Think magazine 003

2 | ON THE COVER

Editor-in-Chief/ Creative Director Design Production/ Typography Contributing Fashion Editor Contributing Technology Editor Contributing Design Editor Contributing Architecture and Design Logo Design Site Services

Jacqueline Carlisle

Samm Jordan

Vanessa Voltolina

Erich Zainzinger

Alexander Horne

Karyn Linnell Sunny Fong Mychol Scully

ON THE COVER

Future Hotel LAVA Laboratory for Visual Architects

ISSUE 003

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I spent quite a bit of time looking at David Hockney’s pool series. When I studied art I loved visiting these paintings when I felt like escaping the constraints of city life. The feeling of relaxing and absolute quiet was always something I saw in the pool series something we don’t always

IN THIS

have the chance to enjoy. Which brings me to this

ISSUE

issue our first resort issue or at least our version of a resort issue? What to pack and where to go is always the big questions right, what if you couldn’t go away but still felt the need to escape in your own city? The Future Hotel could be your answer to a mini break if the team at Laboratory for Visual Architects have their way.

The idea behind this hotel is to meet the needs of hotel guests using “tomorrow’s technology.”

Your room will include such amenities such as anti- jet- lag lighting, personal spa area and, an active comfort bed. All this and the rooms can be taken apart and recycled. We also love fashion designer Susan Woo for our resort issue.

Her clothing is not only made with all natural and sustainable fabrics but she chooses to work with companies that keep a high standard for their environmental impact.

Susan creates

a classic silhouette, crisp tailoring and clean cuts that guarantee fitting in on a global scale.

Speaking of scales, since the airlines have now become quite strict on baggage and security is a constant factor we decided to report on suitcases with built in scales and bags that come with the option to plug in your Smartphone for use whilst it’s completely hidden and out of

Design

rachna joshi nair

8

intrinsic incision

Fashion

where eco meets fashion

29

Technology the digital age traveller

36

Architecture

ideal plans

40

site. Now for those who can’t plan and execute an escape Rachna Joshi Nair’s soft furnishings can mimic the lush fauna of a tropical paradise through cushions, area rugs and blankets. And last but not least Ronen Kadushin’s experiment in design allows other designers to take his ideas and create their own interpretations encouraging others to dream. We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we did making it.

RACHNA JOSHI NAIR

Photo: Philip Provily

What is your design background?

and are they all sustainable?

I have a background in textile & fashion

I use only natural fabrics, like silk and

but I got into design at a later stage. To

cotton,

begin with I worked more in sourcing, retail

consciously choose organic fabrics because

management & so on; then 4 years ago I

the availability is very limited. I prefer for the

decided to return to design.

moment to use very simple fabrics where

sourced

from

India.

I

don’t

most of the processing is done by hand Where did you grow up?

from collecting the silk cocoons through to

I grew up in India, in a town called Pune.

dyeing and weaving.

When I was growing up it was a quiet place,

The transformation that the fabrics go

known for its universities. Today it is also

through to make my pieces is enormous so

one of the fastest growing industrial & IT

I prefer to use the plainest fabrics where the

towns in India.

very simplicity speaks for itself.

How did you decide on the direction of

Are all your pieces made by hand?

your work?

A lot of the work is done by hand, not only

The direction chose me rather than the other way round. It grew naturally.

Your pieces are organic and gentle yet very strong, what are your influences?

A lot of it is inspired by organic and natural shapes, but at the same time it’s also very graphic, it’s like nature finding its own way through a very geometric organization.

Man is always trying to change nature, to structure things, but creation is chaotic, it will find a way to break out, to do unexpected things, tear down boundaries. That is one of the things that inspire me, a unifying theme in my work.

If you look at artists like Rothko, there’s so much movement and color, it looks

in the fabric stage but to make the pieces.

They are not 100% handmade but the truly creative & skill processes need to be done by hand, so that even those pieces that are assembled by machine have a strong element of hand work.

Where did you first get introduced to handcrafting?

When you grow up in India you see handcrafts all around you, it tends to seep in almost unconsciously into your psyche.

However, my work draws not on an existing craft but on the capacity to manipulate that exists in all crafts; my techniques have mostly been invented by me, they are not traditional crafts at all.

like something’s trying to burst beyond the boundaries and blur the edges. I also

Do you feel the luxury market is

admire the work of Rachel Whiteread who,

recognising sustainable design to be a

again, works on the idea of spaces and the

growing market?

memory of spaces.

Yes, we can see a change but I don’t know if it will be a lasting one or if it is a passing

Can you tell us about the materials used

phase. There is and will always be a market

TEXT: JACQUELINE CARLISLE editor

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Photo: Simbl

Photo: Philip Provily

for sustainable design but how much of

Through projects with architects & interior

that is going to be an honest, conscious

designers. Since my work has a high

effort and how much is just so much piggy-

component of “made to measure” it gives

backing on trend remains to be seen?

me greater pleasure to be able to work on a

However, there is definitely an increase in

project with specific people in mind rather

the number of people who are aware of

than mass produce anonymously.

what constitutes sustainable design and who integrate it into what they expect from

How can we purchase your products?

a design object, and that itself is a big step

You can find my series at some select

forward.

stores (list below) or you can write to me at rachna@simbl.eu for custom made pieces.

Who would you like to collaborate with?

I would have loved to work with Anni and Josef Albers; Anni’s work and her philosophy have always influenced me a lot.

Another person I would like to collaborate with is Michele de Lucchi, a man of

France Maxalto, 43 rue du Back, 75006 Paris

UK www.couturelab.com

immensely refined taste and shocking

Italy

simplicity. I have done a project with him

Ferrero, Corso Matteoti 15, Torino

and it was a great experience.

Among artists, I like the work of Rachel

USA

Whiteread , and Sean Scully.

Fred Segal Green, 500 Broadway, Santa Monica

What are your plans to expand your

Bergdorf Goodman, 754, 5th Avenue, New

company?

York

Photo: Philip Provily

INTRINSIC INCISION Oslo, Norway December 2009

Timeless

elegantly

futuristic in

forms

stylized

that

exhibitions

stand and

exclusive interior spaces could broadly

cover a physical description of Israeli

designer Ronen Kadushin’s works. A not

too dissimilar description as to what could be attributed to the works of one Ron Arad, and i particular his design output during the

period of the now internationally referenced

One-Off studio and shop in London*1. An

apprenticeship with Arad ‘s One-off studio perhaps provided much influence for this then young designer, who twenty years on

is a respected international designer and

educator in his own right. London was an

exciting place to be for industrial design during Kadushin’s tenure there; Ron Arad was one of several now internationally

known designers, amongst many other lesser

known

names,

who

seemingly

formed a renewed excitement and fresh public interest into a field that could often be mistakenly perceived as solely for the interests of techy minded guys who liked

big red cars. Industrial design became

fashionable, acceptable to talk about in

the realms of art and ultimately, and most important for industry, it sold well. Twenty years is a long time in the fast moving IT and

communication world we are accustomed to and so from a field that has gathered

so much momentum and attention during this period it is unsurprising that change is upon the world of design. One of the

catalysts for this change is therelentless churning out of freshly graduated product design students each year, often

Man Holding Flower Light

TEXT: ALEXANDER HORNE - contributing design editor

| 21

inspired to follow careers in design by the

Recession can be a by-word for disaster,

designers after one table or another chair.

instigator for change and mobilization of

celebrity status bestowed upon certain Unfortunately for many of these young,

creative and untainted minds, there is simple not enough ‘product design’ jobs

to accommodate them. So not enough jobs and the practicality of questioning if we actually really need more versions of tables and chairs?

Eighty

percent

of

the

loss and being without. It can also be an new ideas. You probably have to dig deeper

through media sources to read the latter but, it is true. Economic downturns in the past have seen companies such as Apple,

Microsoft and Nokia*3 grow and evolve into leaner more successful businesses.

Design is being dealt a question right now

environmental

for which, some have an answer while

infrastructures isdetermined at the design

point of intervention that the Berlin based

impact of today’s products, services and stage. Design therefore has an enormous impact on resource

efficiency in our economy, and can make a critical contribution in the transition to sustainability. *2

as always others will follow. It is at this designer Ronen Kadushin provides a

solution less timeless than his stylish foam

and steel forms and more relevant to the present and immediate future.

Hack Chair

Candle Holder 1 from Sao Paulo

Kadushin’s Open

Design

solution does not only hint

at a piercing incision into the gut of his

is

full opening up and invitation to replicate

that of the designs he suggests in Open

industrial design creations, rather it is a

refreshing

them. Under the Open Design moniker,

Design most rarely use more than one or

Kadushin

freely

encourages

throughout the world to copy

designers

his ideas and re-interpretate them. From

the minimal and jagged aesthetics of some of his one sheet steel concepts, such as

the ‘hacker community’ inspired Hack

Chair, to the the elegance and finesse of more accessible household objects

like Candle Holder 1 or the Man Holding Flower Light; all are available for direct

copy. Indeed, scrolling down the news

to

see

two materials, do not have high cost for manufacturing or sourcing and have no need for toxic adhesives. For a designer who has grown up and learned

through one historical era of design

evolvement, it is refreshing to see that they could be setting a new benchmark for

an emblematic and positive shift in design thinking and doing.

section of his website, you may find one

by Alexander Horne

from Sao Paulo, an effort that is applauded

http://nouink.blogspot.com/

of the interpretations of Candle Holder 1

and showcased by the concept originator, Kadushin, himself. While many designers’

egos and desires to create their own unique language may stop many from publicly

rushing to mimic Kadushin’s offerings - it

http://www.alexanderhorne.co.uk/

Where Eco Meets High Fashion

New York City designer Susan Woo blends chic and modern ready-to-wear styles and environmental and social consciousness.

Over the past few years, ethical fashion in the Big Apple has been on the rise, evidenced by eco-fashion centered events such as the annual Cool vs. Cruel Fashion Competition and the 2009 launch of The GreenShows at New York Fashion Week. However, while eco style and design is making strides in New York City, it still has a ways to go to obtain the ubiquity of ethical design in international cities such as Paris, Toronto and London.

Maybe that’s why Susan Woo, born and raised in New York City, is such an ethical fashion anomaly. She creates sophisticated, high fashion pieces from organic fabrics, but she takes her ethical design duties one step further.

She has also committed to ensure fair labor practices and sourcing from environmentally conscious companies.

Susan Woo’s designs reflect a woman’s lifestyle as well as her personal style, offering a full range of ready-to-wear for the modern, chic and professional woman, with options for both day and evening.

And for Woo, being a socially responsible company means more than just using organic fabrics. All of the fabrics that she uses are 100 percent all natural and sustainable, which

includes organic wool, cottons and cashmeres.

They are also sourced from companies that have a strong environmental commitment, with extra steps taken to ensure that her everyday operations are environmentally conscious and energy-efficient as possible; she ensures that all of her garments are produced using fair labor practices.

Eco Meets City Chic While her roots may be in the city, Woo attended university at upstate New York school Cornell University, where she completed a degree in Fashion Design and Business. She would then go on to develop her luxury fashion background at Louis Vuitton, Derek Lam and Chanel. The time with these designers, she says, influenced her taste for quality and design.

“It’s only been two seasons so far into my collection, but it’s amazing how much you can grow in such little time,” Woo told Think.

“Going into my third season now, I see that I’m taking more creative risks. In my first season, I needed to get my bearings and nail the basics down. With that foundation, I’m feeling more comfortable with establishing my aesthetic and translating that in a new way each season.”

If Woo could collaborate with any designer in

the world, she’d choose Tom Ford, a designer known for his strong, sexy styles. “He’s a genius and has anincredible eye for detail in everything he does. He’s built an amazing brand around his identity and aesthetic. Who couldn’t learn from someone like him?”

As she establishes her aesthetic and surprises the public with her new seasonal designs, she continues to use her favorite fabrics, such as organic wool, which tops the charts because it is “so versatile and luxurious,” she says. “You can get a wide range of qualities of wool, from a lightweight jersey that I used for several dresses in my spring 2010 collection, to a heavy melton quality that I used for outerwear in my fall 2009 collection. One of my favorite organic wool pieces is a dress from my spring collection that is a combination of a lightweight organic wool jersey and silk chiffon,” which Woo says it a great example of how wool can even be incorporated into eveningwear. “The dress is chic and sexy, yet comfortable enough to sleep in!” she says.

Femininity and Sexiness Through Textures Some of her inspirations—and icon--are “women who are intelligent and strong, and whose fashion choices reflect more than just their bodies,” Woo says. A few of these standout women, according to her, are Carine Roitfeld, the editor-in-chief of the French edition of Vogue magazine. “She’s sexy and confident, and achieves it in a way that looks effortless.

No matter what she is wearing, her personality is never eclipsed. For very similar reasons, I love Cate Blanchett’s style as well. She always wears clothes with such grace.”

And it’s with fashion icons spring 2010 tapping into

these confident and graceful in mind that Woo created her collection, which centers on the woman underneath the

clothing. “I wanted a balance of toughness and femininity in the styles because that’s the modern woman today,” she says. “There’s a lot more softness and drape than in my first collection, but it’s combined with some tougher accents like vegetable-tanned leather, boning and metal beads.”

From her spring/summer 2010 collection, one of her favorite silhouettes is a draped arm that had as opening at the shoulder. She designed both a blouse and a dress version using this “draped arm” style. “It’s subtle in its sexiness and completely wearable, and it even hides the upper arm a bit, which a lot of women are self-conscious about,” she adds. “There are so many things that I think about when designing

TEXT: VANESSA VOLTOLINA - contributing fashion editor

a single piece: how to be feminine and sexy, and also compliment the body. This silhouette achieves both.”

future for sustainable design,” she says.

Woo’s two favorite dresses are from her first collection (fall 2009) “because they embody exactly what I try to achieve in all my pieces: striking, figure hugging and a mix of textures and opacities,” she says. “I love mixing fabrics in one piece because I think it can give a lot of depth and character to a style.”

A Look Ahead As ethical fashion continues to flourish in the United States, particularly in her hometown, Woo thinks, “there is such a bright and promising

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Her reasoning is that there are a plethora of high-quality fabrics available that support eco-friendly and socially responsible fashion— “No more burlap sacks!” she says. “Secondly, people are investing in it.”

She considers that the support of companies and consumers that see sustainability as the future of fashion will help it to grow. And, “the recession has taught us that more is not always more, and I think there will be a real movement towards buying products that are beautiful, and also have value and meaning behind them.”

The Digital Age Traveler

Planning a trip not only requires thinking about what clothing and toiletries to pack but also we think about our indispensable digital age devices such as Smartphones, GPS or MP3 players, gear which becomes quickly part of our personality.

Questions like which devices are needed on a particular trip, how to ensure they are powered up all time, how to protect them against environmental damage and theft have to be addressed.

To cover the needs of our gadgets, add-ons usually take up more space and weight in our travel bag than the devices themselves. Travel bag volume and weight which airlines recently started charging extra money for.

Besides the volume/weight/money dilemma there is the headache of keeping track of all the add-ons like backup power devices or protection cases. Who didn’t lose or forgot a charger, connector or case somewhere on a trip?

Soft, wearable technologies offer alternatives to some of the digital age travelers needs, help to minimize the luggage capacity as well as bringing back a more enjoyable travel experience.

How so you might ask? Soft, wearable technology is about integration of functionality

Solar Bag, Costume Nationale

into items we use every day: clothing and bags.

TEXT: ERICH ZAINZINGER - contributing technology editor

Why not upgrade your wardrobe with smart materials? Why not add functional clothing and bags without affecting their intended purpose of wearability?

SMART TRAVEL GEAR CHOICES Getting organized for the digital age trip, the choice of a suitcase or bag can make a big difference between having just a ‘confinement’ for all your stuff or to have smart luggage that provides convenience and power.

A suitcase with an integrated scale is an option saving the handling and space a conventional luggage scale would need. Knowing how heavy luggage is before checking in can save the hassle of repacking during check-in or an extra baggage charge by the airline.

Saving weight for backup power batteries, the smart traveler uses one of the latest electrical power generating suitcases and bags. While dragging the suitcase around the airport or streets, the wheels of the suitcase spin a high efficiency electrical power generator which generates electrical power for a complete cellphone charge during a half hour walk.

Traveling to a place and spending most of the time outdoors? One of the many solar bags already available in the market will help to get extra power when most needed: outdoors.

Solar bags with flexible solar panels are the best option as they are extremely light weight,

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they are integrated into the bags exterior, they are

provide connection to most of the personal

flexible and water resistant and they continually

devices we carry around, ranging from the iPod

transform sun light into electrical power all day

family, other MP3 players and Bluetooth enabled

long. Even on days with little sun, some of them

devices.

will still harvest light and generate power for cellphones or an MP3 player.

Device controlled clothing and bags offer a ‘ hands free alternative’ to focus on other things

Sometimes we visit places which are not as

like taking photos or navigating around a new

safe as we wish them to be, places where it

place while being just a touch on the bag or

is not wise to show what smart cellphone or

jacket away from our digital life.

other electronic devices we have. What to do?

Keeping our precious devices in the pocket

Spending vacation on a beach with plenty of

or bag is often a wiser option. With the ever

sunshine and sand? Beach totes with flexible

growing range of technology enhanced jackets,

solar panels will run in full power generation mode

hoodies and bags we can operate our devices

with all the sunshine around, providing unlimited

via touch sensitive areas on a bag or garment

power for cellphones and MP3 player all day.

exterior.

Bags with integrated speakers allow listening to Technology enhanced garments and bags

relaxing tunes without the need of earphones and protecting the player from too much sun and sand, elements no electronic device likes.

Too much sunshine on the other hand is not healthy for your skin

but wait,

Suitcase Scale

smart materials like Photochromic can indicate when it is time to cover up a bit. Photochromic impregnated beads on a bracelet give a colorful indicator when UV exposure is reaching high levels by changing the color from one shade to another.

A similar smart material called Hydrochromic changes color when exposed to water. Umbrellas which are plain when not needed show a color explosion as soon as the rain starts and the umbrella gets wet, helping to elevate the otherwise gloomy mood during rainy days.

Wearable technologies provide alternatives to the static appearance of conventional clothing and bags. Technology enhanced clothing and

UV Indicating Bracelet

bags will not fit into every occasion like it is the case with our regular clothing and bags where we buy multiple variants to assemble the ‘right’ or ‘proper’ outfit, well not yet anyway.

Why not upgrade your wardrobe like we upgrade our electronic devices? Why not add ‘features’ to our wardrobe provided they blend seamlessly into our (digital) lifestyle? No matter how many prints, how many glittery materials or colors we have on our clothing today, all these style elements fulfill only one aspect: to show off in a passive way.

Cole Haan Bag

Today’s travel gear includes items past generations didn’t even know about but we still use the same outfit, only in different styles, as our grandparents used for their travel.

Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans Plans Ideal Ideal Plans

Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal Plans Ideal

TEXT: KARYN LINNELL - contributing architecture and design editor

L

AVA creates the perfect escape through

luxurious modern architecture

The word vacation is one of the most enthusiastically loved words in the English language. Year after year it brings joy to

countless individuals longing for a retreat from tiresome drudgery and monotonous landscapes. Modern life has filled our world with roads, factories,

sewer systems, cell phone towers,

automobiles, and the volumes of noise they create.

We long for peace and quiet and a reprise from breathing smog and other poisonous vapors. We dream of relaxing in soothing environments where we can gaze upon the wondrous beauty around us. While many of us are busy earning our daily bread, the team at the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) is envisioning new ways to

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bring the most prized elements of vacation into the heart of the cities we make our homes.

LAVA has harnessed the greatest inspirations of the natural world in order to design structures that fulfill their highest potential.

Led by

experienced architectural geniuses, Chris Bosse, Tobias Wallisser, and Alexander Rieck, LAVA is dedicated to reducing energy consumption while maintaining architectural integrity and superiority.

The results are striking.

These magnificent,

graceful, low-energy buildings and installations make the world around us a better place. We are awed by their beauty and inspired by the wisdom in their earth-friendly design. Far ahead of its time, LAVA is taking us to new heights in sustainable architecture, turning fiction into fact and making dreams into reality.

Future Hotel

Masdar Plaza

KARYN LINNELL - contributing architecture editor

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The innovative Masdar Plaza is an excellent example of LAVA’s talent for incorporating luxurious vacation and futuristic design. Created for the heart of Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, the Madsar Plaza has the appeal and energy of a modern metropolis without the stereotypical waste, pollution and environmental hazards. This “Oasis of the Future” houses a hotel, conference center, and spacious grounds for leisurely socialization and activity. Graceful, white structures resembling enormous inverted umbrellas capture solar energy while providing shade to those enjoying the outdoor center during the day. At night, they magically fold in their petals to form pillars of light, illuminating evening activity where motion and cell phone activity is detected. To accentuate the beauty of the plaza, lush flora drifts gently from balconies of nearby buildings. Its result is a perfect hybrid of practical physical architecture and space

age, utopian science fiction.

Another illustration of LAVA’s talent for using ultramodern design to create the ideal environment is the Future Hotel. Featured in segments on CNN and BBC, Future Hotel is a luxury suite with smooth, curvaceous walls reminiscent of the interior of a seashell. The bath area houses many of the amenities of a day spa, and the comfortable, modern bed glides gently, rocking its guest to sleep.

The room responds to the patron, lights illuminating as the floor senses the weight and movement of footsteps. The color of the walls can be changed in an instant, varying from soothing white to colors such as a calming green or sumptuous red. There is no hectic busyness in this futuristic sanctuary, only well-designed peace.

LAVA’s portfolio is expansive, including, amongst their other projects, the breathtaking Snowflake

and Corniche Towers, the impressive Green Void

For the team at LAVA, envisioning a beautiful,

and Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation relaxing environment is not limited to vacation Bibliotheca installations, and the Architonic Lounge. planning. Instead of traveling to a location that In addition to their environmental sustainability, already exists, they prefer to create new oases, these projects were influenced by the wonders transforming the ordinary into the inspiring. Our of the natural world. The Snowflake Tower, for options for enjoying the world around us are example, takes its name from the tiny ice sculpture increasing as each new design is brought to life. that inspired its beauty and balance. Dominating the Needs for sustainability, functionality and beauty central interior of the Customs House in Sydney, are masterfully met, creating soothing structures

Sherman Gallery Australia, the coral-like Green Void installation uses that seamlessly blend together many of the best minimal resources yet ensures dramatic impact to elements our world has to offer. It is now possible viewers. A final display of LAVA’s use of natural to envision a future where the cities we call home inspiration with astonishing results is the Architonic and the buildings we work and live in are more Lounge. An international hub for architects and restorative than any place we might visit. Instead designers, the Architonic Lounge interprets the of packing our bags and booking our flights, we cool beauty of arctic glaciers to create a socializing may only need to look around to discover that we environment that is as inviting as it is inspiring.

are already where we wish to be.

CONTINUUM TABLE 2009

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