Hasta La Ideas

There are plenty of beautiful smartphones these days, but one thing that most of them have in common is the premium price tags they carry. While beauty and luxury have always traditionally gone together, it doesn’t always have to be the case, especially with breakthroughs in design and technology. Bringing exciting products to people from all walks of life has always been a pipe dream of many designers and companies, but it often requires the right timing to bring the right ingredients together. realme is one such company investing heavily in making delightful smartphones for its target audience, and it is bringing that vision to fruition in the new realme 10 Pro series that’s now launching globally.

Designer: realme

As a company born to target a younger crowd of smartphone users, realme has always endeavored to deliver products with trend-setting designs to the market. That market, however, has traditionally been filled with devices that lean more towards affordable prices at the expense of performance and aesthetics, but thankfully, the tech industry has been changing to include more market tiers in its goal of achieving excellence. Technologies and designs that were once thought to be exclusive to expensive devices have now become more accessible thanks to the efforts of brands like realme.

The realme 10 Pro+ is a glittering example of that new trend. It brings to the midrange smartphone segment a curved screen that has been the hallmark of premium phones not just because of their looks but also because of the high cost of production. Paired with a COP Ultra Packaging process that narrows the bottom bezel even further, the realme 10 Pro+ looks like it’s all screen and all business. This “segment-first” 120Hz curved display isn’t just a pretty face, though, and it boasts a 2160Hz PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology that reduces screen flickering to deliver a more comfortable viewing experience, enough to earn two TÜV Rheinland certificates on eye protection.

The back of the phone is just as striking with a new Hyperspace Design. The refraction of the light that changes at every angle makes it appear as if it’s traveling at warp speed, similar to the effects you’d see in some sci-fi shows located in space. These beams of light all converge towards the twin-lens reflex cameras, making it unambiguous how photography is still one of the key elements of the mobile experience, pun intended.

The realme 10 Pro+ isn’t all just looks, and it bears hardware that’s aimed to satisfy a wide range of people of any age. The “Plus” model runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 5G processor with up to 12GB of RAM and comes with a whopping 108MP Prolight camera. It is also the first of its kind to run realme’s new UI 4.0, which promises a more fluid experience without bogging the phone down or devouring battery life.

Beyond the tech specs and features, realme is making a heavy investment in making sure that breakthrough design is made available to every market segment, not just the ones with four-digit prices. It is committed to bringing exciting designs to each new model, pouring resources on new materials, finishes, colors, and human-machine interaction, not just for a privileged few but for everyone, especially the younger generation of smartphone users. The realme 10 Pro+ starts at $379 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the standard realme 10 Pro starts at $319 with the same memory configuration.

The post realme 10 Pro+ brings a touch of elegance to an affordable market segment first appeared on Yanko Design.

Little pals in our life deserve the best health and world of exposure. As concerned parents, we leave no stone unturned to ensure the same within the four walls. However, it is always not the same outside.

Traveling with pets – whether to the veterinarian or on a flight overseas – is not a comfortable experience, especially if you don’t have a pet that’s friendly with her carrier bag. Now, either you can step up your game and train the pup to enjoy the safe confines of a pet carrier, or even better, get her a carrier she would love to burrow in.

Designer: Olga Orsel

There is a plethora of options on the market that vouch to be convenient to carry and comfy for the most restless pets. When it comes down to choosing one for our needs, we must consider safety, convenience, and aesthetics primarily.

Because there are so many variables, I’m sure, you would have gone pillar to post in search of a pet carrier that checks these boxes. Not sure about your outcome; but if someday I want a carrier, it ought to be somewhere around the concept of the Burrow.

Burrow for one ousts the regular bag appearance and those sharp-edge cage aesthetics for a pleasing design with safe corners. The functional design has a convenient push-button door and comes padded with a removable mattress for the pet to cozy up in. The walls are safe and well-ventilated. Ventilation is enhanced by a mesh door that would let the little pal peek outside and breathe fresh.

What really makes the Burrow pet carrier stand out for me is its detachable design. It is built in two sections: the top and bottom being separable. The sections are enclosed with loop and hook closure which makes it easy to clip and clip off. When torn seperate, the base of the pet carrier doubles as a bed.

This idea not only renders the Burrow multipurpose; it also adds exceptionally to the carrier’s space-saving antics, which is generally a concern with traditional pet carriers. Offered in four colors, Burrow allows pet owners to personalize it courtesy of a silicon dog tag attached to the handle of the carrier. The convenient handle makes the Burrow similar to a basket so it is effortless to carry about.

The post This pet carrier that doubles as a bed is a cozy burrow your pal’s bound to find comforting first appeared on Yanko Design.

None of the UK’s biggest cities have policies in place to protect birds from deadly strikes with buildings in their boroughs, exclusive Dezeen research has found.

Freedom of Information requests to the 33 local authorities in London and the councils responsible for 10 other major UK cities also revealed that none have ever carried out an assessment of bird-window collisions in their areas.

This is despite the British Trust for Ornithology‘s (BTO) alarming estimation that up to 100 million birds crash into the windows of buildings in the UK each year, with one-third of these birds dying as a result.

David Noble, a scientist who is investigating the issue of window-strike risks for the BTO, warned that building collisions could be accelerating the decline in bird numbers in the UK.

“UK bird numbers are declining overall and although evidence is lacking, collisions could be a contributing factor for any particularly vulnerable species, whether urban residents or nocturnal migrants or due to some other factor,” he told Dezeen.

The lack of council-led assessments reflects a wider shortfall in data on bird collisions, Noble added.

“We know from experience and through ring recoveries that bird-glass collisions occur but the magnitude of mortality and evidence for population-level impact in the UK and in Europe is little-studied and remains largely unknown.”

Bird-friendly legislation “would be both helpful and precautionary”

Noble called for legislation to require those working in the built environment to deliver bird-friendly buildings.

“Regarding policies to require architects and builders to implement bird-friendly windows and glass, moving in that direction would be both helpful and precautionary,” he said.

Through their planning policies, which are informed by national government guidance, councils are able to control new development in their areas.

Councils in the UK have duties set by the governments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to consider the protection of biodiversity in their planning policies – but this guidance is focused on ensuring new developments do not affect habitats and not on preventing building strikes.

The Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said it was not able to comment on Dezeen’s findings.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which oversees planning policy in England for the UK government, did not respond to a request for comment.

“Change can and should come from within the industry”

Worldwide, it is estimated that collisions with buildings cause billions of bird deaths a year.

This is because birds can mistake windows for continued space or become disorientated by interior lighting that shines through them at night.

However, research suggests these fatalities can be minimised through simple measures such as opting for fritted or patterned glass on a facade, which is one of the most common ways to make glass on buildings visible to birds.

In response to Dezeen’s findings, senior vice president of animal rights organisation PETA Colleen O’Brien said that legislation and assessments could help save the lives of birds, but that architects should not wait for these to design bird-friendly buildings.

“Much-needed legislation requiring assessments of the impact of buildings on wildlife would save millions of animals’ lives, but change can and should come from within the industry,” she told Dezeen.

“Many architects are already embracing masking films, frits, ultraviolet patterns, and other design elements that prevent birds from crashing into reflective windows, and PETA is calling for bird-friendly glass to become the new industry-wide standard.”

London Plan suggests impact assessment of tall buildings

While no council contacted by Dezeen currently has any bird-friendly guidelines in place for new development, the London borough of Waltham Forest said it is developing a new local plan with a policy relating to the development of tall buildings, in which bird strikes are highlighted.

The proposed Policy 57 notes that where high-rise buildings are constructed, the “harmful environmental impacts in relation to wind movement, solar glare, microclimatic conditions, air, noise and light pollution and bird and bat strikes” should be avoided.

This clause echoes Policy D9 of the London Plan 2021, which was flagged by the London boroughs of Ealing, Havering, Hillingdon and Bromley as the only planning policy guidance relevant to bird strikes.

Released in 2021, the London Plan is a strategy developed by mayor Sadiq Khan to offer a framework for how Greater London should develop over the next 20-25 years. Policy D9 suggests that the impacts of tall buildings on birds “may need to be taken into consideration” when in development.

“For example, the impact of new tall buildings in proximity to waterbodies supporting notable bird species upon the birds’ flight lines may need to be considered,” reads the supporting text.

However, both the London Plan and the emerging local plan of Waltham Forest do not explicitly prevent potentially harmful buildings from being constructed or offer suggestions for how they can be made more bird-friendly.

Both these policies also only refer to the development of tall buildings in the boroughs. However, according to Melissa Breyer, a volunteer for New York City wildlife charity NYC Audobon, building heights are not a key factor in bird deaths.

“The main culprit is definitely a reflective surface,” she told Dezeen earlier this year, indicating that even low-rise buildings can be hazardous to birds.

“Almost all of these [bird strikes] are happening at the treeline because that’s where the habitat is reflected,” she continued.

Bird-friendly legislation more stringent in US

Unlike in the UK, city officials across the US have begun introducing more stringent guidelines to prevent bird collisions with buildings as awareness of the issue increases.

This includes Local Law 15 in New York City, a bill introduced in 2019 that requires the surfaces of new glass buildings over 23 metres (75 feet) tall to be patterned to make them more visible to birds.

However, existing glass buildings in the city continue to pose problems for migrating birds. In 2021, Breyer made headlines when she collected the corpses of over 200 birds that had flown into buildings at the World Trade Center.

In a single day, she found 226 carcasses from the pavements around the 3 World Trade Center tower designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and 4 World Trade Center tower by Fumihiko Maki.

At the time, Breyer said she identified many more, but that they were “inaccessible, or too mangled to collect”.

Elsewhere, a bill was filed in Washington DC calling for new buildings in the city to be designed with products that deter birds from colliding with their glass surfaces.

Since being proposed earlier this year the bill has been widely supported in the city, according to the local organisation City Wildlife.

Its president Anna Lewis told Dezeen that the bill “will be highly effective” in solving the problem of bird collisions.

“We need to appreciate that these collisions are not random, that our building designs are causing them, and that there are simple fixes that can prevent these tragic collisions,” she said.

Below is the data for each of the 43 UK councils surveyed, listed in alphabetical order:

Belfast

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

belfastcity.gov.uk

Birmingham

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

birmingham.gov.uk

Bristol

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

bristol.gov.uk

Cardiff

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

cardiff.gov.uk

City of London

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

cityoflondon.gov.uk

City of Westminster

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

westminster.gov.uk

Edinburgh

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

edinburgh.gov.uk

Glasgow

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

glasgow.gov.uk

Leeds

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

leeds.gov.uk

Liverpool

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

liverpool.gov.uk

London Borough of Barnet

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

barnet.gov.uk

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

lbbd.gov.uk

London Borough of Bexley

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

bexley.gov.uk

London Borough of Brent

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

brent.gov.uk

London Borough of Bromley

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

Only relevant planning policy is D9 of the London Plan.

bromley.gov.uk

London Borough of Camden

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

camden.gov.uk

London Borough of Croydon

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

croydon.gov.uk

London Borough of Ealing

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

Only relevant planning policy is D9 of the London Plan and planning guidance published by Natural England on 14 January 2022.

ealing.gov.uk

London Borough of Enfield

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

enfield.gov.uk

London Borough of Hackney

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

hackney.gov.uk

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

lbhf.gov.uk

London Borough of Haringey

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

haringey.gov.uk

London Borough of Harrow

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

harrow.gov.uk

London Borough of Havering

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

Only relevant planning policy is policy D9 of the London Plan.

havering.gov.uk

London Borough of Hounslow

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

hounslow.gov.uk

London Borough of Hillingdon

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

hillingdon.gov.uk

London Borough of Islington

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

islington.gov.uk

London Borough of Lambeth

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

lambeth.gov.uk

London Borough of Lewisham

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

lewisham.gov.uk

London Borough of Merton

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

merton.gov.uk

London Borough of Newham

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

newham.gov.uk

London Borough of Redbridge

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

redbridge.gov.uk

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

richmond.gov.uk

London Borough of Southwark

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

southwark.gov.uk

London Borough of Sutton

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

sutton.gov.uk

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

towerhamlets.gov.uk

London Borough of Waltham Forest

Policy 57, Tall and Taller Buildings in part one of the council’s proposed local plan includes the issue of bird strikes against tall buildings in the borough.

Under the proposed plan, tall buildings will only be supported where they are designed to prevent bird strikes, as well as other criteria such as overheating and light pollution.

However, this plan is currently in the process of examination and may be modified.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

However, the council said the issue of bird strikes is addressed on a site-specific basis in the assessments for new developments. For example, the Blackhorse Lane Masterplan framework considers bird migration routes.

walthamforest.gov.uk

London Borough of Wandsworth

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

wandsworth.gov.uk

Manchester

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

manchester.gov.uk

Royal Borough of Greenwich

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

rbkc.gov.uk

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

kingston.gov.uk

Sheffield

No record of specific policy or guidance in place concerning the issue of bird strikes in the area.

No record of assessment by the council of bird deaths caused by collisions in the area.

sheffield.gov.uk

The main photo is by MCB2022 via Wikimedia Commons. 

The post Major UK councils fail to address bird-window collisions in planning policies appeared first on Dezeen.

This year’s MPavilion designed by Bangkok-based studio All(zone) has opened to the public in the Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne.

Topped with a bright orange canopy, the pavilion was designed to celebrate outdoor life in the city of Melbourne, while mimicking the feeling of being underneath a tree.

Commissioned annually by charity The Naomi Milgrom Foundation, the ninth edition was designed by All(zone) during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We began the MPavilion design process right after the peak of Covid with a long lockdown in Bangkok,” said All(zone) founder Rachaporn Choochuey. “Our MPavilion, therefore, was designed to celebrate the moment when we all could meet and see each other in public again.”

The main canopy was built from three layers with specially selected materials combine to create a tensile system that shelters visitors, but allows light to pass through.

Designed in collaboration with engineering studios Tensys and Aecom, the outer layer was built from fishing nets, creating a tactile texture for the pavilion.

The middle layer is a polyacrylate mesh that is both transparent and waterproof, while the bottom layer is made of colourful latticed fabric that allows light to filter through and moves with the breeze.

“The engineering and manufacturing has been a huge step forward for us in understanding the possibilities of fabric-based architecture,” said Choochuey.

Choochuey hopes that visitors to this year’s pavilion will feel calm within the experimental structure.

“We at All(zone) are always exploring the potential of light architecture,” she said. “We wanted to create a place where people could feel at ease, and a space that was fun, colourful and friendly.”

The pavilion will host series of events, workshops and performances until 6 April when it will be moved to a permanent location in Melbourne.

Last year, the geometric, kaleidoscopic form of MPavilion was designed by Venetian practice MAP Studio. The annual commission has also seen designs from Glenn Murcutt who created a minimal pavilion with a linear “lantern” roof in 2019.

The photography is by John Gollings unless stated otherwise.

The post All(zone) unveils bright orange fabric MPavilion in Melbourne appeared first on Dezeen.

Oscar-winning superhero film Black Panther paved the way for a bolder approach to fashion in its sequel Wakanda Forever, costume designer Ruth E Carter tells Dezeen in this exclusive interview.

Costumes in the recently released blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever “push the boundaries” of the discipline, said Carter.

They include 3D-printed headdresses and shoulder mantles designed by Carter and produced by architect Julia Koerner.

Part of Carter’s aim for Wakanda Forever was to showcase the possibilities of afrofuturism, a movement that reimagines the Black experience into a fantastical or sci-fi future.

Black Panther garnered huge attention when it was released in 2018 for being the first Hollywood superhero movie to feature a Black protagonist.

“I think that the first film opened up the door,” Carter told Dezeen. “We couldn’t go as soft as we did in the first film,” said the designer, who became the first African American to receive an Academy Award for Best Costume Design at the Oscars for her work on the first Black Panther film.

“Obviously, we did a really great costume design together in the first film, but in the second one, we asked, ‘how can we elevate that? How can we push the boundaries?'”

Carter’s work has been praised for introducing a mainstream audience to afrofuturist costume design, with designers from countries across Africa arguing that it put the continent in the spotlight as a growing force in design, technology and fashion.

The Marvel sequel Wakanda Forever, which is currently showing in UK cinemas, raked in $180 million (£152 million) in US ticket sales making it the second-biggest film of the year so far.

Set in a fictional futuristic nation called Wakanda, Wakanda Forever takes place in the aftermath of the death of Black Panther protagonist King T’Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman.

A major difference between the two films is that much of the second is set in the secret underwater nation of Talokan. Because so many scenes were shot underwater, the designers turned to new materials to create the costumes, including rubber and silicone.

The fictional underwater civilisation also references Mayan culture, in which objects from the natural world carry great significance.

“We went through the history of the Mesoamerican to create an alternate future on the water,” Carter recalled.

“We relied on the Mayan inspirations, but also the environment that they were now in underwater, so things like coral and fish and bones became more important when creating the headdresses.”

Wakanda Forever’s plot sees Queen Ramonda, played by American actress Angela Bassett, lead the Wakandans in their fight to protect their world from opposing forces.

According to Carter, the idea was that the costumes would take on a central role, with the queen donning a striking ensemble to match her character development and powerful position.

“In the first film, Queen Ramonda was very casual, she wore yoga pants and she was seen a lot barefoot,” said Carter.

“The second film was a much stronger presence for the Queen,” Carter explained. “In her first scene – the intro scene – she needed to represent the power of Wakanda now in her seat on the throne, and that she’s a ruler of this nation.”

“Ruth and [Wakanda Forever director] Ryan Coogler were really keen on having something that had not been done, elevating the Queen’s character with the regal attire, which looks technologically advanced and very digital,” added architect Koerner.

Key pieces worn by the queen character in the 2018 Black Panther movie, such as a crown and colossal shoulder mantle, have been re-imagined for Wakanda Forever with added complexity and a broader range of colours and materials.

“The complexity of the geometry of the piece that goes in front of the crown, the intricacy of the filigree design is is more intense and is elevated,” Koerner told Dezeen.

“Also the neckpiece in both its colours in white and gold just gives her [Queen Ramonda] a different posture,” Koerner continued. “It gives her a different presence.”

The Isicholo – a traditional handwoven South African headpiece worn by married women – also makes a reappearance. Carter designed the patterns for the item by drawing on designs found in African lace.

“It’s normally like a basket-weave hand-woven shape and as she is the queen, it needs to be perfectly cylindrical,” Carter said.

“I really felt like since we were creating Wakanda, and it’s a forward-thinking nation, it’s a country that’s living in technology, that there was no way we could not have 3D design in this process of costumes,” she added.

To create the 3D-printed items, Koerner uses computational design tools to approach the discipline of fashion with architectural techniques learned in her training at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and the Architectural Association in London.

After initial meetings with Carter and seeing the costume sketches, Koerner would start shaping out the base geometry of the crown and neck piece and then begin writing an algorithm or code in a technique known as generative design.

Working virtually across continents from Koerner’s base in Vienna and Carter’s in Atlanta, this process was preferable as it meant that Koerner could easily change designs based on Carter’s feedback.

“If at one point we have a meeting and the team desired to change the circumference of the crown, or the thickness or to change the height of it, we do not need to remodel everything, but we simply change a number in the code and the whole pattern automatically generatively adapts to it,” Koerner explained.

“It is a very progressive way of working because even if you have a change in size and dimensioning, at the last point, you can easily adapt the geometry in 3D and in a much more resourceful way.”

“And it’s also a sustainable process because you don’t make any moulds, you really just use the material which goes into the piece.”

Certain patterns were also repeated in different accessories across the two films.

“Let’s say in the first film, you saw the crown had this kind of pattern on the rim, that was repeated in the rim of the shoulder mantle so you have elements which are connected,” said Koerner.

“With 3D printing, you can mimic these natural patterns perfectly and with the computer, you can generate these perfect symmetrical shapes.”

However, Carter decidedly refused to use Ankara fabric – a wax-printed material that is commonly used for colourful clothing in countries across West and Central Africa – because of its link to colonialism.

“Ankara fabric epitomises colonisation as it was brought from the Dutch, it’s still even produced by the Dutch, she explained.

“You will notice that there’s not a lot of that in Wakanda, I tried to stay away from it because I know its origin and how it’s manufactured,” Carter continued. “It’s difficult for me to put it into this context.”

As well as working with Koerner, the film also saw Carter call on designers around the world including Dutch haute couture designer Iris van Herpen, who created a hand-strung jade necklace for Shuri, the superhero played by Letitia Wright who eventually takes on the Black Panther suit.

For Carter, such collaborations reflect the film’s connection to afrofuturism, which advocates people from all over the African diaspora uniting across geographies.

“We are our future and we are actually living afrofuture and making a film about it seems very organic to our process,” she said.

“I have companies that I deal with in India, Africa and London, and designers that I work with like Iris and JJ Valaya and we’re all contributing to this film, and I feel like that was very much a whole picture for costume design.”

The images are courtesy Walt Disney Studios/Marvel.

The post “We couldn’t go as soft as we did in the first film,” says Black Panther: Wakanda Forever costume designer Ruth E Carter appeared first on Dezeen.