MODERNISM
TEXT : Jacqueline Carlisle fashion editor
Is there a social mission we should be made aware of? I don’t have any particular “missions” but the way I move through my business is that I like to be in direct contact and have good relationships with the contractors I work with. So I have my sewing done here in Toronto, I work with a local woman for my crochet goods. I think its important to know that the people involved with the construction of your goods are enjoying a fair benefit from your interaction with them.
Is there a particular era that inspires you? I think I am more so inspired by tribal people, nomadic peoples, as well as the wabi sabi aesthetic of Japan, which is about
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transience
and
imperfection.
Will you expand into accessories? Perhaps, once I am settled again, I have played around with satchels, bags, as well as knit hats and scarves.
What does luxury mean to you? Luxury means comfort, beauty in an imperfect and worn sense, luxury means a garment you want to touch and wear and layer, that you can move about in worry free, that gives the sense of the person wearing it, something that is made with consideration and is subtle in its expression. Luxury does not need to yell out that its luxurious, it exists in a natural subtle state, comfortable with who it is.
TEXT :
Eric Zainzinger wearable technology editor
interest for wearable electronic created high expectations which technology could not satisfy so far. tThere are many reasons for this: technology has not yet adopted fully to blend into the clothing structure. Another factor is related to the way we see and use clothing, as a very private, personality-expressing item. We allow without questioning the disruption of our private sphere via smart phones by taking calls or texting while sitting on the loo, but when it comes to technology inside our shirts or skirts we have a build-in barrier, inherited from our ancestors a couple of thousand
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years ago. Our general perception of technology might be another barrier for a faster adoption of wearable technology. We see technology as a function, a means to fulfill a task that can be measured in performance parameters such as time saved, output speed or the amount of units of light, sound, or power. We do have barriers accepting technology as aesthetically, pleasant looking decorative items without hard performance values. To overcome the inherited, some might say outdated views on clothing, innovator and visionaries challenge our views on clothing, exploring the
companies through a simple reevaluation of their production process. Giraffe are not only guiding other companies on a consultancy basis but, they are also leading the way with their development of the first commercially available electrical goods, a Ferrari and Meridian branded hi-fi, manufactured using recycled material, HIPS (high impact polystyrene). Another example of a company using innovation in sustainable choices, and achieving financial results, can be found with the DuPont company. A larger
organization than Giraffe innovation, worth $25 billion in 2008, DuPont have saved nearly $3 billion over a period of around 20 years as the result of reducing carbon emissions. Since 1990 they have reduced their global greenhouse gas emissions measured as C02 equivalents by 72%. Whether companies choose to invest their own time in embracing and initiating change or involve the guidance and expertise offered by Eco-Initiatives or consultancies, will be a decision to take and not ponder.