PRODUCT DESIGN ● Ingenious material sourcing: Fashion 4 Freedom
Design is… a process in problem solving.
What inspires your designs?
History is our greatest inspiration. Culture and artisanal methodologies struggling to stay relevant catalyse the concept and process of creation of our work. We strive to instill longevity within our designs to allow for the stewards of Vietnamese heritage to continue representing times past.
What was the last truly revolutionary innovation in the world of design?
Nothing can surpass the Internet as a revolutionary design. Engineered to offer a more efficient means of communication, the democratic nature of the Internet allows for ideas to flow and flourish. The dissemination of ideas makes the Internet a revolutionary tool to build better designs.
What are your favourite working conditions & materials?
We design best when drenched in Phúc Long coffee and challenged by a disappearing heritage craft. We favour materials that need a reincarnation. The metal from our jewellery was mined from old hardware. The stones were once shrugged away by other designers due to their unusual and delicate beauty marks. Giving new life to bygone materials and craft is our inspiration.
What should good design be?
Good design accounts for more than form and function. Good design considers the spectrum of life and re-usability of objects. Good design instills value into the entire process of development: from concept, sourcing, and material usage, to overall product footprint.
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For Fashion 4 Freedom’s bracelet ‘Khởi’, silver was ‘mined’ from discarded phones, computers and tablets, which were then ‘welded’ by way of 3-D printing. It is the first piece in their upcoming collection SWARM for which they are planning to evoke images of creatures found in nature that embody sustainability and recreation of their environment. Fashion 4 Freedom call themselves ‘design innovators’, an independent fashion house producing merchandise with standards of ethical manufacturing.
