As part of the Design Museum’s showcase of the best in design at the Brit Insurance Design of the Year awards, the exhibition dedicates an entire floor at the museum to last year’s winner of the fashion award, and Puma creative partner, Hussein Chalayan.
Chalayan, appointed Creative Director at Puma last year, presents his visionary view of the world through a selection of pieces from recent collections and film. Chalayan’s influences are broad and incongruous, and the exhibition captures this enigmatically by setting eerily contemplative mannequins within highly-styled environments that go some way to expressing the concept behind the extreme form of the clothes on show. The edgy poses of the mannequins, the hypnotic futuristic films, and the whimsical products themselves challenges the visitor’s perception of fashion apparel, resulting in a slightly uncomfortable overall impression. However, it is a feeling of having had your boundaries shifted and your eyes opened.
The exhibition closes with a catwalk show that presents a collection that mechanically morphs and moves around the model’s body, and the presentation of a dress that is lit from within by LED lights; an innovative fusion of fashion and technology… is this the future? For everyday fashion, maybe not, but Chalayan’s partnership with Puma presents an exciting combination. When viewed within the context of sports apparel, Hussein’s extreme structures and use of technology could transform the silhouettes of conventional athletic apparel beyond anything we might currently expect.
Puma, who sponsor Chalayan’s exhibition, have taken an inspired step in differentiating themselves from their fellow sportswear contemporaries by forming creative collaborations and partnerships with some of the fashion world’s most maverick and innovative characters, including most notably Alexander McQueen. Where Nike’s product focus is performance and technology, and Adidas play heavily on their celebrity endorsement and grass-roots, street-cred, Puma are building an enviable position as the fashionista of sport.
I’ve been boxing now for a few years at Leith Victoria AAC ‘the oldest boxing club in Scotland’. One of the hardest things to do was actually walk through the gymnasium door. It hadn’t been renovated when I started and literally was like walking into a dodgy film set. Surrounded by intimidating guys leathering the hell out of each other and punch bags, (its much cleaner and smarter now, though still full of guys leathering the hell out of each other and punch bags).
Standing in the ring against anyone, especially someone in their early twenties is a pretty hairy and fun time, they’ve got the physical stamina and the speed and so you’ve got to match all those things and then out-think them. To expect what’s coming and be able to counteract before they even realise you know they are reacting. You constantly look for openings, dropped guards, repetitive combinations. Then pop in a few little taps. At the end of the bout you’re both knackered and it’s been great fun.
So what can I take from this and apply to creative thinking? Well all briefs normally have something that needs looking at in a different way or finding your oppositions weakness and exploiting it to your own benefit. That’s just how I approach a new brief, it’s a challenge. I want to apply a great combination of creative thinking and application and deliver it in a way that will make people sit up and notice to really feel the smarting of a good creative solution. So come on then I’ll have your brief and creatively beat the shite out of the competition.
Though in the end one of the hardest things to do in this business is getting on a creative pitch, you know the clients are out there and you’d love to work with them, but you just need the fixer to arrange the bout. I know that given the chance to show our mettle we’d also give it our best shot.
So, innocent have sold a minority stake in its company to Coca-cola, for £30million. This has been big news this week, and it’s getting some pretty strong reaction! Shock waves rippling round, as two companies with such seemingly opposing ethical stances join together. Consumers really have innocent close to their hearts, and are pretty upset. Why? Can’t a business be ethical and successful?
Innocent say that CocaCola will have no influence on their business practices, but instead will be giving them the opportunity to expand into Europe, and ‘to get natural, healthy stuff out to as many people as possible’. Surely this can only be a positive move, don’t we want more people to buying healthy, ethically produced stuff? The real test will be whether Innocent can maintain their ethical principles, and keep working the way they do now.
It’s fascinating reading the strong emotional reaction from the consumers. Look online and you’ll see comment after comment, and most are pretty incensed. Why?! If anything this really brings home the power of a brand, and how much of innocent’s value is based upon its vision and values. Consumers aren’t worried about the impact on the product, it’s all about what this move says about the company’s values. It’s as though a company can only be ‘real’ and true to its roots, if it stays small and independant. Or is it just disappointing to witness another example of a small company needing input from a bigger firm in order to survive? I’d say in the present climate, it’s a pretty shrewd move.
At the end of the day, it’ll be interesting to see what impact this news will have on sales and therefore on its brand loyalty– how much of the company’s worth is bound up with its image and not with its product. I have faith that Innocent will remain true to its original values and if anything I hope that this development will have a positive influence bringing its ‘best practice’ methods into the wider business world.
I’m the Newbie, the new girl, the fresh perspective, the new blood. It’s been almost a full eight weeks as part of ‘The Tsuko Experience’. Here are the (honest) basics:
The people are good.
Phew. Clichéd, but true. I work with good, challenging, skilled, fun, creative, driven people. They believe in themselves and in the work they do. That’s a rare concept.
The tea is abundant.
An ever-flowing abundance of tea makes the workplace a productive place. Whenever, wherever, however. White with one, please.
The culture is honest.
Though initially quite intimidating, this newfound openness is refreshing. It means facing conflict and not running, it encourages ownership and genuine belief. Honesty ensures the best from us all, even when it hurts.
The music is eclectic.
Put 12 people in the same room and ask them all to enjoy the music – no chance! The same scenario exists. But at the end of the day, we’re all busy and we get on with it, Girls Aloud*/Chris De Burgh*/Coldplay*/Mozart* aside (*delete as appropriate).
There are far more observations to be shared but this gives you a glimpse into the World of Tsuko.
The journey’s fun; I’m looking forward to continuing onward and upward as part of the team.
