London fashion label Dead Lotus Couture has launched a new collection of retro womenswear made of natural latex and fake fur.
The Operio collection is “inspired by cult cinema, decadent disco and menacing monsters,” according to the label.
Named after the Latin word for “to conceal”, the collection features 12 made-to-measure outfits influenced by 1970s disco culture as well as filmmaker Wes Anderson and horror-movie director John Carpenter.
“Wes Anderson’s quirky vintage styling, John Carpenter’s dark thriller aesthetics and the disco era’s mirror-ball hedonism strongly influenced the collection’s 12 distinct looks,” said Dead Lotus Couture.
“Despite its bold cheerful colours, the Operio collection disguises something disturbingly ominous, as seen in the animated video that supports the launch,” the label said.
The collection was designed by Nange Magro, a London-based designer and stylist who, as well as running her own fashion line, has created latex costumes for artists including Janelle Monae, Katy Perry and Dua Lipa.
“Dead Lotus Couture’s Nange Magro understands that everyone has a dark secret,” the brand said. “She aims to express the wearer’s dual identity with monster-like fur breaking through the latex second skin.”
The hand-made outfits are made of natural latex, which is the raw material for rubber. It is derived from the sap of the hevea brasiliensis, commonly known as the rubber tree.
Latex is harvested by cutting incisions in the bark, from which the milky white liquid latex drips into containers in a process known as “tapping”.
Magro, who is half Italian and half Japanese, first came across the material when studying an MA at London College of Fashion, from where she graduated in 2011.
“I immediately fell in love with it, due to the tactile feeling, the smell, the sensation of it, got deeply fascinated by the sense of power it so easily gives when wearing it,” Magro told Dezeen.
“I found the material itself gives such an edgy connotation and character to any design, adding an extra dimension to it. With latex, boring is out of the question.”
Magro uses latex sourced from renewable suppliers, and claims the material is both more sustainable and versatile than alternatives such as leather, PVC and synthetic latex.
“Latex is preferable to leather due to the fact that none of the additives are derived from animals,” she said. “It has a much closer fit and much higher stretch than leather or PVC.”
Magro believes the material should be seen as a premium natural material.
“As you might know latex’s popularity was born in the fetish scene, but I believe it’s time for it to get to the next level,” she said.
“Just like silk, leather and every other premium material, I would like to see latex in every wardrobe.”
Founded by professional skateboarders Jason Dill and Anthony Van Engelen, Fucking Awesome (aka FA) produces boards, apparel and accessories from keychains to packing tape. This rainbow, paneled umbrella (complete with a wooden handle) is decorated with rainclouds and umbrellas and, on the underside, the brand’s familiar logo is repeated in various colors. It is sure to add some color to a gloomy day.
Interior design will evolve, innovate, adapt and improve in 2020, says Michelle Ogundehin. Her trend report includes provocative collaborations, cork, Ukrainian design and a rejection of digital technology.
The dawn of a new decade invariably gives rise to a whole host of grandiose pronouncements about new trends and cultural shifts for the next ten years, and true to form, here’s my top seven. But in truth, there’s only one thing that we can be absolutely certain of: change will be the only constant.
Regrettably the chaos of international politics shows no signs of abating and the cacophony of shouting about climate change is intensifying as truanting school children bear placards daubed with slogans like: “You know it’s time for change when children act like leaders, and leaders act like children.”
Stress related illnesses are predicted to be the primary cause of sickness in 2020, accounting for 44 per cent of all work-related absences. Meanwhile, the titans of big tech are held responsible and their dominions increasingly viewed with suspicion: 32 per cent of UK and US citizens have reputedly closed or deactivated a social media account in the last 12 months according to Global Web Index.
Thus, were the foundations laid for today’s new pillar of success in design: biophilia (meaning love of nature). Because, with more and more people living and working in completely urbanised surroundings, a tangible sense of the natural world is being lost, at great cost to our health. In fact, by 2050 it’s estimated that 68 per cent of the world’s population will live in cities, and current reports already suggest that the average person spends 90 per cent of their time indoors.
Against this backdrop the pressure is on for our homes and workplaces to become more human-centric and soothing environments that not only encourage physical activity but also have optimal air quality alongside easy access to clean-filtered water, healthy foods and good natural light.
Besides, today’s increasingly informed consumer expects it. After all, with the swipe of an app you can already have a world-class workout in your pyjamas thanks to exercise bikes with in-built tablets from Peleton and interactive mirrors by mirror.co that live stream expert personal trainers direct to your bedroom. Add to this the mainstream rejection of plastic and escalating popular engagement with sustainability – think David Attenborough’s surprise appearance at a plastic-free Glastonbury – and it’s clear that now a broader concern for wellbeing (that of the planet as well as ourselves) has finally hit the main stage.
The new sexy eco: the wealth in waste
And this is no fickle assertion. Major brands everywhere are scrambling to acquire clean and green credentials as consumers demand transparency. Venerable art institutions are hectored for accepting sponsorship from BP, Lego has introduced plant-based plastic bricks and even Coca Cola has pledged to recycle a used bottle or can for every one the company sells by 2030.
For smaller brands, for whom a circular economy was always the way, the time has come to shine. But crucially, the products being created today are also beautiful. Because, for sustainability to go truly mainstream, we have to want what’s being made more than we want to buy something else – a core tenet of consumer culture that got rather missed by many early eco warriors.
The new sexy eco therefore includes products like Another Brand‘s Mosaico, a flooring system of solid wood tiles made from 100 per cent recycled wood repurposed from the furniture manufacturing industry, to the London-based architects APT collaborating with Mallorcan tile maker Huguet, to produce a terrazzo-inspired material that uses construction and demolition waste (which generates about 32 per cent of landfill in the UK according to the Technology Strategy Board).
Alternatively, Dust London‘s re-use of tea waste to make stunning origami-inspired household objects or Chip[s] Board, a fully recyclable, biodegradable material made from potato waste, an innovation supported by none other than McCains. Expect to see a lot more collaborations like this.
Creative disruption as the way forward
In this age of rage, rebellion finds its way into design too. We’ve seen it already when stellar designers such as Paola Navone decide to work with McDonalds and Pierre Frey, renowned purveyor of fine French fabrics, pairs up with creative provocateurs like Christian Astuguevielle, who duly re-coloured and black-swoosh graffitied all over a classic 18th century voile as his contribution to its archive.
For such a historic house to have embraced this kind of radical disruption, it’s clear, as Patrick Frey, son of Pierre and current patriarch of the brand says, “today there’s a kind of freedom in the home business. Everything is mixed up. Your home is the only place you can escape this crazy world, so today, everything is possible!” It also lights the 2020 way for any brand to prompt a re-evaluation of its offer: provocative partnerships.
Created in collaboration with the Royal Institute of British Architects, it’s presented as a set of six pairs of black and whites, each with the subtlest of coordinated undertones from ochre to grey, blue and green. Or consider the 15 ultra matte shades that make up the palette of Gris, a new paint brand from former make-up artist Liz Michael.
Here an exquisitely curated solvent-free set of cloudy whites, smoky greys and Japanese-inspired indigo blues suggest a serene, as well as green, future. In particular, I predict that dark inky midnight blues and blue-undertoned dark browns will come to dominate, as they imply the solidity of black without its absoluteness, powerful yet dignified colours that project elegance and sophistication. A beacon perhaps for a more considered, and grounded, way forward?
Furniture goes plus-size
In perhaps a seemingly counter intuitive twist to all this streamlining and sustainability, furniture is getting decidedly chubbier. But then curvy, rounded and plump designs are the literal expression of comfort; when we seek solace, it is not to a stiff-backed chair that we intuitively turn.
In times of strife we need to be able to sink deeply into our sofas and feel them cosset and surround us. Add to this the exponential rise of home cinema alongside home-working and the trend for deep, wide sofas as the modern home’s definitive work/play hub is nigh. So much so that even the resolutely trim’n’taut high-end Italian brands like Minotti have taken a punt on the fat side.
The style: Modern Primitive
Following 2019s embrace of humble materials – plywood, cork, rattan et al – and in tandem with the above, will come an even more forceful rejection of the tight strictures and perfect polish of previous years. Epitomised by Ukrainian design, something of an outlier on the design scene, it’s a rough-hewn style that favours uncomplicated styling, elemental materials and solid forms.
Admittedly rather more Flintstones than futuristic, it’s something that Viktoriya Yakusha, director of the Ukraine-based Faina design, calls “naive design: simple in form, yet with a deep philosophy behind it”.
This is no understatement. Ukraine is a country with prehistoric roots, and it has stubbornly maintained its indigenous craft traditions for pottery, musical instruments and woodwork employing techniques and processes that date back 400-years. And despite current political woe, it’s precisely this resolutely hand-crafted authenticity that marks it out as one to watch.
Simple not clever: The return of the analogue
More broadly a renewed respect for the past can be seen in the resurgence in popularity of live music, poetry jams, printed books and old-school paper diaries. Design-led stationery companies, like Papier, which specialises in monogrammed writing sets, notebooks and personalised cards, are seeing record growth.
Sales of books have risen five per cent to bring in £5.7 billion in the UK (according to The Sunday Times). Meanwhile people like Brooklyn-based designer Scott Bodenner are making fabric woven from mohair, silk and old cassette tape ribbons. In short, we have reached the point of digital exhaustion wherein the cool cafes have no laptop policies and the smart home doesn’t seem that smart anymore. This was inevitable as millennials who grew up with digital technology engage with the analogue as a mark of individuality.
Adapt, or be damned
In this way, move over Hygge and Ikigai, the new buzz word is Nunchi. A 5,000-year old Korean concept that, according to Euny Hong, author of The Power of Nunchi, is the art of reading a room, relating to others, and using that awareness to get ahead.
However, it’s not empathy, that’s too 2019. Nunchi is more observational and emotionally neutral, and its purpose is to improve your way in life by enabling you to be less self-absorbed and more aware of the collective temperature while maintaining individual integrity. As Hong puts it in her conclusion: “Survival of the fittest doesn’t mean survival of the strongest. It means survival of the most adaptable.”
The conclusion: optimistic
And Nunchi relates to the home and wider trends because gatherings like the fifth annual Biofabricate summit – held in London in early December this year, with a mandate to discuss the potential of biologically-based technologies using yeast, bacteria and algae – and films like 2040, an optimistic vision of workable solutions to climate change by the Australian film maker Damon Gameau. These encourage me to believe that a non-apocalyptic vision of the future awaits if we simply embrace the best of what already exists.
After all, today, even my porridge oats come with a leaflet which states: “The most profound change that will occur is a power shift from unsustainable coercion to sustainable inspiration.”
So, while 2019 heralded protest on many levels, revolution is always a precursor to change, and the way we do politics and business, and how we as individuals shop, live and eat, has to change. And it’s already started. In America, an open letter signed in August 2019 by over 181 CEOs of public companies, including Apple, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson and JPMorgan Chase, acknowledged that “shareholder primacy” should be rejected in favour of putting environmental concerns, diversity, community and employee wellbeing at the top of the list. It was a remarkable reversal of a long-held capitalist orthodoxy. I could be cynical and dismiss it as timely grandstanding, but what if it’s not?
In conclusion, the planet will inevitably grow warmer, but so too will we evolve, innovate, adapt and improve for I still believe that we can be as brilliantly inventive as we have previously been so terribly destructive. However, 2020 is our make or break year to prove it.
Main image is Cork House by Matthew Barnett Howland with Dido Milne and Oliver Wilton.
« Above » transporte qui le regarde, dans une atmosphère extraterrestre au sens littéral du terme. Ce court-métrage est le deuxième projet personnel de son créateur, Harrison Vincent : un directeur artistique, motion designer et artiste 3D. Ici, le spectateur assiste à une odyssée spatiale miniature, qui joue avec l’échelle et la perspective. « Ce projet personnel stimulant et enrichissant est une étude de la texture, de l’atmosphère et de la compétence technique », explique Vincent. Sur le site internet de l’artiste, un intéressant coup d’œil sur le processus de création du court-métrage est visualisable. L’occasion de se rendre compte des étapes qui ont été nécessaires pour arriver à un tel résultat.
The act of playing is one of the hallmarks of childhood, but could it also be the secret to success and happiness in our working lives? CR investigates
To mark the start of the 2020s, we’ve asked a selection of our regular columnists to offer up predictions of what lies ahead for the creative industries. Here, Facebook Head of Entertainment Anna Higgs looks to cinema history to help foretell the future
Yellow walls meet stark-white furnishings and colourful terrazzo fixtures inside this bright Beijing apartment, which has been overhauled by MDDM Studio.
Spread across the top two floors and roof terrace of a five-storey residential building on the north side of Beijing, House P was designed by MDDM Studio for a young family.
The studio, which has bases in Beijing and Berlin, reconfigured the 300-square-metre apartment to create large open-plan living spaces.
The lower floor accommodates a living area, dining room, playroom and kitchen. Bedrooms and bathrooms are situated on the upper floor, while the large roof terrace features a study.
Both floors are enlivened by bright yellow paint which is used generously across walls and built-in furniture.
The studio said that the home’s vibrant colour palette – tempered with cement flooring and white-coloured wood and metal fixtures – is designed to reflect the energy of the young family that live there and create a warm light throughout the day.
“We studied many different colour combinations for the built-in furniture and the surrounding wall,” Momo Andrea Destro, the studio’s co-founder, told Dezeen.
“The yellow was the solution to bringing a positive energy into the house and preserving a certain minimal touch with the white furniture and staircase.”
On the lower floor, the existing staircase was demolished and partitions were removed. Large openings with sliding doors were also inserted into several existing structural walls to improve the movement between different zones in the home.
Instead of walls, built-in furniture, subtle changes in floor level and surface finishes delineate the home’s different functions.
For instance, the living room is one step lower than the adjoining dining room and entrance area, while the playroom is one step higher and lined in terrazzo.
“The result is a continuous flow between living room, entrance, dining room, kitchen and playroom,” said the studio.
Terrazzo panels made with green, orange and beige stones are used in the kitchen, bathroom and playroom, and used to create the base of the stairs.
“We wanted to use a material that could bring together the cement finishing of the floor and ceiling with the yellow walls,” explained Destro.
“The colourful terrazzo is produced in the south of China by a specialized manufacturer who assisted us on a careful selection of the stones.”
Turquoise accents that complement the colour of the green stone in the terrazzo can be seen on the home’s sliding doors, kitchen cupboards and a panel of glass in the bathroom.
To link the three levels, MDDM Studio inserted a staircase and landing made from perforated white steel panels. The perforations allow daylight from the west-facing, full-height windows in the stairwell to penetrate through into the rest of the home.
“During the late afternoon, the play of light and shadow of the stairs creates a special atmosphere inside the apartment,” added the studio.
As well as three bedrooms, the upper floor also accommodates a laundry area and a corridor that leads to an outdoor terrace.
This terrace, which runs along the entire length of the houses’ south side, also connects to the master bedroom. The space features an ash wood-lined recess with a built-in bed, as well as a row of white wardrobes.
“As the house is playing with a very simple colour scheme, we wanted to give the master bedroom a more articulated and warm atmosphere,” Destro told Dezeen.
“The niche with the bookshelf and the bed is made in ash wood; a relaxed space for the parents to rest.”
Yellow is a popular colour choice for studios looking to liven-up residential spaces.
I think every designer or creative soul out there loves to tinker about. Breaking down something into its bare parts, or creating something from nothing, always has a certain thrill to it. Inspired by this notion, Jennifer Zhang and Rebecca Lee developed an all-in-one watchmaking kit! Anyone who loves to tinker around would surely love to get their hands on the ROTATE Watch Kit and create their own mechanical watch from scratch. The watch-building kit has everything you need, most importantly a step-by-step guide amped with images, that helps you through the entire process. The kit includes all the elements you will require to build the watch, from a partially assembled ETA 648 manual-wind caliber movement to a 44-millimeter stainless steel case.
A dial, faux leather straps, spring bars, the various hands, tools such as a screwdriver, tweezer, magnifying glass, cutter and more are all included.
The DIY kit comes with options of three classic styles, the Edison, the Wright, and the Galileo. Though all three feature different aesthetics, they all manage to maintain a certain level of sophistication and simplicity. Galileo features a blue dial inspired by the stars, complemented by a gold case. Edison is simple and elegant, with a white face and a faux black leather strap. Whereas Wright boasts a classic black dial, showcasing earthy tones.
The ROTATE watchmaking kit allows you to create your own timepiece, and to enjoy every bit of the process thoroughly. If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at watch-building, this is a fantastic option and something that could turn into a lifelong hobby!
South Korean designer Teo Yang has created a set of sculptural birdbaths inspired by the philosophies of traditional Korean garden design.
Developed in collaboration with Mallorcan tile manufacturer Huguet, the three objects each comprise a cuboid-shaped pedestal made from white and peach terrazzo tiles.
The surfaces are punctured by circular openings that reveal a ribbed terracotta pipe for transporting water to the upper basin.
Two of the designs feature spouts that allow water to overflow and trickle along external channels to reach the ground.
The main source of inspiration for the Three Isles birdbaths is the symbolism found in Korean garden design, where the number three is commonly used as the basis for the landscape design.
“It is fascinating to see how often things in Korean gardens come in a set of threes,” Yang pointed out. “Three islands in ponds, three trees on each island, and three rocks on islands.”
In addition to the symbolic importance of triplets in Korean culture, Yang’s design is informed by the history and functional requirements of birdbaths.
“Three islands are created based on the utopian ideology, and also function as a resting ground for birds and other small creatures,” said the designer.
“Thus, we hope to deliver the idea of coexistence between nature and humans by building three modern architectural islands for birds to rest,” he added.
Yang’s Seoul-based interior design studio created the Three Isles birdbaths for Wallpaper magazine’s annual Handmade project, which pairs emerging and established designers with premium manufacturers.
The theme for this year’s Handmade project was Love, which made the designer think of lovebirds.
His birdbaths also aim to evoke the attributes of generosity, forgiveness and kindness that are essential in a loving relationship.
Yang had never worked with terrazzo or terracotta before, but he was able to use the materials to create playful and original forms that evoke both Mediterranean and Asian influences.
A house wrapped in wooden shutters on the outskirts of Bangkok by IDIN Architects has space for a couple to coexist while pursuing their separate activities.
Called JB House, it was designed for a couple who wanted distinct yet connected spaces that would allow them to focus on their hobbies of photography, baking, writing and drawing.
With only a small site to work with, IDIN Architects divided the home vertically.
On the ground floor is a large kitchen island for his baking surrounded by living spaces, and above is a large workspace surrounded by bookshelf-lined walls for her writing.
The writing room’s desk and the kitchen island have been aligned vertically, with the glass desk covering a void that looks directly down to the kitchen below.
“A huge piece of glass is used for the top of the woman’s working table, which creates a visual connection to the kitchen island below, allowing them to see each other while doing their own activities,” explained IDIN Architects.
The upper floor steps upwards on one side, and glazed strips have been inserted beneath these steps to allow further glimpses between the floors, allowing the owners to “privately keep in touch.”
To provide privacy, the master bedroom occupies the highest point of this upper floor.
The guest bedroom is at the lowest point, but when desired the whole floor can be transformed into a single large space using full-height sliding doors at either end.
The shutters that surround this upper level also contribute to this play of open and closed.
Built as a double skin, the wooden shutters sit alongside glazed screens that can remain closed to allow light in or be opened to allow the home to be naturally ventilated.
When open, these shutters double as vertical brise soleil that prevent overheating at certain points during the day.
When these shutters are closed, skylights along the staircase provide natural light for this upper level.
The staircase is also been lined with large timber bookshelves, intended to be filled over time.
Similarly, storage areas in the living and kitchen spaces have also been built into large cupboards that can be concealed by folding wooden doors.
Two layers of large curtains allow light and views through the glazed envelope to also be controlled.
Many architects and designers incorporate shutters into the envelopes of buildings to prevent overlooking and control light levels.
In London, MATA Architects used mechanical shutters for an extension to a home, and in Lithuania, Aketuri Architektai designed a lakeside retreat that can be completely closed using a series of large shutters.
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