Hasta La Ideas

Milan 2013: French design brand La Chance launched its second collection in Milan earlier this month, featuring a bright red winged bench by Luca Nichetto and a fragmented coffee table by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance (+ slideshow).

Among the new products unveiled by La Chance this year was Italian designer Luca Nichetto’s Earhart outdoor bench, which is named after aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and finished in the shiny red of her Lockheed Vega aeroplane.

French designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance contributed a coffee table to complement his Borghese sofa, while Israeli designer Dan Yeffet and Lucie Koldova presented Apollo, a cone-shaped glass and marble floor lamp.

La Chance has also initiated new collaborations with Paris-based architects Tolila + Gilliland, who created a wall-mounted wood and marble coat hook called Jeeves, and German designer Sebastian Herkner, who came up with an occasional table to go with his Salute armchair.

Nathalie du Pasquier, a founding member of the influential Memphis Group, unveiled a rug called France, while Beijing architects PIDO (People’s Industrial Design Office) came up with a tilted shelving system made of cross-shaped modules that can be positioned horizontally or diagonally.

French designer Guillaume Delvigne produced two pendant lamps – Hal, a thin LED disk that fits under different glass shades, and Swan, a large glass pendant (not pictured).

Finally, Spanish and Ecuadorian designers Jorge de la Cruz and Diana Vernaza Gonzenbach came up with Podium, a tubular candle holder that places one of its three candles at a lower height.

The collection was unveiled in the Brera district of Milan during the city’s design week earlier this month – see all products and news from Milan 2013.

Last year’s inaugural collection by La Chance included designs by Nichetto, Duchaufour-Lawrance, Note Design Studio and Francois Dumas, and we also filmed an interview with the brand’s founder Jean-Baptiste Souletie while reporting on 2012’s design week.

Here’s some more details from La Chance:

One year after its launch during Salone 2012, La Chance is back in Milan to present 10 new products: tables, seating, shelves, but also a new range of lighting, a rug, and some accessories. The French brand carries on developing a distinctive style with references to Art Deco with a great variety of materials in graphic and decorative yet practical designs.

La Chance continues the collaboration with hyperactive designer Luca Nichetto who created Earhart, a scenic and aerial outdoor bench inspired by the aircraft industry. It is named after the American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and shares the shiny red color of her Lockheed plane. Noé Duchaufour Lawrance enriches the Borghese range with a coffee table that completes the acclaimed Borghese landscape sofa. They share the characteristic vegetal structure inspired by the pine trees of the Rome’s Villa Borghese. Dan Yeffet and Lucie Koldova pursue the research on marble they began with the Iconic standing mirror and present Apollo, a surprising floor lamp that makes marble glow.

In addition, La Chance has initiated new collaborations and continues its search for talents worldwide with Spanish, German, American, French, Italian, Ecuadorian and also Chinese designers join in the team. Franco-­American architects Tolila + Gilliland have updated the conservative valet / jacket stand into an elegant wallmounted object made of wood and marble. It is called Jeeves in reference to the P.G Wodehouse novel character, a butler who defines himself as a gentleman’s personal gentleman. La Chance also works with Nathalie du Pasquier – founding member of the Memphis group ­‐ who created a rug called France. Strong graphics and explosive colors are the ingredients to this rug in line with her most spectacular creations. The rising star of German design Sebastian Herkner presents Salute, an occasional table meant to stand proudly by the side of the most iconic armchairs.

French designer Guillaume Delvigne has designed two very different pendant lamps: Hal is a small and easy lamp with a very simple and pure construction: a thin LED disk on which you can put different glass shades. On the other hand, Swan is an opulent large glass pendant with smooth curvy lines. La Chance also confirms its will to work with emerging talents and collaborates with Spanish and Ecuadorian designers Jorge de la Cruz and Diana Vernaza who designed a candle holder called Podium. La Chance also initiates one of the first collaborations between a European and a leading member of the boiling Chinese design scene. Beijing based architects PIDO 众产

New York design studio FormNation has proposed a redesign for two US income tax forms to make them clearer and easier to use (+ slideshow).

FormNation, launched in 2012 by Dutch designer Jan Habraken, decided to revamp the 1040 and W-9 forms to show how good design can make a complicated task much simpler.

“I’ve had this idea for quite a while,” explains Habraken. “I thought there was an obvious need out there for a simple tax form that people could complete themselves without getting an instant headache. This is the direction that people want, but instead they often find themselves with added stress at tax time because they feel overwhelmed at decoding the forms.”

The existing black and white 1040 and W-9 forms, which take up just a few sides each, have been expanded to create a less cluttered appearance, while blocks of colour help users prioritise the most important sections.

Though the project was self-initiated, FormNation hopes to discuss the redesigned forms with the US Internal Revenue Service in the future.

The redesigned UK government website was recently named overall winner of the Designs of the Year Awards given by London’s Design Museum – watch our movie interview with lead designer Ben Terrett and find out about his team’s 10 principles for good design.

We also recently featured a redesigned birth certificate featuring space for a baby’s footprint, religion and star sign – see all graphic design on Dezeen.

Here’s some more information from FormNation:

Since their inception, taxes have proved something of a confusing and downright unpleasant phenomenon, leading them to be listed alongside inevitabilities like death. A look at the current tax forms suggest that now more than ever, design can really help to innovate, promote ease of use, and add value to business and society.

This year when designer Jan Habraken sat down to tackle his taxes, he encountered the regular black and white cluttered paper with a mish mash of fonts and a maze of boxes. Instead of waiting for a change of heart by the IRS, Jan and his team at FormNation set out to create a user-friendly solution themselves.

“I’ve had this idea for quite a while,” says Jan. “I brought it up with my team at FormNation about it because I thought there was an obvious need out there for a simple tax form that people could complete themselves without getting an instant headache. This is the direction that people want, but instead they often find themselves with added stress at tax time because they feel overwhelmed at decoding the forms.”

FormNation set out to design a clear and easy to use form. The clever inclusion of color that allows users to prioritise parts of the form, streamlined fonts, and uncluttered space are indicative of genuine efforts by FormNation to minimise the confusion associated completing paperwork at tax time. “It’s about positive change where we can,” says Jan. “Change in the broad sense can be transitional, revolutionary, and transformative. It’s about making life easier, and making things more possible.”

This tax form is just one way in which FormNation is encouraging collaboration in fields where design hasn’t been seen as necessary, or an afterthought. Once viewed as something purely aesthetic, the design industry has grown cognisant of the fact that design shouldn’t be confined to their peer groups. “People care about design, it really can improve their lives,” says Jan.

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FormNation appeared first on Dezeen.

Marking the first kinetic machine made by MB&F that isn’t a timepiece, the MusicMachine confidently brings the innovative Swiss laboratory into new territory. While the spaceship-styled MusicMachine may not tell time and can’t be worn,…

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Imaginé par les espagnols de Forma & co, Re-Vision est un exercice de style proposant différents icônes de la pop-culture avec une série de portraits de personnages les plus représentatifs de comics, des films, du sport, de la télévision et de la musique. De superbes images à découvrir dans la suite de l’article.

Fashion designer and 3D printing pioneer Iris van Herpen tells us how printing and scanning technologies could transform the fashion industry in an exclusive interview for our print-on-demand publication Print Shift (+ transcript).

Advances in material and printing technology mean that flexible, washable clothes are now possible, says Dutch designer Van Herpen, whose latest ready-to-wear collection includes printed garments.

“I’m really happy that 3D prints finally act with the movement of the body,” she said. “[My] last show was really a big step forward because it was totally flexible and the jacket we created, for example, you could put in the washing machine.”

Van Herpen is one of the first fashion designers to investigate the potential of 3D printing to create clothes and accessories. Her 2010 Crystallisation collection featured dramatic printed items resembling body armour while her more recent Voltage collection features more delicate and wearable items.

“I always collaborate with architects or someone that specialises in 3D modelling because I don’t specialise in it myself,” she says. “I know a little bit, but not as much as the people I work with.”

She also ponders how 3D scanners could revolutionise the way we order our clothes in the future. “Everybody could have their own body scanned and just order clothes that fit perfectly.” See all our stories about Iris van Herpen.

Print Shift, a one-off, print-on-demand magazine, was created by the Dezeen editorial team and produced with print-on-demand publisher Blurb. For more information about Print Shift and to see additional content, visit www.dezeen.com/printshift.

Here’s an edited version of the interview with van Herpen, conducted by Claire Barrett:

Claire Barrett: What was it about 3D printing that first interested you?

Iris van Herpen: With 3D printing, it was the first time I could translate the 3D image I had in my mind immediately to the 3D model in the computer and then the 3D printer.

With hand work or with the usual fashion designing I have something in my head that’s three dimensional, which first has to be translated into something two dimensional, like a drawing, then it goes to three dimensionality again, so it feels really, really old-school. It’s a strange way of working – you have a step in between.

The things I have 3D printed I could never do by hand. It would just be impossible. The beauty of handwork is that it’s always a bit different and you can never have something totally symmetrical. At the same time, I think that’s the beauty of 3D printing – it is one hundred percent symmetrical in the smallest details, even the printing layers. That’s the fingerprints of the technique.

Claire Barrett: Was the use of digital technology something that you were exposed to in college?

Iris van Herpen: No, it’s actually really funny. When I was young I was raised without television and we didn’t have a computer. I think we were the last people to have the internet and when I was at the academy I didn’t have a computer myself. I actually had computer lessons but I didn’t like the computer at all. I had discussions with my computer teacher and he said “you can’t work without a computer,” and then I was really stubborn and I thought “I can, watch me”. I did everything by hand all the time.

With 3D printing I suddenly saw how many possibilities it would give me in terms of three dimensionality, which convinced me to start working with technology.

Claire Barrett: Did your collaborations start from wanting to work in a more digital way?

Iris van Herpen: With 3D printing I always collaborate with architects or someone that specialises in 3D modelling because I don’t specialise in it myself. I know a little bit, but not as much as the people I work with. If you start from the beginning with something that someone else is already experienced in, I think that’s a waste of time.

Even if it wasn’t necessary, I would still do it because I don’t want to start to walk in circles, like being in my own mind all the time. For this collection, for example, we worked with Neri Oxman, Julia Koerner and Philip Beesley. It’s really bringing two worlds together because I think fashion is super interesting, but the architects who are bringing other things are just as important to me.

Claire Barrett: Why do you largely seem to be alone in pushing the use of 3D printing technology within fashion?

Iris van Herpen: I’m really open to sharing ideas and working with somebody, but I feel in fashion it’s quite a locked industry. Fashion designers are used to collaborating but usually with musicians they dress or an artist that makes a print for them. Working with scientists, architects or people that have different knowledge is just not a part of fashion and that’s something that surprises me.

Claire Barrett: Do you foresee a time when you might work with a material scientist to try and create something different?

Iris van Herpen: I always get inspired by materials, but I feel that I’m choosing them, not designing them. Of course it takes a long time so you can’t design materials for every season, but if you’re at least able to create something new every one or two years then I think you have more control over your design process.

Claire Barrett: Do you agree that your pieces are becoming less like sculpture or armour and more like garments?

Iris van Herpen: Yeah, I’m really happy that 3D prints finally act with the movement of the body. Now a girl can even dance in it. This last show was really a big step forward because it was totally flexible and the jacket we created, for example, you could put in the washing machine. You could sit on it. It’s really a garment now.

With [the Voltage collection] I really tried to make that step away from sculpture and find a field in between traditional weaving fabrics and 3D printing. With 3D printing you can decide how much flexibility you want in millimetres or centimetres on a specific part, for example the knees or the shoulders, and you can just include that on the file.

Also, something that’s really interesting is that they can include colours in the 3D prints. The colouring is in the file, it’s not something that they add later on. That’s a big step. If we continue with that you can create 2D prints within the 3D prints and then it feels like you’re creating something 4D.

Claire Barrett: How long do you think it will be before 3D-printed clothing becomes mainstream?

Iris van Herpen: I would love to be the first to include 3D printing in ready-to-wear. The flexibility is there, I think now the focus is on developing the materials, the long-term quality and size, because there are no printers that can print a whole dress yet.

But fashion is a super big industry. You have all the factories with the traditional sewing machines, so I can imagine maybe the industry will not be ready for such a big change because you need technical people with knowledge of 3D printing, 3D printers and software, instead of people that know how to sew a seam. I can imagine the technology is there but the industry is not ready for it or the change is too big.

Claire Barrett: Can you foresee a time when people will be able to download and print out an Iris van Herpen dress at home?

Iris van Herpen: Yeah, I can really imagine everybody has their own 3D skin and you can just order something online, but I don’t know if people will print it out at home. I can imagine you could have printing factories, order your dress and maybe the customer gets a little bit of a say in it as well. They could say “well, I want this one but with longer sleeves”.

Everybody could have their own body scanned and just order clothes that fit perfectly. I think it’s super old-fashioned that it’s only the 100 richest women in the world who have clothes that actually fit them and I think 3D printing can really fill up a gap there.

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and order clothes that fit perfectly” appeared first on Dezeen.