Rethinking Design

Images: 1. Leather Needlework by Lio de Bruin DAE 2.-3. Ingenious swimsuits at DAE/ Pronkpak by Ioni Chamilaki 4. Leather gloves at Arnhem Coming Soon 5. Rings made of money by Lex Pott

After visiting events such as Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven I always need to have a good think about what I saw and how it fits into today's bigger picture. When it comes to design, most of us think about chairs and tables but it's so much more than that. I've been hearing designers say "We don't need any more solutions to problems" or "We don't need another chair" for years now and although I was at first a little disappointed at what was on offer at DDW, now I'm thinking maybe this is the shift we asked for? This year saw much more conceptual design and creative thinking than previous editions and it's precisely this that makes us question our 'need' for ever-more products. Even-so I managed to pick a few of my favourites just for their look and feel!

serien°umerica

I came across the brand serien°umerica while browsing my inbox this week and fell in love with their simple, clean aesthetic and beautiful use of leather. The bags can be worn in various ways and the leather gilets are adaptable and even fold into bags thanks to the placement of ingenious hooks (3.1 Philip Lim anyone?). The two designers behind the Italian brand are Maria De Ambrogio and Stella Tosco who worked closely with various artisans to create this accessory collection. Also check out the different-sized shoppers which incorporate aluminium in the leather to give it that wrinkled effect.

Petit H

I am completely in love with this short film by Petit H for Hermès. Petit H is an atelier which re-uses Hermès offcuts and waste materials and creates new products, new shapes and forms.