COOL FEATURE: TOM KUNDIG

Tom Kundig of Olson Kundig

Tom Kundig principal and owner of the Seattle-based firm Olson Kundig is designing Outpost Basel, an arquitectural pavilion created for the Collector’s Lounge at Design Miami. Basel Switzerland is an artistic fair that will take place from June 16 - 21, 2015. 

Outpost Basel is bringing together a diversity of geographic material and cultural elements of different parts of the world like, Japan, America, Romania, Austria to bring into existence a design space made from everyday materials.

The arquitectural firm “Olson Kundig” is founded by arquitects Jim Olson and Tom Kundig. The firm is based on the ideas that, building can serve “as a bridge between nature, culture and people, and that inspiring surroundings have a positive effect on people’s lives.

Kundig plays with the idea of being an outsider, bringing a collection of highly contrasting influences and functions, which he unifies to make a harmonious and inspirational space.  An idea of yin-yang will run throughout, shown through the interplay of shaded and well-lit areas, dark and light materials, as well as space for refuge and for being seen. The result will be an enjoyable retreat in which to reflect on the design fair, meet friends or just relax.

From the entrance of the exhibition, Outpost Basel will appear to be a simple dark cube at the west point of the hall, playing a subtle role within the vast Messe Halle. But as visitors walk closer, they will see the textures and complexity of the structural design.  Guests are going to be welcomed by hosts, who will roll open an iron-wheeled ‘X’ door, to reveal a vibrant inner sanctum of lounge and restaurant areas.

Kundig works with “commodity materials to create this high-design space from re-purposed structural elements, in a continuation of his love of ‘hot-rodding’ ”. Like wood formwork and bricks bountifully supplied by innovative Austrian company “Schweighofer”.

There is going to be two distinct adjoining volumes, one semi-open space and one a taller solid box made of wood bricks, together form Outpost. A tribute to the 10^th Anniversary of Design Miami/ Basel in the form of a repeated X- shaped pattern will surround the exterior of Outpost Basel.

Sketch by Tom Kundig, Outpost Basel 

Kundig said: “It’s a great honor to make this space for Design Miami/, and to work in Basel, Switzerland. We each carry many influences with us—both my parents are Swiss, although I am American. With Outpost, I wanted to explore this idea through bringing different elements together in Basel. I like to mix old techniques and robust materials with innovative methods of making, so there will be crafted ironwork from Seattle, and amazing wood from Austrian firm Schweighofer.”

The design of Outpost Basel is bold yet grounded. Interiors are intricate and bold. The ingenious use of space in the Collectors Lounge allows Outpost to be the protagonist of a variety of different activities.  Including the Design Talks, a series of panel and one-on-one discussions with the leading lights of the design world.

A bar is going to be serving fine champagne (Perrier-Jouët) and the presence of a restaurant where guests can regroup and refuel before continuing their exploration of the exhibition.  Collectors will be able to work, talk and relax in Outpost Basel, experiencing a microcosm of the Olson Kundig world, and the distinctive design approach of Tom Kundig himself.

This #CertifiedCOOL event is going to benefit Miami in many ways! A fusion of different creativity and ideation is what Miami needs. The city is growing up to be a multi-cultural portal to the world of the arts and technology.

By: Mckenna Martinez

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TREND TALK: HELLO AFRICA!

A NEW COOL IS RISING OUT OF AFRICA

Africa’s influence in fashion, business and innovation is growing. According to trending watch.com “…Africans are expecting brands to champion, support and cater to the identities they create for themselves.”  The new Guinness ad highlights a society of “elegant” people in the Congo known as the Sapeurs. The video follows these trendsetters who believe in ‘putting more in, to get more out.’ What shapes their identity is not economic status, but creativity and respect expressed through fashion.

Beyoncé on the cover of L' Officiel Magazine

Singer Elle Varner rocks an african teacup dress on-set of video shoot

Solange in African inspired outfit on the cover of Complex magazine

Rihanna accessorizes with African bangles during her 2010 AMA performance 

African Design Makes Waves:

As African-inspired prints & patterns are becoming more popular with fashion bloggers, trend-setting celebrities (like Beyonce & Rhianna), top stylists and designers; Africa is continues to make big waves in fashion and design. African Batik fabrics such as Dutch Wax prints (also known as Wax Hollandais), Ghanaian Kente cloth and Ankara, Kanga (a fabric from East Africa) have been worn down the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. The Balenciaga collection for spring 2013 featured African fashion influenced by Dutch wax prints and Ankara. H&M included African elements in their 2012 collection developed by the designers of the Italian fashion label Marni.

Recently Project Makowla launched an innovative new service that allows vendors to sell their African-inspired pieces and reach their consumers all over the world in a more direct manner. Now, people can have custom pieces based created with authentic African fabrics. The process is simple. Customers send photos of their favorite design, measurements and their choice of African fabric. A seamstress from West Africa or Ghana will then create the custom piece and ship it directly to the customer.  

Nigerian-born designer Duro Olowu is another example of the impact and cultural reach that Africa is making globally. Olowu was one of the first designers to collaborate with JCPenny and released a limited edition collection in the spring of 2013. Based in London, Olowu pulls influences from his London up-bringing as well as his Jamaican and Nigerian roots. FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, is just one of the many celebrities that have been seen in his head-turning designs. 

Duro 2013 Collection for JCPenny

Another COOL movement, Africa is Now, goes beyond fashion and includes five themes to promote innovative solutions; Africa is Sharp, Urban, Tradition Reinvented, Resourceful and Transformed. As a part of the movement, the Indaba Project has been created to feature works in design, dècor and architecture across the continent. Rebranding Rwanda is is one of the projects in the works under this project. 

Other projects include developing art exhibitions and galleries in Dakar called Dak'Art. International artists are selected from all over the world with the aim of creating a global image. There is also a kickstarter campaign called BRCK which developed the first mobile wifi device built for Africa’s most undeveloped regions.

There are so many more innovative African-influenced projects happening all over  world. To get more information on these #Certified COOL and creative projects, you can visit the official Design Indaba site. You can also get in on all the cultural vibes below with our style edit! Happy shopping and stay COOL.

THE SHOPPING BAG
#CertifiedCOOL AFRICANA FASHION FINDS 

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By: Joanne Joseph, COOL Contributor

TREND TALK : TECH MEETS THREAD

By Joanne Joseph, Contributor

It's no secret that tech is plays a huge role in fashion. We recently featured DVF's collaboration with Google Glasses. In our search for #CertifiedCOOL tech style, we discovered the work of two game-changing artists. Amy Winters and Ying Gao are among the latest fashion innovators exploring the possibilities of tech and thread. 

In her latest work, Winters uses color and pattern that reacts to sound, movement, natural light and water. The London-based artist's designs have become an interactive wearable-art experience. Her Sound Reactive Dress detects volume levels and responds by producing markings that resemble lighting. There's even a motion-sensitive morph dress that is triggered by human movements. She also invented a dress that you wouldn't mind getting caught in the rain with. The Orange Butterfly dress, changes color once it comes in contact with water. 

Winter's touch-activated, fiber-optic dress was recently on display at the Consumers

Electronics Show earlier this year. “If you feel like having purple, the dress will be purple,” she explained. “If you later feel like having red, you have red. You just look at the sleeve and

decide what color you want.” Her work has been featured in magazines including Marie Claire Spain, Stylist, XO and Travel and Leisure Southeast Asia. Her pieces have also made their way to the list of CNBC's Future Fashion list of 10 Wearable Tech Trends to Watch.

Another innovator leaving their mark in the tech meets fashion revolution is Ying Gao. The artist's work includes a piece that moves on sight called (No) where (Now) here. It is embedded with eye-tracking technology fibers that move as the eye comes in contact with the garment, expressing a relationship between the onlooker and the article of clothing.

As a fashion designer and a professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Ying was inspired by the architecture of Beijing and its urbanization. She researched the relationships between individuals, their cities and their environments. This influenced her 2008 project titled Living Pod, in which light sensors are installed throughout the garment, causing the dresses to react to light. Ying's interactive and unconventional pieces have been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Azure and Time Magazine and continue to be on display in various museums including the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts in Canada.

Living Pod Coat

THE SHOPPING BAG

Fashion finds inspired by tech trends

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FASHION FILES: ZAHA HADID for UNITED NUDE

Zaha Hadid and Rem d Koolhaas of United nude are delighted to announce the new limited edition haute couture shoe designed by Zaha Hadid will be launched at the iconic store L’eclaireur, 40 rue de Sévigné, Paris, on July 2nd 2013.

Zaha Hadid and United nude’s Creative director Rem d Koolhaas have been talking about shoes since they first met years ago. Hadid, an architect with a passion for shoes, and Rem D, the original shoe architect, agreed to collaborate on the design of a shoe with no pre-conceptions and ignore all the rules to create an entirely new form of shoe.

the result is quintessentially hadid. the revolutionary design of the NOVA shoe combines innovative materialization and ergonomic considerations with the dynamism of hadid’s unmistakable architectural language to convey an inherent sense of movement; revealing the experimentation and invention of Hadid’s process through every stage of design and construction.

“United Nude’s collections are provocative yet sensual. Rem D Koolhaas’ unrelenting experimentation at the cutting edge of fashion never fails to capture our imagination.” explains Hadid. “I have always appreciated those who dare to experiment with materials and proportions. Our collaboration with United Nude reinterprets the classic shoe typology; pushing the boundaries of what is possible without compromising integrity.”

The NOVA design incorporates intricate striations juxtaposed with dramatic realignments, establishing a direct formal relationship with the shoe’s primary structure and expressing the dynamic forces applied by every step of the wearer.

Guided by her 30 years of experience working with complex structural principles on all scale levels, Hadid has developed an innovative cantilevered system that allows the staggering 16cm (6.25 in) heel to appear completely unsupported.

The rhythmic, articulated transformation of the shoe’s composition encapsulates the seamless integration of materials, inventive engineering and highest standards of comfort. As Hadid’s most recent expression of this symbiotic association, the NOVA shoe design transcends the disciplines of fashion and architecture.

“Zaha consistently reinvents the program with her own ideas and interpretations. Her visionary creations are often unexpected, yet reinforce their origins,” says Koolhaas. “I could not resist the challenge to work with Zaha. We gave ourselves the greatest degree of experimentation and used the latest digital design and manufacturing technologies to create one of the most innovative shoes ever produced.”

United nude’s advanced shoe engineering and hadid’s remarkable design have combined in a most revolutionary shoe, for which an entirely new way of shoe making was invented. Techniques such as injection- and rotation molding, as well as hand-molded methods, such as vacuum casting, were combined. In fact, the NOVA is among the first shoes in history to employ rotation molding, which is the only molding technique that allows for such a smooth and seamless result.

The upper of the shoe combines metallic chromed vinyl rubber and is lined with the highest quality Italian kid nappa leathers. The hidden platform and heel are composed of fiberglass and the outsole is made of rubber. The shoe, in sizes 35 to 40, will come as numbered limited editions of 100 per color and will be available only at very select stores such as L’eclaireur in Paris and both the Zaha hadid design and United Nude webshops.

Content Source: UnitedNude

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