D/zine Issue 5

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D/zine

ISSUE 5

EDITOR Tom Emmett GRAPHIC COORDINATORS Angus Shaw Miranda Rielly EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Alexandra Perestrelo Bridget Reardon Ester Valmadre Gabriel Avenia Jade Tane Den Taniora Ololade Adeniyi Steve Szell

SSAF

Funded by a Student Clubs & Projects (SCAP)

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POP CONCRETE 8

OLOLADE 22

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BLONDE VENUS

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RESPECTING MATERIALS

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CREATION BAMBOO

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HARVEST

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FLEET STORE 44

5 WHO DIY

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M A T E R I A L I T Y. In this edition of the D/Zine we looked into the fabric of young designers and artists minds, what makes them tick and what they think about.

Our take on materiality was to investigate the formation and journey of young designers.

A few underlying sub-themes arose from this approach, reflecting how young designers in Brisbane are viewing the world and coping with its issues. The view and mentality of students, especially within the design realm, is often looked over and not noted, however in this issue we highlight their thoughts and concerns without edit.

We also peered into the Brisbane design scene in a broader context including the collaboration between two of the cities more prominent fashion retailers and architects while also getting in the mind of a design manufacturer.

In October The Dub, along with the Brisbane City Council, QUT, Cave Urban and Event Engineering, built its first public installation. This project highlights our vision of creating design opportunities to students and also working with ‘real-world’ constraints. It was well received within the community and we hope to continue with this sort of project in the future too.

This issue also coincides with many of the founding members of the Dub graduating this semester. I would like to say thank you to the key members who have pushed The Dub and made it survive during its infancy. Looking forwards The Dub has an exciting future within the Creative Industries. Cross-pollination between disciplines and collaboration between them were some of the founding principles of The Dub and we plan to expand our horizons further still.

Tom Emmett

Words by Tom Emmett

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“We’re definitely still experimenting,” Jouni Jarvela states as he leans against a workbench holding two freshly cast moulds of concrete. “It’s sort of an evolving process.

Especially the first two or so years, there was a fair bit of experimentation. We’re a bit more on top of it now I think, so now we’re bringing in new techniques and trying to streamline the process.”

Jouni Jarvela, along with his brother, Sami, is the co-founder and owner of Pop Concrete, a design and manufacturing company that produce anything from candleholders to bench tops. The firm has experienced a rapid rise in business over the past few years, asserting itself as one of Australia’s top concrete manufacturers. Originally working for the family concreting business, Jouni says he knew that he would eventually break away from this: “I was always interested in design so I decided to go study design at QUT”.

A little to his surprise, Jouni got in: “…it was a great four years there, learnt a lot.” When it came to graduation, Jouni, like a lot of us, found that he was unsure what to do next. “I didn’t have my portfolio completed yet but I thought, I really want to do this kind of thing, using concrete as a medium… and using what I’d learnt in design to back that up”.

Photographs by Tom Emmett

Dodging a pitfall that often claims many other young designers, Jouni realised straight away that he needed a business-oriented mind to get his creative idea off the ground. His brother had since become a schoolteacher, but Jouni explains that, “Sami had always wanted to start a business of sorts, so I said look, ‘Why don’t we join up and start this?’ We did that and about two months after we’d tried it, we registered the company. We started underneath the house there, that I was renting at uni”.

A now popular train of thought in design is to focus on materials and process in order to achieve the desired solution to a problem or project. Australian ex-pat designer Marc Newson is a firm believer in the need to master a manufacturing process in order to produce a forward, innovative solution, while young British designer, Benjamin Hubert, has made “Materials driven. Process led” the mantra of his studio. It appears to produce results of substance however, as the designer is in control all the way from concept to manufacture. This is an ethos that Pop values as well. “You need to know what you can and can’t do with the manufacturing side of things,” Jouni explains.

Pop often comes up with a design first and then tries to figure out how to manufacture it. Jouni explains that this is a good way to be forced to think of new ways to manufacture a product: “A lot of the times we say to architects of something they want to include, ‘Yeah we can do that!’ Although we may not know at that point how to do it… then we try and sort it out afterwards, see how we can do it”.

The making process from start to finish for any of Pop’s concrete products is more akin to working in a science lab than traditional concrete mixing. Measuring out pigment and thickeners to 0.1 of a gram, specially crafted ‘recipes’ for the glass-fibre reinforced mixes; the team at Pop are meticulously focused on the details of their products. But it makes sense when they are creating their objects to last. “I’ve always been very annoyed by products that have built-in obsolescence and a poor choice of materials, that they don’t stand the test of time,” Jouni laments. “The design intent with most of our products is that it will last.” Pop believes that if a product is designed well, people will purchase it, get attached to it, and the value of the product will evolve. Jouni proudly explains that some of their pieces will

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outlive their owners: “Australian Hardwood and concrete, they’re not going to be deteriorating in a hurry. We try to hold onto that, that people won’t feel like they want to throw it away, that they will pass it on.”

Unlike the instant-gratification driven culture that surrounds design and production these days, the team at Pop work meticulously on the details and manufacturing of their products. A set of concrete legs for a private-commission table they were working on while I was in the factory took 25 different steps to create, without including the wooden table top that fits between the two. Although this amount of work on a high-end furniture piece isn’t uncommon, it is refreshing to see a manufacturer truly respect a very common and mundane material. Pop works tirelessly on achieving

the perfect design, ensuring the structure and finish are as well polished as possible. As a result, they have transcended the disposable, throw away attitude that society as a whole currently has and created an object that is very contemporary in make but very old in terms of its (desired) lifecycle.

It’s an interesting time for both beginning and established designers and manufacturers.

Even five years ago, platforms such as Facebook and Instagram weren’t so influential in the retail arena; today one can’t survive without embracing it and taking advantage of them.

Some design manufacturers/retailers exist only online, bar the products themselves of course. Fab, probably the largest online

/13 furniture retailer (valued at over $1billion), now has headquarters dotted around the globe, but initially they started as a marketplace for designers to sell work. Other ‘crowd-funded’ sites such as Kickstarter and, more locally (but still very global) Pozible offer the possibility for a designer to fund all manufacturing before the product is even sold, the dream scenario for a producer. Of course with the crowd-funded sites the designer needs to set up a supply chain etc., which is often difficult, but the point stands nonetheless.

It is these online companies that allow designers, both new and old, to access consumers without the need for large marketing budgets, showrooms or distribution networks. This removal of overhead costs has given startup designers a chance to reach consumers and enabled existing designers to connect with their customers in a new way. These days, almost all designers have Instagram accounts, and those of high-profiler manufacturers are usually manicured, as though to look like a catalogue.

Although they have their own showroom in the Valley, Pop Concrete utilises social media, and definitely sees the benefits. “I find it’s a good way to get a temperature gauge for a new product. Or trying to get a vibe or a feel for what the response is for it,” Jouni says. “We’ve sold products through social media, people sort of seeing something we’ve posted, tagging someone else in the post on Instagram, even on Facebook. And then those people looking at it email us wanting something”.

However, the designers aren’t the only ones clued-in on the benefits of social media.

With such a huge array of choices at their fingertips, consumers have become far more selective and savvy. As a result, we have seen the general public’s interest in design increase greatly. Jouni agrees: “There have always been those people who like their design and architecture, but I think now it’s a bit more mainstream”.

Concrete, as a building material, has experiences waves of popularity in the design world; Brutalist architecture swept the globe in the 50’s and Robin Gibson’s Cultural Precinct in Southbank is a lasting tribute in Brisbane to this

movement. Though in recent years concrete has made resurgence in interior design, home wares and buildings, thanks to companies like Pop. “That was our goal,” Jouni explains, “Originally it was to make concrete popular here in Australia, as a choice of material for kitchen bench tops, vanities through to furniture applications and lighting”.

Jouni’s drawn to concrete because it’s a, “fairly raw, earthy material”. Within the design community, and also within the general public, there seems to be a shift in attitude or thinking towards more environmentally friendly materials, products and lifestyles. Perhaps this explains the reason for concrete’s comeback, as consumers and manufacturers alike are demanding products that are raw, honest and durable.

All trends rise and fall, but will concrete continue to be relevant? If designers are producing objects with the intent to last a long time, will the consumer respond and keep the said product for that time? Perhaps concrete is a new classic, a material that allows a product to eclipse trends. Saying that, however, there are numerous cases of concrete monoliths and buildings being abandoned. Jouni seems fairly confident when he says, “It’s a very tactile material to use and people generally enjoy it and warm to it nicely.” However, only time will tell if consumers design needs and aesthetic desires continue to include concrete.

Originally setting out to boost concretes popularity as a design material in Australia, Pop is now expanding into more product categories and a greater diversity in materials used. “I never wanted to be stereotyped using concrete,” Jouni says. “We don’t want to limit ourselves or our design capabilities.” Over the next 6 or so months, Pop plans to begin manufacturing a line of furniture that does not have such a heavy reliance on concrete, but showcases other raw materials.

This year, for the first time, Pop Concrete participated in Melbourne InDesign, Australia’s most prominent commercial design event. “We had a really good response from people going through there and admiring what we do, taking photos of our pieces… We’ve already had inquiries about pieces and placing orders, that

sort of stuff. It was a very positive experience to be amongst [the other] great designers as well,” Jouni says.

Though it wasn’t all smooth sailing coming into the fair. At the beginning of the year Jouni and Sami decided to attend but found themselves with too much on their plates and not enough cash-flow. About six weeks prior to the event however, they were invited to participate. So they packed their bags, headed to Sydney and used the opportunity to develop and showcase their newest product, Snowi: a concrete pendant light spanning 600mm, which is enormous considering the concrete’s weight.

Snowi was only made possible by using Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GFRC). Jouni explains that weight is often a limitation faced when using concrete: “It’s quite a large, 600 diameter pendant, so [we had] to keep the weight down and the wall thickness down to about 8mm, [which] I was able to achieve with the GFRC. This keeps the overall weight down to about 11kg which is quite good for a large light like that”. It’s still a very experimental process however, with the team not knowing

if some projects will work or not until they’ve built them. “Even on the one we’re doing now (a 6m table with concrete legs and mid-section), I’m not 100% sure how it’s going to go. I’ve done other ones before that are similar, but this is pushing the boundaries,” Jouni says. It’s this daring and bold approach, their artisanal fervour and the respect they show for their materials, that has earned Pop a healthy number of admirers over its short life so far.

However, heavy lights and long tables aside, Jouni says that the real challenge is in mixing business with his passion for design and trying to make ends meet. Being a designer, Jouni of course wants to spend his time coming up with ideas for products, but explains that, “…At the end of the day [it’s] the manufacturing side of things, getting things made…” that brings the money in. Although, Jouni goes on to explain that Pop is, “A business that’s starting out and still finding its feet.” The Brisbane company has successfully made its way through this rocky patch and, post-InDesign, have a full schedule of commissions for commercial and domestic pieces as well as their unique pieces for the showroom.

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Once a student himself, Jouni knows the daunting feeling of trying to, “Find your footing and what sort of part of design you want to get in to, to get a feel for it”. He says experience is key and learning from others who have gone before is vital to succeeding in the design industry. “There isn’t much around, it’s pretty limited in Brisbane as well. So that’s why I always wanted our company to be as open as we can be to other people coming in, students coming in to learn. Even though it’s fairly limited at this point at how much design we actually do, but the whole process of it (is valuable), and the more you can learn of that process, the better”.

Sharing his own wisdom and experience he says that, “If you’re starting out on your own, you’ve got to be ready for a hard slog. I guess it’s been very hard for us, and it still is hard for us, trying to build a business. But if you can get a job doing what you like to do, enjoy it and get paid along the way, that’s great. Try and get as much experience as you can, I guess that is the main thing and learn from other people around you”.

Pop Concrete’s showroom is on the corner of Wandoo St and Ann St Fortitude Valley www.popconcrete.com.au Instagram: @popconcrete and @wearepop

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RESPECTING M AT E R I A L S WHAT DO MATERIALS DESERVE? ‘’If you think of Brick, you say to Brick, ‘What do you want, Brick?’ And Brick says to you, ‘I like an Arch.’ And if you say to Brick, ‘Look, arches are expensive, and I can use a concrete lintel over you. What do you think of that, Brick?’ Brick says, ‘I like an Arch.’ And it’s important, you see, that you honor the material that you use. [...] You can only do it if you honor the brick and glorify the brick instead of shortchanging it.’’ - Louis Kahn Artwork by Angus Shaw: Ink, Watercolour and Gouache on Paper

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Illustration by Angus Shaw

OLOLADE

digital with physical mediums (such as paint), why was this?

Ololade Adeniyi is an emerging Iartist think I’ve always both. In high school who doneexplores the I did a lot of collage and then I slowly began combination of analogue and doing collage on the computer and thought, digital mediums. okay this is fun. Recently, the reason I’ve been

joining the two together is because I found First who your were art that myoff, handmany drawings and know my paintings and have notraditional idea youNigerian study more jewellery reminiscent of my architecture, what youlotdown that culture which is quite,lead there’s of cultural route? value and undertones in the people and locals

and then being in Australia which is quite Imodern studied and architecture because was always everyone’s quite I ‘developed’, interested art and creativity. school and I thinkinbecause I was bornIninhigh Lagos andI did graphics and we got toback design and lived in Australia, moving andhouses forth I find Ithat thought that was really fun.

We had a really the way I can express myself and how good us do the what weofwanted I see teacher things iswho by let merging two them and I justSometimes loved creating the ispresentations, together. my work more digital, using SketchUp, colours.

I thought whyit’s not.not sometimes it’s more hand drawings,

Words by Tom Emmett

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‘‘IT’S NOT ABOUT COMING TO AN END POINT, BUT REALLY THE JOURNEY OF CONSTANTLY REFINING. BECAUSE YOU CAN’T JUST WAKE UP AND GO ‘I AM ART, IT’S DONE’ ’’

Your art is mostly digital, but more recently you’ve started experimenting mixing the digital with physical mediums (such as paint), why was this?

I think I’ve always done both. In high school I did a lot of collage and then I slowly began doing collage on the computer and thought, okay this is fun. Recently, the reason I’ve been joining the two together is because I found that my hand drawings and my paintings were more reminiscent of my traditional Nigerian culture which is quite, there’s lot of cultural value and undertones in the people and locals and then being in Australia which is quite modern and everyone’s quite ‘developed’, and I think because I was born in Lagos and lived in Australia, moving back and forth I find that the way I can express myself and how I see things is by merging the two of them together.

Sometimes my work is more digital, sometimes it’s more hand drawings, it’s not that they’re fighting each other it’s more how I can have two different views on life and blend them together in quite a harmonious way. I think colour plays a huge part in my work because Lagos is full of colour, the traditional wear is full of colour.

I’ve always seen colour in everything I do, even though I wear all black, I think I can’t stray away from colour. I really love them.

Jewellery is general split into being more commercial or more conceptual, how do you think yours fits in?

I see my artworks and I’m like wow, I just

want to bathe myself in this artwork, immerse myself in it. And so with jewellery, it’s how I can take what I’ve been drawing and turn it into something that can be worn. But isn’t so out there people are like ‘What!?’. But by using forms people can identify with, everyone knows basic geometric shapes. It’s more how art can be accessible to everyone, even on a minute scale.

How do you feel about the mass trends that occur in design? More specifically graphic design and fashion? For example, at the moment pastels are pretty hot.

I think, to be honest, and not to offend anyone, with trends it’s easy to get lost in them and when I see a trend I think ‘wow it’s really cool’, but I don’t remember who did it and I don’t know who created it, all I see is, it’s just too similar. And I think that’s really quite, not good.

If you’re constant following trends and constantly doing pastels or the super minimal thing, you’re never going to make anything of yourself because you’ll always blend in. And blending is okay?, but not desired if you’re pursuing it professionally.

Describe your process? What inspires you?

Definitely people, cultures, travel, Memphis (laughs), Post-Modernism, 80’s colours. When I do my processes I start with, I don’t think about the final product I just sit and make the piece. Another day I’ll do a digital piece, Artworks by Ololade Adeniyi

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scan them into my computer then I’ll just look at them. Open up a bunch of tabs with a lot of images and look at the colours ect. It’s kind of a visual harmony, what colours go well together. I’ll overlay them, scale them, distort them, rub out some parts so it becomes a final image. They’re never completed, I go back to my old work and re-arrange it, re-save it, look at it again. I don’t think art can ever really be finished. I don’t think it’s possible. I was talking to my art teacher yesterday about how I do so many different things and how I felt weird of that but she said you should feel encouraged because your artwork finds itself in the experimental processes. And the steps I’ve taken since high school to now, there’s a definitive progress and maturity. So it’s not Model - Ebony Harrison

about coming to an end point, but really the journey of constantly refining. Because you can’t just wake up and go ‘I am art, it’s done’.

That’s an interesting point, one of my favourite artists, Salvador Dali said “Have no fears of perfection, you’ll never reach it” I love hyper-realism but I find it a bit, maybe because I don’t think it that way, the perfection of things, there’s no such thing. You can’t ever replicate the actual image, so you shouldn’t be afraid to try new things. It sounds a bit clichéd, but maybe if you’re used to doing the same thing over again, do something different, see what comes out of that. And that’s how you

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What do you think the role of an artist or designer or architect is in 2014?

One of the reasons why I love architecture and art, and the reason I’ve always wanted to blend the two, is because I see architecture as a massive canvas in which what you place in a city or streetscape is people either love it or hate it. And in a way you can change how they interact with the space, you influence the way they live. The same as art, when you walk into a room, no matter whether you’re visual or you’re analogue, you react to a painting. I think art and architecture are so important. If you put a piece of art on a piece of architecture, imagine the reactions you would get. Imagine how much you would change how people value their spaces, improve their quality of life.

I’ve always wanted to go developing countries, design a building, ask the locals with all their skills to build it. There’s appreciation of the building, because they built it. Putting a piece of artwork on it and that is something that’s different so people come to the city, because they’re like ‘What is this?!’ and that brings tourism, that brings income. I don’t want to say you can change the world, but there’s so much opportunity.

that’s a product or your hands or your brain and by putting it out in the world, if people buy it or tap into it, it’s really lovely. There’s more joy in doing something that’s your own than doing something mundane and repetitive.

What does materiality mean to you?

Materiality for me is colour, texture, the feel of things. I’m very visual, very hands on. When I buy something, clothes especially, it has to feel quality. Like when I buy a dress and I feel the material I can tell if I need to have it or not. I think materiality makes or breaks something. Materials are everything; wood, concrete, copper, porcelain, glass. There’s so many different textures and there’s so many different things you can do with them. It’s lovely. I love materials, I love mixing materials that are completely opposite. The necklaces I made for Fleet Store were wood and copper.

They were inspired by architectural materials, not only do they look good together they also... it’s sort of taking nature, the wood and copper, and working pure visual, tactile magic on the materials.

Instagram: lisforlolade Shop: ololadeadeniyi.bigcartel.com

People always say that artists or makers don’t do anything, all they do in fancy stuff but if you took away all the creative industries you’d have no cinemas, no advertising, how would you have things because you’d have no TV? These things are so important in our lives, by utilising them effectively you can really change things.

People could live differently, more fulfilling.

You mentioned makers, in Brisbane at the moment there are so many young startups of makers creating these wonderful objects, and obviously trying to make ends meet, why do you think this generation is so drawn to the creative professions?

Our generation has always wanted to be individual or to really try to find our own.

Even though it’s difficult because you find something and everyone wants a bit of it, so we all form a group. But I think there’s an interest in creativity and making because it’s something Photographed by Jaala Alex

B LO N D E VENUS Materiality plays a key role where the worlds of fashion, interior design and architecture meet.

With the same fundamental values, fashion and design seek to provide both the practicality of shelter and clothing, whilst simultaneously arousing the senses. Innovative and creative application of material is how these opposing goals are achieved harmoniously and why good design becomes celebrated and more importantly, memorable.

The new home of Blonde Venus in Fortitude Valley Brisbane, is where the materiality of clothing, architecture and interior design are expertly brought together leaving lasting impressions on those who visit. From the moment one enters the store, the painstaking attention to detail and the expert application of materials is instantaneously evident. A cross-disciplinary collaboration between three Brisbane designers, Blonde Venus exemplifies the quality and wealth of Brisbane designers.

Thea Basiliou, of Blonde Venus, has worked for 20 years to develop a strong standing in the ever-evolving Brisbane fashion scene. A graduate of Fashion at TAFE Mt Gravatt, Thea opened her first store in the Elizabeth Arcade

Words by Gabriel Avenia

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Photographs by Tom Emmett

in 1990 before moving to Ann Street in the Valley in 1995 where she remained for almost two decades.

Thea’s concept behind Blonde Venus was a boutique stocking an ‘eclectic’ mix of hand picked Australian and international designers.

With a constant turn over of new and exciting independent labels, Thea has set herself apart and stayed true to her vision: providing Brisbane with quality, non-mainstream crafted fashion. Blonde Venus has stocked many labels over the years, including some now well-known brands such as Zimemrman and Karen Walker, and the Brisbane based SOOT. Thea’s passion for independent design is evident not only in her choice of stock (many brands sourced directly from the runways of Paris international fashion week), but also in her desire to educate; Thea mentors final year QUT fashion students on their final collections.

The new Robertson Street store was designed

by Adrian Spence, of Richards and Spence, with interior fittings also designed by Paul Owens of Owens and Vokes and Peters – both two Brisbane based design firms.

Thea delivered a concept board to Adrian at the outset of the project, “We worked together on the Ann street store when Adrian was a fresh graduate. It was his project and I pretty much let him run with it, but I had a stronger idea of what I wanted for the new store”. Their successful collaboration on the earlier project influenced the ease of communication with Thea contributing many ideas throughout every stage of the design and build. Calling on exemplars of stores in cutting edge areas of New York and Tokyo, Thea expressed her desire for a minimalist palate of juxtaposed, rich materials simply applied. The clothing racks, designed by Paul Owens and made locally, played a key role in the overall understated scheme, as did the other furniture designed

by Spence.

The elegant application of materials in the design of the store reflects Thea’s collections; rich hand crafted, printed and textural materials – silk, cotton, linen and wool – in simple cuts and styles.

Thea’s philosophy of fashion also stems from

Words by Gabriel Avenia

a want of context-relevant clothing: pieces to be worn in Brisbane, similar to the concept of context specific architecture. “I choose the collections I sell based on whether they have wearability in Brisbane: if I believe that women and men here would wear them”.

The Robertson Street store, located around the corner from the bustling James Street precinct, is a destination store, signalled by branding designed by Tristan Ceddia (Nevernow, The Blackmail) and a large, obtruding window box.

The window box is a beautiful element and acts to both advertise stock to the passer by, but to also lead visitors to the somewhat hidden entrance. Simply furnished, the window box is expertly curated by Thea. The minimalist window framed in black sits starkly against the soft blonde wood, working together to emphasise the texture and quality of the clothing on display.

On entering the store one is instantly hit by the atmosphere of the room. The smooth, speckled concrete floor and the exposed brick structural

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walls of the existing building (once offices) work with stark white walls and subtly ducted air conditioning to keep the environment cool, and stand as stark contrast to the repeated blonde wood of the fittings.

The structure of the floor above is also exposed and painted a flat white with angled fluorescent lights repeated across, acting as a deep ceiling and offering an abundance of light, making the colours and textures of the clothes pop.

The Owen clothing racks line the perimeter of the space with a large blonde wood table in the centre of the room displaying the vast accessory range of sunglasses, bags, hats and jewellery. The collection is exclusive, it was important for Thea that there was no sense of clutter, shopping at Blonde Venus was to be an experience of the senses.

The clothes racks are accompanied by floor shelving (an idea of Thea’s) and the lovely worn hangers from the previous store. The original design by Paul Owen involved colour tipping of the feet of the racks, however, when placed

Photographs by Thea Basiliou

/35 in the store, performed brilliantly untouched.

The white concertina doors of the change rooms fold away neatly and, when in use, provide another texture within the space whilst also concealing the door to the private storeroom.

The counter, again a simple, geometric blonde wood element, is sparsely furnished, with a single Apple Macbook and Lookbook of the collection sitting atop. The white expansive wall behind the counter is again minimally decorated with a print by Brisbane based artist Michael Phillips. The large, dark screen print encompasses the entire philosophy of the store and accentuates the strength of the vision across all aspects of the space.

The new Blonde Venus store is gaining acclaim across the design disciplines for its strong concept as a contemporary retail space. A store which has set itself apart from its early 90s inception, Blonde Venus has evolved in accord with the fashion scene of Brisbane – whilst staying unfalteringly true to the visions from which it was born.

The store symbolises many aspects of the exciting stage of design in Brisbane today.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration, local manufacturing, contextually specific design and the link between materials, fashion, interior architecture and art, are all components that contribute to Blonde Venus’ success.

Brisbane has a bright future ahead with projects such as these blooming, thanks to creatively confident individuals, such as Thea.

A passion for design, materials and home is enough to set independent creatives apart in an increasingly mainstream world.

Shop 3, 181 Robertson Street Fortitude Valley QLD www.blondevenus.com.au Instagram: @blondevenuslovesyou www.richardsandspence.com.au www.owenandvokesandpeters.com Instagram: owenvokespeters

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BAMBOO Design is a process that begins with the genesis of an idea and continues on to the realisation of an object, be it something that can be held in ones hand or something that can be inhabited.

Underlying this process are the ways in which the chosen materials will influence the ‘design journey’ and form the final object.

Those in the design industry often poke fun at the ongoing battle between architects and engineers, saying that the architect always wants the impossible and the engineer always

Words by Steve Szell

wants the conventional. The Sydney-based Event Engineering is a firm that challenges this misguided stereotype, demonstrating how the two fields can work together to make the impossible, possible. The result is an engineering company that values the aesthetic qualities and original purpose of the project as much as the structural resolution. Jeremy Sparks, the Director of Event, has, for many years, worked in collaboration with curators, artists and architects when undertaking one of his bold, large-scale structures.

Recently, Event has worked with grass roots design collaborative, Cave Urban, to produce ‘Woven Sky’ (showcased in D/zine 04) and other large-scale bamboo structures. There is an extensive catalogue of complex structures that have been built entirely out of bamboo and most of them utilise relatively simple construction methods. On the other hand however, there is a lack of testing and very few technical documents to legitimise the capabilities of bamboo. Together, Cave Urban and Event Engineering have been working to change this.

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large and rather impressive structure, it was also an ephemeral pieced; standing for only three weeks and then being deconstructed to leave behind no remains.

There is a certain sense of awe that is reserved for structures built with simple materials and simple methods. The use of bamboo accompanied by nothing more than simple lashing and tie down methods seems almost outlandish in today’s concrete world. However, ‘Light Garden’ and similar projects show that it is not only possible but also that the results are beautiful. The achievements of Cave Urban and Event Engineering are a testament to what can be achieved when those in the design industry work together.

Underlying this process are the ways in which the chosen materials will influence the ‘design journey’ and form the final object.

After researching and testing this raw material at length, the two companies have gained an impressive understanding of the potential of bamboo and have been key in legitimising it as a building material that can be used in modern construction. As a result, many large-scale bamboo structures have since been approved and brought to fruition, such as the ‘Light Garden’ installation that Cave Urban and Event designed for this year’s Brisbane Festival. This incredible piece utilises 1000 poles of bamboo to create two 18-meter-high structures that resemble sweeping ocean waves. The piece was built using only lashing methods and rope joining techniques, relying entirely on tension and cleverly balanced weight.

Post-Brisbane Festival, The Dub collaborated with Event Engineering and Cave Urban over a three-month period to design and produce a bamboo installation (pictured below) in the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens. The piece was constructed over a three-day period in October using only recycled bamboo from Cave Urban’s ‘Light Garden’. Positioned over a major pathway in the gardens, viewers were invited to walk through and interact with the sculpture by sitting on it. Although it was a

www.eventengineering.com.au www.caveurban.com Instagram: @caveurban Instagram: @thedubdesigners

Photographs by

Jade Tane Den Taniora & Tom Emmett

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The Dub would like to take this opportunity to thank our spectacular team and all their efforts.

Alexandra Perestrelo, Carla Casado, Chelsea Ogle, Christopher Cristovao Lam, Cindy Saaimen, Clinton Baird, Jacob Hough, Jade Taniora, Jason Santos-Almeida, Madeline Brandt, Robert Kosinski, Sobi Slingsby, Steve Szell, Marissa Lindquist, Thomas Wen, Tom Emmett, Wei Jean Wong We would also like to thank the organizations that assisted us through out the project: BeCollective, Cave Urban, Brisbane City Council, Event Engineering, RentAfence, QUT Creative Industries, QUT Guilds, QUT’s School of Design, Simon Belton - J Block Workshop

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5 WHO DIY

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5 Who DIY chronicles the thoughts and opinions of design students who are pursuing and making an impact within different creative mediums to their study.

This raw and honest section shows insight where none normally exists because of the naive, unfiltered and raw perception on design that students have.

Words by Tom Emmett

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RUAIRI Ruairi Roberts mixes studying Architecture and running a fashion label while DJing on the Brisbane nightclub scene.

Men’s sartorial options are fairly limited in Brisbane, did this spur you on to create Habitude?

I’d say there was a lack of creativity, the fact that I can walk into a fabric store and imagine something as a garment rather than looking at the city and seeing a lack of something, it was more just a thought process that I have.

Saying that though, Brisbane is getting better, it was pretty bad. I wouldn’t say that it inspired me, but now that I have an eye for it I can see where it needs improvement.

More recently you’ve started making full body print outfits after only focusing on bow-ties and pocket squares, tell me about that?

They’re just cool. I’m definitely the sort of guy who wouldn’t give two cents to anyone opinion on me. Though if I make enemies on what I wear, it’s not a big deal. It’s more just a way of expressing my personality through clothes.

The all over print and the extravagance of it says that ‘I don’t care what you have to say about me’. But it also says that I’m fun and I definitely like to party (laughing).

Do you feel Habitude is more creative or commercial?

Definitely creative. If I was commercial I would be on a plane to Vietnam or Thailand right now to get truckloads of stuff made so I could market it to the masses. Through study ect. it’s an outlet for me to create something real rather than just hypothesising about things. I would call it filling a void but achieving something really cool at the same time.

Photographs by Jordan Iovenitti

Studying architecture, what do you see the role of a designer or architect in 2014?

It’s ever evolving isn’t it? Some architects are going from architecture and moving into fashion. The role of an architect is to, not necessarily design buildings, but to give design advice in all facets of design seeing as it is so mistakable to design flaws, I think the theory of architecture applies to all things in the creative world. So the role of an architect can’t really be defined, I guess it’s up to the architect himself or herself to find out what they’re about.

But in 2014 I think the role of an architect is continuing to be blurred into all facets of design. Obviously there is always the need for an architect to be an architect, but many of these people are delving into other niches.

Do you think architects are going to have more of an influence of society in the future?

This is a complicated one because architecture is a language and architects speak it. And that’s an issue because, for example when you see public spaces that get designed they have a really big mixed reaction. It’s because the public doesn’t understand what it’s about, they just see something that looks pretty or doesn’t look pretty. They don’t understand the purpose of it. It’s one of those things where you have to accept the 50/50 opinion and not worry what people think, because it’s up to you to know what you’ve designed serves the purpose that it needs to serve.

That’s a good point, the public not understanding architecture.

It’s not just that, it’s the fact that their opinion is too quick. It’s all based on a picture or a façade. Whereas they don’t put any though into how the building actually functions. It’s quite a hot topic in architecture circles.

Do you think tools such as Instagram are changing architecture?

I don’t believe that people design to take photos for aesthetics. It’s a good point but usually the people who design for photos havn’t got a degree, it’s probably a bit of a harsh thing to say but no matter what the building is a building that serves a purpose. There was a brief and Model - Hannah Larsen

/49 it needs to meet that brief. The aesthetic that comes out of that is a form that has followed the function. If it ends up being beautiful, you know, that’s great. It’s definitely great publicity, but at the end of the day if you don’t meet the brief, the building’s not going to have a great response.

You’re a DJ on the Brisbane nightclub scene, was this a progression from what you were doing at Habitude?

Yes and no. I’d say it’s more just the fact that I love music. I’ve always expressed myself through creative means. I guess I started out with the fashion and then I sought to find other means of expressing myself. So yeah you could call it an extension of my previous creative endeavours. It’s definitely, first and foremost, based on fun. I love it.

What does materiality mean to you?

Touch. When I think of materiality, we live in a material world so everything that you see, touch, interact with. And in a way it’s also the things you don’t see, the things that are hidden. You might look at a wall, and it’s a material, but what’s under it is really the material that makes up the wall. The services, ducts, wires and pipes are all hidden. I say we only see two dimensions of materiality, and the third dimension is always hidden, rightly so.

www.facebook.com/habitudebrisbane Instagram: @habitudeclothing Instagram: @ruraroberts

GISELLE A N D MARILENA Giselle Penny and Marilena Hewitt are both Architecture students who create stop-motion films on the side.

Words by Tom Emmett

You both study Architecture, how did you arrive at Stop-Motion?

M: Well this semester we had to make a film and we always wanted to do animation.

G: We wanted to incorporate that idea of lots of buildings overtaking the sky and that feeling of old-fashioned film, ripping. It was something we wanted to do and then we did it.

M: And Giselle is the creative genius behind it really.

G: Nah, I just take lots of photos.

M: I’m more the editor.

G: And I’m more the cutter upper.

The concept of the short focuses on the Old State Library, why did you choose to work in such a conceptual manner?

G: I guess it really brings the building to life.

And taking it apart, you could do that with this form of animation. And that makes you really understand the building in a new light.

M: I didn’t think anything of that building until… there’s heaps of character to it.

G: There are so many parts, and when you move them about you really see them in a different way, and the way you frame them, different colours and textures , you can really feel when you bought sound into it as well M: Yeah, loads of fun.

G: Too much fun.

It’s quite surrealist, are there any artists or filmmakers that you admire or influence you?

G: Tame Impala, their videos are pretty cool.

Monty Python.

M: There’s a scene with the sun and the clouds where they’re jumping up and down (both begin laughing).

G: That was a huge influence, Monty Python.

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These days anyone can shoot a film on their iPhone, did this influence your decision to work in a very analogue way?

G: I guess we just wanted something different, because everyone would be using their iPhones and stuff, we just wanted to get away from that.

M: And we were getting really excited after doing the archi film….She’s very analogue.

G: I’m almost stubborn when it comes to technology. That’s something that worked in our favour.

M: I’m stubborn when it comes to archi technology, but I love editing films. I’m really digital when it comes to that. So we became a team from that.

G: It needed the digital editing to finish it off, but it also needed the analogue cut outs at the same time.

Describe your process, how did you create Hot and Bothered?

G: We picked a building and then I photographed it. It was raining, I was soaked, torrential downpour, it was really bad weather but we had to get it done that weekend. I think it worked having a white sky actually. I took a tonne of photos, mostly all different sort of angles. I’d then choose one view and print of 4-5 stills, cut them out the same size, stick them on my desk like I want them and then with my camera and tripod I edit each one.

M: Good framing too.

G: Making sure the camera angle was the same, because sometimes you have layers and moving parts. Then we put all the frames together and record some wicked, random sounds.

M: Us just talking and being weird.

G: I had to make sure I had good lighting too.

I shot some of them in the evening at night time, then the next day I finished them off, so I had to have cardboard all over my windows to make sure I had the same light. Printing them out gave them a really nice texture, a bit grainy and washed out.

Artwork by Giselle Penny

/53 M: We thought it was really bad printing but it turned out quite nice.

Are there any other films in store?

G: For sure. We were thinking for every design that we do, we’ll make an animation for it.

M: Or something artistic.

What does materiality mean to you?

G: It was really nice, in terms of stop motion, to ‘hold’ the building. I had the sense of, I had the power to change it. I found it really clumsy, the process of making it, and I thought that might make animation a certain way because it was making me feel really good just cutting up these things, the paper. It was really lovely, and so I think even that materiality of just paper is really nice.

M: It gets me excited.

G: You can do so much with it (paper), I think it’s undervalued. And even the building, the Old State Library, there’s so much opportunity to work with so many great materials, it’s nice to appreciate them which I think this film does nicely. And different colours and shapes.

Hot and Bothered Stop Motion: www.tinyurl.com/ma6p83g Instagram: @giselle_penny The Dub collaborated with Giselle to produce an animation marking the transition between Issue 4 and Issue 5 of D/zine: www.vimeo.com/111377388

Words by Tom Emmett

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COSMO Cosmo Huxley is a third year Industrial Design student at QUT who designs and makes miniature robots.

Technology in general is a quite popular area of interest at the moment, how did you get into it?

I think ever since I was a child I’ve been very passionate about understanding things and the logical follow up to understanding how things work is creating things, and that involves technology if you want things to work. That became subsequently interesting to me, researching technology and applying it to concepts.

Explain your process, how do you create these robotic objects?

My process is a bit of a mystery to me (laughing). There are several different areas which I’m passionate about; most of them are selfish, what relates to me. It might be audio gear because I love music, it might be a gadget I’m conceptually interested in, like the Analogue Robotics that I play with. Maybe it’s lasers, something that gets a good reaction out of people, so people tend to be interested in that kind of stuff. And that facilitates my enjoyment. Or anything I know I can do or anything I’ve seen someone else do and I think I can do better that involves technology I’m familiar with. Just about all technology interests me.

You’ve been known to walk around carrying briefcases with speakers built into them, what’s your favourite piece of tech you’ve built so far?

That’s a really hard question. I don’t have a favourite probably. If you ask me this tomorrow I’d probably say something different, but at the moment I really like my Analogue Robots. I’ve got a really cute tiny one and he’s probably my favourite. I love the idea of them, it’s called BEAM Robotics (Biology, Electronics, Photographs by Tom Emmett

Aesthetics and Mechanics). The idea is they don’t have an off switch or microprocessors so they mimic life, to an extent; find your own food whether its solar power or seeking light.

So that’s my favourite at the moment, or one of my lasers.

Elaborate more on what Analogue Robots are, most people probably don’t know.

BEAM Robotics is a way of producing rather complicated behaviour in an electronic device but without using an IC, so you don’t use a microprocessor. You just use analogue components, so transistors, capacitors, resistors, diodes, that kind of thing. Most of the ones I’ve built involve what’s called a solar engine, and that’s a circuit whereby it’s constantly taking in a trickle of energy, because solar panels aren’t particularly efficient, they’re constantly absorbing energy to bring it up until there’s enough amassed in the capacitor to trigger the electricity to a motor, or to a sensor or a light. So that’s why they’re always on, they’re constantly alive. The longevity of the components you use is tens of years, so they don’t break, they kind of last forever. Most of the one’s I’ve built are called Photovores so they seek light, they power themselves with light and their function, of course, is to find more and more light.

Studying Industrial Design, what do you think the role of a designer is in 2014 and in the future?

I probably have a naive conception of what it’s really like to be an Industrial Designer, but currently if I was in the workforce I’d see myself working in a little start-up company doing small scale runs of boutique, expensive products that were designed with friends I studied with. Or perhaps working with firms as a CAD-monkey. I think the role of Industrial Designer’s is, for starters, to facilitate the production of products at a mass scale.

You mentioned boutique, small scale production, do you think ID is shifting away from mass manufacturing and moving into different fields like systems design, areas that aren’t traditionally ID? Looking forward it’s probably going to go from larger scale runs of objects to smaller scale

/57 runs. The Phonebloks concept, they’re kind of aiming to rapid prototype more personalised products. Perhaps in the future you’ll have a lot more choice over your products, rather than what’s Sony got to offer or what’s this got to offer. You might be able to have exactly what you want built for you at a design shop, they’ve got 3D Printers and lathes. Maybe they’ll do 100 scale runs of their own phone, smartphone.

Your Robot Critters are very much DIY, do you think this is the future of tech?

Everybody being involved with creating.

Probably not. A lot of people find that stuff interesting but outside of my design friends a lot of them have no interest, especially for making that stuff themselves. It’s a bit of a novelty to them. I think that there is a future in the users being more involved with design, or at least more informed of the process. That’s kind of heading more towards sustainability I think.

What does materiality mean to you?

I might interpret it as materialism and people neurotic selves being attached to consuming more and more. I want to be a Product Designer but at the same time I’m deeply troubled by all the waste we produce as a society. You don’t need the new phone every year or so. I’d like to see a more responsible use of materials from designers. When India and China are pumping out these terrible products that nobody uses or at least values in the hundreds of thousands it seems like even us making a difference doesn’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things. It’s a depressing picture but hopefully it can shift towards a more hopeful situation.

Instagram: @spacemanhux

Words by Tom Emmett

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T A R A Tara Dennis runs a successful Interior Design agency whilst still being a design student herself.

You’re a full time student but you run your own Interior Design business, how do you juggle the two?

the client and completely fleshing out what it is they need. Then I look at my own references and attempt to pull my style into it.

It’s about being organised and staying on top of things but also taking it one day at a time.

If I think too far ahead, it starts to wig me out; you can really overcomplicate things or overschedule. I pretty much just work on the closest deadline.

How do clients find you?

Do you have a certain style or signature aesthetic? Or do you re-evaluate this for each of your projects?

Interior Design and Interior Styling are often confused, even though they are very different. What’s the difference for you?

I tend to lean towards the masculine side of things but not necessarily your stereotypical masculine elements. However, I do prefer statement making: darker colours and stronger features. I’m definitely not into white, pretty and feminine. In saying that, none of my clients share my style so I have to adapt. A good Interior Designer should be able to design anything, if they have the right brief. I try to put my style into their spaces but if it’s not relevant it’s not relevant. I haven’t yet been able to do a job that showcases my style.

Interior Design is 100% about creating a functional environment based off your floor plan, spacing and the structure of the building.

I would classify Interior Design as that very first process of looking at a floor plan, making sure the rooms are in the right area and considering the air flow of the whole space. Today, at the renovation up in Toowoomba I was advising on wall changes and structure. We’ll need to get an engineer in to identify structural walls and I’ll be talking to the builder as well. I look at changing the physical space of a building and how those changes will affect the rest of the space, whereas an Interior Decorator fills a pre-existing and pre-defined space.

Describe your process. What inspires you?

I’m a massive collator of information. I’m constantly on the lookout for images to add to the image collection on my computer (some 15,000 now). I think a lot of my process starts by going through this inspirational catalogue, finding things that relate to a brief and pulling those elements out. Then I work methodically all the way through the project. I try to start off doing things by hand and focus on not jumping too far ahead. I remember, when I first became a student, someone told me that you always need a really strong brief and can’t simply design without any intent. I didn’t think much of it at the time but now I know that they were right; the process starts by sitting down with

All word of mouth. Social media. Literally my whole life revolves around Interior Design and I think that inspires people; they can see that I love it.

A lot of Interior Design is based in research; researching human movement, ergonomics, colour theory. It’s one thing to paint a wall blue it’s another to know why you’ve done it, how it effects the space, how it affects human psyche and the impact it’s going to have on the other rest of the spaces in the house. I really think that Interior Design should be called Interior Architecture but for obvious reasons, it can’t be. By the same token, people without any formal qualifications are still able to call themselves Interior Designers. I find this very frustrating and believe it’s something that the industry needs to address.

Photograph by Tara Dennis

What are your thoughts about the different trends in Interior Design? For example, a lot of cafes and bars that are opening at the moment have that really industrial and raw aesthetic.

I’m not big on trends. I don’t follow them in anyway or form in my life, I never have. I don’t really understand the drive to replicate someone else’s idea. In saying that however, it is my job to be aware of them. My clients will often say that they really like a certain style that’s trending at the moment. What I then try to do is find a way to personalise it and make it my own.

A café that’s doing a raw, rustic, industrial look, if they’re doing it right, you get that impression but you can’t pick why you get it. The ones that don’t work are the ones that have completely duplicated the concept. These places tend to lack the layers of emotion, soul or sense that a space should have.

What is the role of a designer in 2014?

An ex-colleague of mine has branched off and started her own architectural firm and her mantra is to show people that hiring an architect doesn’t need to be this expensive, abstract, idealised venture. It’s about making sure the space is right for you, its planned properly and its practical. It’s very easy to buy a lamp or paint a wall, where my profession becomes important is in helping people understand why they’re doing it and how it’s affecting their home. It’s about teaching people that aesthetic choices can be made for reasons other than simply, ‘It looks good.’

You mentioned colours and their effect on emotions and how all the elements affect us as people; do you think Interior Design is enabling people to have more fulfilment?

Definitely. I think that it’s helping people realise that they can get more out of their home or their workspace with better design principles and design elements. Hopefully then, Interior Design continues to grow and gain more standing as a professional endeavour.

My hope is that people will walk into a space and feel good or happy, or whatever it may be, and they’ll wonder why they feel that and they’ll

realise they’re in a really well designed space.

I want people to learn that design isn’t just a floaty little concept that makes life prettier but that it has very practical form to it and can be constructed anywhere.

What’s your favourite of the project you’ve completed so far?

The first one for Adam Graham, the designer jeweller, was the most momentous feeling of stepping inside and seeing something that you had created, I can’t even explain that emotion; the very first feeling. So, that one stands out but, and this is going to sound clichéd, they’re all really special to me in their own ways. I don’t think you can pinpoint one project as a favourite because that would have to mean that every element of that project had to be better than every other project. Because they’re all different, I have favourite parts in all of them.

A lot of young designers want to have their own firm or business, or work for themselves. Although you are still a young designer yourself, what advice would you give?

Don’t push it. If it’s not the right time or not the right reason it just won’t happen. You’ve got to do it for the right reasons and at the right time. It can’t be a monetary focus because, in any kind of profession, if your sole basis is to make money you won’t do a good job. I had zero intent of opening my business before I graduated but it wasn’t until Adam really took a risk and asked for my help that things started to happen. Word spread of my venture and I thought, ‘If this looks like it’s going to happen, I’m going to do it properly.’ So it all happened pretty organically. I’m lucky because I’ve got a business degree behind me, so I understand a lot of those requirements: business plans, budgeting, etc. I’ve worked in a corporate office so I know HR policy and all that kind of stuff. So, my advice would be to let it happen naturally because anything that is forced isn’t meant to be.

What does materiality mean to you?

Before you physically touch something, you’re already processing what it looks like, what it’s going to feel like and how you are going to feel when you touch it. The Interior Design

/61 elements of materiality build up this case for when you do eventually touch that physical, material item. We make sure you’ve already got your senses aligned and your beliefs on what you’re going to be touching. The materiality of touch is that final last element that is affirming and quantifying all you’ve perceived it to be.

People think that touch is the first and main element, but it’s not. www.tdcreativeagency.com.au Instagram: tdcreativeagency facebook.com/tdcreativeagency

> 5 WHO DIY Photograph by Alisha Musil

Words by Alexandra Perestrelo

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Harrison Sandeman ‘Untitled’ Models: Kia Low / Callan Rowe Photographer: Daniel Sangermani H/MUA: Nadine Johns-Alcook

CREATION

Once an idea is forged the process of creation and realization commences. We have tracked the progress of the two QUT Fashion graduates over the last two issues and witnessed the materialisation of their graduate concepts and collections.

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Harrison Sandeman ‘Untitled’ Models: Kia Low / Callan Rowe Photographer: Daniel Sangermani H/MUA: Nadine Johns-Alcook

Michaela Stark ‘Come play with me’ Photographer: Phi-Hung Le-Vu Model: Bridget McMahon MUA: Katy De Pinto

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Michaela Stark ‘Come play with me’ Photographer: Phi-Hung Le-Vu Model: Bridget McMahon MUA: Katy De Pinto

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F L E E T S T O R E

Something that we possess as creative students is fresh energy and boundless enthusiasm to be involved in creative projects. Four years ago Emily Giles recognized the potential in the young QUT fashion design students and saw an opportunity to harness this energy and passion into a project that would let the students create, market and sell their own designs to the public. Over the last four years this project has progressively gained

more and more traction with social media and Instagram sky-rocketing their audience numbers, which are now in the thousands.

This year the store celebrated their most exciting and successful pop-up yet. Tom had the chance to sit down with Emily to chat about the progression of the project from its humble beginnings and find out what we can expect to see from The Fleet Store in the future.

Words by Tom Emmett & Miranda Rielly

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The Fleet Store this year is coming to a close, how did it go overall? Was it well received?

We’ve had a huge, huge amount of people come along. We’ve been getting hundreds of people daily come through. On the launch night we had 250 people, it was the biggest launch night we’ve had in the four years (it’s been running) and we’ve made triple the amount that they ever do. So it’s been a great year. We’re making more commercial stock, so our designers are realising what’s selling and whats not. We’ve got a great group of people.

And everyone knows us in Brisbane now, we’re just more well-known as well, which does help.

Social media definitely helps us, we started with 250 followers on Instagram (this year) and now we’re over 1000.

We last featured the Fleet Store in the very first edition of D/Zine (back in 2012), how has the store progressed since then?

In regards to collaborating with more people in Brisbane, we’re still QUT based but we’ve now gone and got our racks designed, compared to 2012 when we just used racks from my studio. We’re getting more artists helping us, we’re getting just more variety of artworks and jewellery and stock. And obviously as I said before, there’s a broader audience so people are aware of us, so we’re just growing and growing.

How do you feel the creative industries fit into a commercial environment?

People are being creative by using 3D Printing, we’ve got some pieces made that way here, and Laser Cutting and they’re bringing that to a commercial market. So people are being creative but they’re trying to do it so people can wear it everyday. I guess they’re doing that quite successfully as you can see here.

For example, the Jellyfish Earring and three ladies I know bought let alone everyone else Photographs by Tom Emmett

who bought them on launch night. So probably about ten pairs have been sold, that were Laser Cut. So it’s pretty creative that they’re using Laser Cutting and people are buying them, so that’s an example of how it’s working.

This year you approached Joshua Cox, a third year Industrial Design student, to design and produce the furnishings, is this multidisciplinary collaboration something you want to build on/grow upon in the future?

Definitely. The collaboration was amazing and we’re going to be selling them as well. So who knows what they’ll be doing next year, someone might build the space instead! Each year it gets better and better. Last year they used a shipping container. It just matters what group does it, but one could make the space, that’d be pretty cool. Every year we’re looking at different things, someone might collaborate with an app designer and make an app us, that sort of thing. Time’s the limiting factor really, we’re open to collaborate with everyone and anyone. We’re open to anything.

Most havn’t organised/run a pop up store before, what exactly goes into it and how difficult is it to run?

Hundreds and hundreds of hours. It’s like a full time job for me, voluntary full time job. We’ve got 16 students and a teacher and we also have about 20 interns who help us. And we have designers as well, so thirty designers. All up there’s probably a hundred people involved.

But spread across Social Media, HR, PR, Sponsorship, Buying, Marketing and Branding.

There’s a lot of stuff that goes into it, if it was a paid job, I don’t know how it could be a paid job because we’re just doing it for love.

You study a dual degree of Fashion and Business, how much did that help?

Because you obviously run it like a proper business?

Hell yeah. Even managing people or knowing how to use a till and Eftpos machine or knowing that we need to be marking prices up. It helps us a Fashion, and Business, students to know whats going to sell and what’s not. We can’t put our full labour costs into things because they’d cost thousands of dollars. For example, my top, it would probably cost $800 if I included my labour, but its $70. So I guess you need to use your left brain as well as your right.

Because creative people don’t think of that, you’ve got mix Business in with it as well.

The Fleet Store has a strong following on Instagram, how important do you feel tools like these are?

Free social media is what we rely on. We don’t pay for any marketing, we only pay for posters and paper. A lot of people who bought tickets to the launch night would have found out about it off that. So we rely heavily on social media.

Everyone’s using it, so it works out perfectly for us.

Do you think for young designers, it sort of evens the playing field?

Definitely. I use social media to promote my stuff and people came into today, introduced themselves and I said name and they said “Are you Emily Giles? I’ve seen your stuff on Instagram”. I’ll be working and I get it all the time, it’s crazy.

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‘‘ MATERIALITY IS ABOUT STARTING FROM SCRATCH AND CREATING SOMETHING INCREDIBLE THAT SOMEONE CAN WEAR ’’

Feel like a bit of a rock star?

I do! It’s weird. I made a speech at an event the other day, and they said “We heard your speech the other night”. I was a bit surprised (laughing). It’s really funny. But social media is really good for that.

This is probably the first physical store than many of the artists and designers you stock have been involved with, do you look for items that you think will sell well or do you choose items that hold significant ‘creative’ value?

We’re pretty open to most creations, it just has to be sewn or made to a high level. We don’t really say no to much stock anyway because we can’t, because we really need stock. But next year if we get a huge amount of stock, we might have to filter out what we want. But at the moment we’re not, just because we can’t afford to; we’re low on stock at the moment.

We’ve got to make sure everything has swing tags, care labels and tags, that sort of thing.

But no, we can’t pick.

Some of the girls like the more simplistic, nothing pieces. I mean a trend at the moment is everything being simplistic, that sort of thing but we can’t say we only want that because there aren’t enough designers stocking that kind of stuff. If we were, for example, Blonde Venus down in the Valley, she has a specific look, and specific market she’s going for. But we’re catering for a larger market, we had a 60 year old woman in here the other night buying pieces down to a 12 year old girl, so we’re catering for everyone, really.

For a young designer wanting to be involved next year, what advice would you give them?

Do some research before you put stock in.

Research is probably the main thing and then start sewing early! And know your target market, promote yourself. A lot of the girls that promoted themselves really well on social media sold out launch night, and then I didn’t promote myself much because of time so I havn’t sold as much. So I feel the people who promoted themselves a lot on social media will sell, and you get orders afterwards as well. So, research, promote, sew early and find good,

/75 cheap fabrics, so you can make a better profit.

Research within the design process or more market research?

For example, the first time I stocked for pants, pants for woman you need to make sure they have stretch etc. because everyone are such different sizes. So when I first stocked, I didn’t sell any pants because they didn’t fit. They fit the model not actual people. So you need to make sure they have elastic and making sure they fit over peoples’ heads (for tops) and small things like that. Maybe doing one size fits all, so it fits all bodies not just one body.

So it can cater for a larger market.

Obviously in the real world ends need to be met, so a creative needs to think about that. Do you think the Fleet Store prepares them well for that?

It sets people up. I wouldn’t be stocked in any other store in Brisbane but this one, so it’s a great opportunity to start your own label and learn what sells and what doesn’t. Even if you start off small, you learn a lot. Like how to do side tags properly. I’ve been doing this for three years and I’ve learnt a lot, a lot more than what I’d be doing if I just went into a store.

And I’d make mistakes there. But I can make mistakes here and still learn as a uni student.

It definitely sets designers up. If I don’t sell, it’s not the end of the world. But if I get stuff made in Bali you need to have minimum orders,

whereas here you can put it in and see how it goes, test the market.

We don’t pay for anything, except fabric of course.

The theme of this issue is materiality, what does materiality mean to you?

For me, materials are the most important thing for any garment. That’s what sells it, if they like it they’ll buy it. If they don’t like the touch they won’t buy it. It’s not even fabric, it’s also wood and how beautiful that material is. It plays an important role in how people see things.

We’ve got quite simple this year, quite simplistic.

But for us, materiality is about starting from scratch and creating something incredible that someone can wear. The material can just be sitting there. For example, some designers used second hand materials and created beautiful new pieces. So I guess its material but also creating something unique that someone will buy and value for a long time. facebook.com/thefleetstore Instagram: @thefleetstore

Words by Tom Emmett

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HARVEST A review of the Havest exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art, Winter 2014.

After Cai Guo-Qiang’s impressive and iconic Falling Back to Earth installation over the 2013/14 Summer, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art was left with an empty void that comprises of the entire ground floor of the Gallery. Rather than importing a new exhibition, the Gallery scoured their permanent collection to create Harvest, their major winter exhibition for 2014.

Running from June through to September, it presented a different kind of art experience to its predecessor, this time offering a story told through a variety of artists and mediums.

Upon entering the gallery I broke into cold sweat. ‘Is this the exhibition?’ I thought, starting to panic a little. I asked the nearby invigilator. It was indeed the exhibition. An endless window display filled with everything pineapple related presented itself in front of me: cups, drawings, pictures, dolls. Everything.

Was this how they had curated the major winter exhibition? Broken up into different types of food? It was kitsch at best, an alarming collection of random objects linked together by a common thread of pineapples.

Photographs by Tom Emmett

It was an extraordinary array of objects; seemingly the work of an obsessive-compulsive collector or something you would only ever see on an episode of ‘Hoarders’.

The first window stopped, broken by a film lounge, then a second started. What were they thinking? I thought, still breathing heavily.

Sensing the Grecian Gods be upset by this exhibition, the pineapple themed wallpaper with a sky-blue background transitioned to a deep ochre; something was changing, bubbling under the surface. The pineapples continued, but instead of a window display it was a row of framed collage portraits.

Turning to my right after inspecting the eclectic collages, I saw it. Humbled by its size, the main installation of Harvest: Biosphere (2009) by Tomas Saraceno. It had started.

Beginning with a room of traditional still life paintings from the 17th century, the exhibition progressed into installation and sculpture as I walked through. There was a distinct global flavour, none more so than Rivane Neuenschwander’s Continent, which used a swarm of ants to demonstrate the continents of the world.

A strong mix of two-dimensional and threedimensional works continued to draw the viewer through the rooms. Ensuring the audience’s attention stayed firm, an interactive artwork, Untitled (lunch box) by Argentinian/

Thai artist Rirkvit Tiravanija, transformed the viewer into the viewed. Four people were chosen to partake in the performance which consisted of them being served and digesting a traditional Thai lunch. Placed after rooms that were painting heavy, it regrouped my attention and also introduced a dose of humour and intrigue to the exhibition. This artwork also stood out because it highlighted the power of food, or a meal; its ability to bring people, even strangers, together and unite over a common thread.

A strong Chinese contingent was represented in the exhibit too, highlighting both Australia’s ties to the superpower and GOMA’s significant Asian collection. Ai Weiwei brought up the monopoly of large brands that control the food and drink industry with the use of a Coca Cola vase. This seemed to be the major sub-theme for the middle of the exhibit. It also represents contemporary food practices, which is what this section also represented: the now.

Looking into the future, Tomas Saraceno provided the crystal balls to peer into with Biosphere. A technically rigorous installation of the piece allowed the artwork to be viewed without any distraction, while a well thought out placement of the two halves of Biosphere took advantage of the closed in hallway space and the end room with full-wall windows letting in the natural light.

It felt as though the exhibition was saying

/79 that our current food model, and even our current society model, was wrong. Setting the scene with monopolisation, super brands and consumerism, a possible alternative for the future was delivered with Biosphere, where food production is local and self-contained.

However this optimism may be superficial, as the piece drew upon utopian ideals from the 1960’s, where an attitude of ‘anything was possible’ was prominent, and strong influences from visionary and neo-futurist Buckminster Fuller.

The last room of Harvest (excluding the second film room) bought the viewer back to Australia, and to reality. Focusing on Aboriginal art and traditional crafts it demonstrated an approach to food gathering and appreciation separate to Western influence. The dawn of colonisation and the beginning of Britain’s cultural takeover was also portrayed in this room, with drawings and paintings from early expatriates.

Although I was shocked at first, the exhibition hit the nail of the head by slowly guiding the audience on a journey from home in Queensland, and its pineapples, to the world over and through the ages. It successfully told the story of food in art and its shift in importance is society. It also touched on globalisation and how the world is much more connected place than it once was. Works such as ShangArt Supermarket (Australia) by Xu Zhin highlighted the almost exacting similarities between, not only the traditional East vs West cultures but also the synonymous identity a supermarket has the world over.

Food, and the harvest of food, plays an integral part of life for Queenslanders, Australians and any citizen of the world. Harvest cleverly noted this but also bought up key issues affecting the world at large today and bought it to the viewer’s attention in a discrete way: through the power of art. www.qagoma.qld.gov.au Instagram: @qagoma

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