests. Three cheers for green fashion and just in time for the holidays!
Believe it or not, the fashion industry is responsible for a large part of the world’s pollution. From manufacturing to shipping, tons of toxic chemicals, CO2 and greenhouse gasses are discharged, and huge amounts of oil and energy are consumed.That said, where can one go for stylish, yet eco-friendly clothing?Enter Goodone, a British label that creates hip and trendy clothes made from recycled garments.
Founded by two Brighton University graduates, Nin Castle and Phoebe Emerson, Goodone takes second-hand or throwaway clothing and repurposes them into new garments that don’t look obviously recycled.Their style has an urban and edgy vibe, with each garment being unique since all textiles and prints come from used clothing.All products are locally hand-made from individually chosen recycled garments or sourced from textile recycling factories.What is innovative about Goodone is that they are providing a creative and sustainable solution to counteract the damage that the fashion industry has been wreaking upon the environment.By using materials that already exist, they don’t need to consume more energy or expend more toxic waste in order to manufacture new products.And unlike some other companies that have hopped on the recycling bandwagon, Goodone’s garments are not only eco-friendly and fashionable, but also completely realistic and wearable.Now that’s fashion with a conscience.WU
Although this is a project, the design idea is interesting enough for us to cover. All around us, the push for going green is visible. But have designers gone too far to try and capture the “green market”?
Designer Stephanie Sandstrom developed a dress that detects harmful emissions in the air. You can identify the smoggy days and areas when crinkles and kinks start to form on the dress. Powered entirely through sensors incorporated into the fabric, the wrinkles stop with higher quality air. This idea will allow you to stray away from the harmful air that lurks in the most precarious conditions, or to even make a statement about our declining air quality.
The harmful effects of global warming are changing our world and it is time for everyone to notice. But do ideas like this help us achieve the goal of becoming more “green-friendly. Instead of replacing ones wardrobe with fashion that senses smog, which would increase the carbon footprint, we suspect there are better ways of addressing the problem of air pollution.
You can learn more about the Dress along with other imaginative designs at the San Francisco Exploratorium’s 2nd Skin Exhibition through September 7, 2008. HANNA
MacGregor Golf is a 100 year old golf company, one with a new CEO. Michael J. Setola shares with us his vision and strategy for keeping the innovative brand strong.
NATALIA: Please give folks a bit of insight as to what your role entails.
Michael: As CEO of MacGregor, my primary role is to manage the investments and direction of the company. As it relates to product, inventory is our largest investment, so I keep a keen eye on product and product development.
NATALIA: How did you first become interested in fashion?
Michael: Funny story, but my first job was with Hanes Underwear. I was selling boxers and white briefs. Suddenly for the first time, colored underwear came on the scene and I saw the effect of fashion on something as simple as underwear. I was hooked on the excitement of newness and the effect great product has on business.
NATALIA: How would you define good innovation?
Michael: Good innovation is the combo of design, merchandising and sell through to the consumer. It needs to be relevant as truly new, but have meaning to the consumer.
NATALIA: Is innovation important to you? MacGregor?
Michael: At both the Greg Norman collection and in our MacGregor Golf Club companies, innovation is what separates us from the field.
NATALIA: How is innovation realized in your business?
Michael: Design, product development, technical services and production all must work together to bring innovation to the market in sync.
NATALIA: Any challenges or successes you have had bringing innovative design to market?
Michael: There are always challenges in getting all these components firing at the same time. Often, one area is ahead or behind in the ability to deliver innovation, so a project may be delayed.
NATALIA: What are some of the current innovation projects you are working on?
Michael: In apparel, climate controlled fabrics are becoming more important for the active golfer. Body temperature regulating developments are in our market and improvements are in the works. In golf clubs, we have a new metal that we are introducing to the clubface for game improvement.
NATALIA: Do you feel technology in fashion is just a trend?
Michael: Everything is a trend. It’s just about how long it stays with us. Technology will be with us for a long time, the consumer likes it.
NATALIA: In a few words please share with us your vision for the future.
Michael: Companies that innovate and develop consumer centric products will excel even more in the future. The combination of economic challenges and modern expectations will raise the bar for products to succeed.
The Renegade Craft Fair was held in Brooklyn this past weekend, showcasing the talents of various arts-and-crafts vendors, and promoting the increasingly popular form of “do-it-yourself” design. Fashion companies, such as Threadless (http://threadless.com) and Urban Tailor (http://urbantailor.com) are jumping on the DIY bandwagon by allowing customers to design their own garments or create their own graphic tees online. User-friendly web pages allow customers to click and create customized clothing based on provided styles and textiles. With the help of Internet technology, customers can instantly create and preview their own customized clothing.
Sneaker goliath, Nike, takes this trend one step further with their latest creation: Nike PhotoID. Combining mobile technology with the DIY trend, Nike PhotoID allows fans to create sneakers based on snapshots taken by their cell phones. The new program analyzes dominant colors in the photograph and then transfers those colors into a sneaker template. An image of the shoe is sent back to the mobile phone, and users have the option to save it as a wallpaper or order the actual footwear. The customized color-ways are available on Nike’s classic 1985 Dunk high-top basketball sneakers. Currently, Nike PhotoID is only available in Europe. WU
Most automobiles are fabricated in hard plastic, glass and metal, requiring many parts and joints. The team at BMW has rethought this approach and presented a seamless skin concept. The outcome is both ergonomic and beautiful.
Design Futurist believes the best innovation not only makes objects more beautiful, it makes them more functional. General complaints from drivers have little to do with the surface and everything to do with poor durability, vulnerable electrical systems and complicated repairs.
Seamless design can mean more graceful lines, simpler parts, and fluid transitions. We hope BMW, extends this thought process to the internal design of future cars. NATALIA
Dior’s new line of luxury will be put to the test when they follow along with Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Prada, in fusing the ubiquitous cell phone with an exclusive luxury brand.
Does a newly diamond-studded alligator casing capture the idea of luxury? Cell phones are a mainstream item that everyone owns. Whether or not it is encased in diamonds or uses alligator skin, they all have the same functionality.
Dior will maintain exclusivity by selling the cell phones at a higher price than its competitors. The company expects the phones to sell best in brand hungry Russia and China. The starting price is $5,100, priced to rival Nokia’s Vertu phone.
Dior is expecting to sell between 30,000 to 60,000 units within the next year; however, competing designer luxury brands sold around 500,000 units. We found that many thought the Dior design resembles floor tiles.
There is a new market being created, one very similar to the high-end industry of sunglasses and handbags. Which ubiquitous item will be next in-line for a brand upgrade. HANNA
Interview with Simon Collins, Chair of Parsons School of Fashion at The New School on: Carving a Path to Sustainability.
NATALIA: How did you first become interested in fashion?
SIMON: As a teenager it became obvious to me that girls liked boys who looked
cool. Hence fashion called to me
NATALIA: Give folks a bit of insight on what exactly your new role entails?
SIMON: I look after our BFA, MFA and AAS (Fashion) courses, for the first time
they all come together as the School of Fashion. I am charged with
creating links between Parsons and the fashion industry in new and
innovative ways. More than providing interns we will be looking for ways
to provide information and creative thinking – particularly in the
sustainable arena where industry is not yet at the forefront.
NATALIA: Is sustainability important to you. Why?
SIMON: Sustainability is important to me, just as it should be to everyone.
Frankly it’s hard to see how anyone can genuinely not think
sustainability is important. The earth’s resources aren’t ours to use up
and discard, we all have responsibilities.
NATALIA: How do you envision sustainability influencing fashion?
SIMON: It used to be that being ecologically conscious meant you had to rule
out many things. Now new options are opening up all the time and instead
we have a whole range of new materials and processes that didn’t exist
before. Fashion isn’t going to change any quicker than it ever has, but
it is going to adopt more and more sustainable aspects.
NATALIA: What challenges have you had with sustainable fashion?
SIMON: Mainly with business managers refusing to use anything sustainable if
it meant a single extra penny on the price of a product. I could name
names…
NATALIA: What are some of the current sustainable projects you are working on?
SIMON: At Parsons we have our sustainable fingers in many different pies, too
numerous to mention here.
NATALIA: Why do you think sustainable fashion does not get as much attention
as hybrid cars or organic food?
SIMON: Because the ad budgets for those fashion companies using sustainable
products cannot compare to those of the food and auto industries. Until
one of the big fashion corporations decides to actually do the right
thing (rather than just garner PR by talking about it) we will be
reliant on small companies with small budgets.
NATALIA: Where do you see the sustainable fashion in 10 years?
SIMON: I don’t expect to see a revolution. But I do anticipate a slow and
inexorable movement towards sustainability without any design
compromise. Only when it looks the same and costs the same (as
unsustainable) will it truly take off.
After years of trying to boost sales through celebrity endorsements and gimmicks, The Gap is returning to its roots; quality classic American design. Yes, Design will once again reign as king. Fashion Designer, Patrick Robinson, the former designer for Paco Rabanne and Giorgio Armani will join the company as executive vice president of design for Gap Adult and gapbody. Mr. Robinson, 40, will oversee all elements of design for Gap women’s and men’s apparel, accessories and intimates lines in North America. The Gap suffers from new competition. Specifically, the growing list of luxury brands selling at low price-points through diffusion fashion lines. The Gap has also been challenged by fast-fashion giants such as Zara and H&M. And after the launch of Old Navy, there was confusion among customers about The Gap brand. Most chose Old Navy for its lower prices. At Design Futurist, we believe the opportunity for great American classics is now. Affordable stylish basics are missing in today’s market. And retailers with large distribution, such as J Crew have capitalized on the opportunity. Most other mainstream retailers are competing in a fickle trend and celebrity driven space, where customers come and go flippantly. Statistics show, brand loyalty is low among customers that choose products based on endorsements. Customers that choose based on value, design and in-store experience stick around. Cheers to a bright future, may good design mean good business. NATALIA
In Greek, Ninaki means something small or precious. It is fitting that Ninaki Priddy would be destined to design jewelry.
Jewelry design was not the original plan, she started out as a biology major (many great designers start off in science). This proved to be the main inspiration for her first collection.
An LA based jewelry designer of Mexican-American heritage, Ninaki is also a sculptor and architect. Her organic forms are captured from still frames of movements, put together to create fluidity in form. The bold collection morphs into continuous whimsical shapes with touches of natural elements.
Recently, she won the accessory design competition for the GenArt Styles International Design Competition. We think this is a first of many to come.
This year, Ninaki plans to expand her line to include necklaces, earrings, ear-cuffs and hair-pins. Yes, custom ear-cuffs, her unique take on modern ornament.
New jewelry design for a new generation of women. NATALIA
Tiffany Tuttle, a California native, founded LD Tuttle in 2005. A shoe and handbag designer, Tiffany Tuttle has managed to take classic favorites and bring about a sexy twist to create a contemporary rock ‘n’ roll flare. Her Spring/Summer line for 2008 takes on metallic and layers it with matted tonal colors, juxtaposed with colors like poppy red and yellow. Tiffany Tuttle’s collection of flats and heels uses elements of architecture with geometrical shapes. Her subtle details of lace, belted straps, and zippers closures at the heel add feminine detail and definition.
Her Fall/Winter line for 2008 takes on dark greys and blacks. Snow white, olive, fuchsia and metallic is added to the line to help break up the monochromatic color scheme. Her collection of boots has created a softer elegance of the male counterpoint. Her leather boots tightly wrap around the legs and when unbuckled or unzipped the boot gently drapes down.
Tiffany Tuttle places great emphasis on recognizable pieces that she brings about through her creative elements – cut outs, contrasting textures, and subtle detail. Her designs are being sold internationally and online. (http://www.ldtuttle.com/home.html). HANNA
Freshness during the day is more than just applying deodorant in the morning. Due to many consumers longer workday’s, consumers are in search of apparel fabrics that, not only feel fresh but also smell
fresh for longer periods. Many of these fabrics require certain finishes in order to maintain its freshness.
According to a survey conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres Inc, 51% of male consumers would pay the extra dime to purchase clothing with specialized freshness treatments.
Silver has a natural antimicrobial ingredient that seems to inhibit the growth of bacteria and it has been used for years as bandages to cover up wounds and irritations. Because silver particles are measured using the nano scale it does not modify any fiber characteristics or performances. There are even
washing machines that spray out the particles that place the nanosilver straight into the clothes while they are being washed. The hope is that we not only have clean and fresh clothes but we can also be cleaner and bacteria free.
So what’s the catch? Silver run-off found in the concentrations has been linked to systemic disorders including retardation, cancer and blood disease. Yikes.
Sneaker goliath Nike released Sphere, a new fabric that keeps the wearer cool. How? Dimples across the surface of the fabric act as pockets for the air. The trapped air surrounds the skin and lowers the body temperature by a few degrees.
CuteCircuit, a wearable technology company, developed the Hug Shirt. It is a form fitting shirt that contains sensor pads, activated through external pressure and temperature. The sensor pads send the strength of the hug to your phone through Bluetooth, which then sends the hug to your respected other wearing the Hug Shirt. The US military sees value in the Hug Shirt because it allows soldiers to exchange hugs with their loved ones at home from far away.
(http://www.crunchwear.com/cutecircuit-hug-shirt/).
Also interesting are color-changing fabrics made possible through flexible electro-chromic polymers. They are already becoming popular with performance companies and the US military. I believe the options for the colorful fabric technology will increase with the invention of better wearable and washable batteries.
There are endless possibilities for the future of apparel because of innovative textile technology. Our designers are hard at work ensuring the best of the concepts become great products. NATALIA
Launched in 2007 by Joost van Gorsel, publisher of Iconique.com and Melissa Sterry, CEO of Societás – the ‘Iconique Societás Excellence in Fashion Awards’ bring the global spotlight to the best emerging and most influential talent working in the genres of fashion photography and fashion illustration.
The awards jury for 2008 has just been announced and includes acclaimed Dutch photographer Ari Versluis, maverick fashion designer Arkadius, Brit milliner Louis Mariette – dubbed one of the 250 most influential creatives in the world by I-D Magazine, award-winning New York designer NATALIA ALLEN, owner of the UK’s much acclaimed ‘The Illustration Gallery’ – Oliver Jelf, McCann Group’s Head of Innovation Justin Champney, Vice President of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada – Rod Roodenburg, top stylist and regular contributer to Italian Vogue Michael Dye, as well as awards founders Joost and Melissa.
Last year’s awards gained global coverage and entries from fashion creatives in the UK, EU, US, Asia and beyond. Iconique and Societás plan to extend the award categories yet further in 2009 – to embrace the full spectrum of the fashion visual arts.
Entry details for the 2008 awards will be announced soon, so watch this space and Iconique.com and Societas.tv for more information.
Increasingly, mass-market fashion designers are creating eco-friendly products. The rising demand for GREEN has encouraged brands such as: Levi Strauss, Quiksilver and The Gap to provide organically grown and eco-friendly products at a competitive price point.
GREEN garments are being made from exotic materials such as: corn, wood pulp, recycled plastic, byproducts of soybean oil, seaweed, organically grown bamboo and cotton.
Sportswear brand, Patagonia produced the popular “Synchilla Marsupial”, a polyester fleece made from 85% recycled soda bottles and unusable second-quality fabrics.
Wellman Inc, a U.S. company, produces these fibers from recycled products (FRPG) and packaging products (PPG). Their efforts keep 3 billion plastic (PET – polyethylene terephthalate) bottles out of landfills each year (bottled water will become a trend of the past).
Kate O’Connor, a designer known for her fluid lines enjoys the soft hand of silk and other luxurious fabrics. She found a less expensive alternative to silk in bamboo.Bamboo fiber is completely biodegradable and is the fastest growing wood plant farmed. Bamboo fabrics absorb moisture well and help keep you cool. Bamboo is also anti-bacterial, making it useful for producing next-to-skin garments. With all its benefits bamboo is controversial because many bamboo fabrics do not last as long as cotton fabrics.
The fashion and textile industries are in the early stages of exploring and innovating GREEN materials, that said, the future is a go. NATALIA
Not too long ago, I discovered a brilliant shop along Marylebourne Road in London. Skandium is a hub of modern Scandinavian furniture, lighting, kitchenware, and glassware for the home and office. Unlike Ikea, the products are made with quality and built to last. Skandium was named after the rare earth metal scandium, a rough dark metallic that turns pink or yellow when exposed to air. Skandium unites functionality and simplicity and provides a fresh aesthetic to traditional English homes. Developed by a collaborative team of many architectural designers such as, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen and Alvar Aalto, Skandium design is both ergonomic and beautiful. Their designs are mainly associated with clean lines and clutter-free interiors. Although its designs have minimal ornament its pieces are far from simplistic. The works maintain a contemporary refinement and classic elegance fit for today. Good news, Skandium designs developed between the 1930’s and 1960’s have become valuable collectors items, much like Bauhaus. Today’s Skandium products may be the collectables of the future. NATALIA ALLEN
After being homesick for New York’s small-scale boutiques among San Francisco’s downtown skyscrapers, Scott Lee conceptualized Wunderbloc.com, a website that allows viewers to discover, browse, and review the myriad of New York boutiques by neighborhood. With this website, Lee gives boutiques a uniform platform to represent themselves—to announce store news, display products, and receive consumer feedback. Furthermore, Wunderbloc offers an opportunity for the privately owned boutiques to collectivize and organize community events with one another and others within their area, creating a personal feel and space. Lee gives the boutiques an opportunity to counter the Internet marketing campaigns of chain stores. Because the website organizes by neighborhood, the boutiques have a community feel, resonating with the indie ideals of localism. More than just a list of individual stores, each boutique is a personality, an attribute to the distinct areas of New York. With pictures of storefronts and neighborhood landmarks, the website catalogues the different areas of the city through fashion. Moreover, the snapshots of random streetwalkers (examples featured above) of each neighborhood, labeled fashionistas, give a distinctly human picture of NoLita, SoHo, UWS, etc. The website showcases fashion in a unique way, as an exhibition of authentic lifestyles and communities defined by creatively dressed pedestrians, famed neighborhood blocks, and most importantly small-scale, local boutiques. All in all, Wunderbloc is a counter to the pre-packaged, singular and generic fashion chains across the country. YAO
Showstudio.com has been a keystone site for me for the past few years. Photographer Nick Knight has developed an amazing platform where the worlds of art design, fashion, photography, theory, films, and just really cool content collide in a thought provoking and entertaining way of digesting fashion, images, and presentation.
Roger tredre, Editor in Chief of WGSN contributed his thoughts in an essay called, “ Fashion’s Ecopolitical Drama”. This is the beginning of numerous essays from theorists for “Political Fashion” a project conceptualized by Nick Knight on Showstudio. Roger’s essay highlights fashion fickle relationship with “what’s new” particularly with the green movement we are witnessing. He stresses that there is no time better than the present to implement our knowledge in a way where it becomes a part of the fashion cycle, and not just a momentary trend.
In this essay Roger tredre states, “For fashion, in particular, fence-sitting is not an option. The hard truth behind the rapid depletion of the world’s resources is that we must learn to consume less. But fashion is intrinsically linked to consumption. From clothes to mobile phones and cars, fashion is the driving force of modern consumer culture. Indeed, the recent retail industry emphasis on “fast fashion”, based on a faster turnover of trends – coupled with ultra-low prices – has encouraged us to buy more, not less.”
How can the fashion world straddle both worlds of consumption and quality? I don’t feel suggesting to others to buy less is the answer. The world is expanding, always offering something new, even if it is not a tangible product. Desire is always going to be there. The fashion world needs to offer a desire for quality. It’s not about consuming less. It’s about consuming intelligently. SOSA
As a design consultant to Dupont Soft Textiles and Interiors (previous to their sale to Koch Industries) my role was to help develop new uses for conductive fibers (a smart textile as light as thread). When sewn into a garment, the conductive fibers transport electricity around the body. Why would anyone want electricity in clothing? Simple, conductive fibers made the Burton AMP jacket, Nike IPOD and Adidas POLAR collaboration possible. Conductive materials have advanced quickly. They are extremely light, flexible and waterproof, an effective way to integrate electronics, lights and displays into fashion.
Then why is electric fashion not more popular? The power-source creates limitations. Batteries are expensive, short lived and require extra maintenance.
I am now focusing my research on the development of organic power sources.
“Scientists have developed a way to generate electricity by jostling fabric with unbelievably tiny wires woven inside, raising the prospect of textiles that produce power simply by being stretched, rustled or ruffled by a breeze,” says Brian Bergstein of the Associated Press.
This innovation uses nano-technology and the piezoelectric effect, in which electricity is generated when pressure is applied to certain materials.
The prospect of using pressure created through normal interaction to power electronics integrated into a garment is exciting. Not available at retail just yet, the Georgia Tech innovation is sure to change the future of fashion. NATALIA ALLEN
NATALIA