FOR YOUR INSPIRATION

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Found on my weekly wanderings – shared for your inspiration;

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Dover Street Market are inviting curiosity with the opening of their 8th store in Le Marais, Paris (shown above), occupying two floors of the historic Hôtel de Coulanges.

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Artist Jeremy Deller peruses the question Can Art Change The World?

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Author Elif Shafak being interviewed at Tortoise about The Power Of Storytelling.

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The Outrun – the trailer for the forthcoming film of Amy Liptrot’s book of the same title – starring Saoirse Ronan.

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WHEN TWO BECOME A SHOE.

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I visited Prada’s store in Tokyo’s Aoyama many years ago on a work trip.
And it popped into my head recently.

The design, by Herzong & de Meuron, is beautifully unique and no doubt has become an attraction in and of itself.

I’ve always been a little amused that the pattern that dominates the design seems more aligned to the lines of Bottega Veneta,
albeit more of a diagonally squished square than Veneta’s Intrecciato.

I played with what might become of the two,
blended together into the design of a shoe.

The most straightforward route to new ideas
is to assemble two different things,
and blend them together.

LOUISE WILSON’S FILM LIST

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Her feedback could be brutal,
and she was famous for it.
Louise Wilson was the course director for the Fashion Design MA at St Martins – tutoring the likes of McQueen and Saunders, Kane and Kokosalaki.

 

When I first met her, my interview was quick enough to give me whiplash.

The next time was nearly 20 years later, when her response to me was much friendlier.
She was a big fan of the all black, utterly plain versions of our sandals and would visit the office (FitFlop) to review the range.

We got on well and I’d go as far to say as the brutally honest feedback – negative and positive – was a welcome receipt.

 

It was her way of provoking a reaction.

For pursuing better.
A better reason for the product to exist.
To justify its place.

“No point in doing any old ****. “

 

In an interview a few years ago (for @Another magazine I think) Molly Goddard (a student of Wilson’s) shared this list of films that Wilson would give to her students – I assume to broaden perspective and inspire ideas.

Thought I’d share it here.

“It’s a secret language known to different people, in different ways, that enables them to read a subliminal message without realising they’re reading it.” : Louise Wilson.

 

MASTERFUL STORYTELLING

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When Wes Anderson’s take on four of Roald Dahl’s short stories appeared, I devoured them in one sitting.

Fresh, unique delivery, with great storytelling.

It seems someone at Montblanc was thinking along similar lines.

Such great storytelling.

Watch

CHOCOLATE EMOTION

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I don’t need an advert to encourage me to buy chocolate.
I love the stuff.

I post this as an example (and a reminder to myself)
of really good storytelling.

It’s only a minute long.

It pokes at your curiosity
and pulls at your heart strings.

Watch

FORD vs FERRARI

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Not just for Motor Rollers.

My friend Anup asked me for a film recommendation.
“Ford vs Ferrari,” I said.

So,
if you’re looking for a film recommendation,
you don’t have to.

That’s all folks.
Cue the music.

ps.
If you’re thinking
“Wait a sec, isn’t that film called something else?!”
You’d be right.
Depending on which country you’re in,
it’s also called Le Mans 66.

pps.
This post was not sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, nor Netflix.

 

Watch the Trailer

REFLECTIONS IN STORYLINES

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“Have you noticed?”

The reflections in storylines.

There’s a point,
when your minds wide open,
to the world around you,
and patterns appear.

Especially when the things
you’ve been studying,
keep appearing.

As if they’re asking the question.

Ever since I started researching story structure – Joseph Campbell, Christopher Vogler, Dan Harmon etc etc – there’s a beautifully simple sense of joy when I notice elements of the structure play out in a film I’m watching, or a book I’m reading.

Knowing the structure of something,
recognising elements of detail,
allows you to appreciate a product
a little more.

Noticing the reflection
of the beginning,
in the ending,
brings a smile.

As if they’re asking the question.
“Have you noticed?”

 

‘Movement’ open toe bootie.

THE RHYTHM OF THE RAILS.

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On the packed commuter train to school,
Ryuichi Sakamoto would simply listen;
to the sounds of the journey.

Identifying a series of sounds
that would occur on every trip.
The journey was playing
its own piece of music.

A symphony of everyday sounds
that most would’ve heard,
but too few would’ve listened.

Doors opening.
Doors closing.
The squeeze of the brakes.
The rolling of the wheels.
Clicks and clacks.
Brushes and rasps,
and
the rhythm
of the rails.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE FLOW OF FOCUS.

When you’re so immersed in what you’re doing.
Reading or writing,
Painting and drawing.

The path draws you in,
the flow that turns you on,
and time fades away.

Absorbed,
In the hues of sound.
And the colours of taste,
When what you feeling
and doing, dances.

Leading your ideas
in to a tango.
or your thoughts into a Waltz.

Opening up the doors
to your dance floor,
allowing your mind to play,
to create something unique.

OVERLOOKED RHYTHMS CAN INSPIRE A LIFETIME OF INSPIRATION.

AND THEY’RE NOT THE ONLY ONES.

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“First sentences are doors to worlds” wrote Ursula Le Guin.

They create a sense of intrigue, distinct to any other.
Otherwise why would you read on?

They prod at the door of curiosity.
Inspiring thought and provoking a sensation of what might come.

And while those first few words can inspire desire to read on,
the rest of the story needs to deliver.

There’s a parallel, I see, in designing product.
Integrating an essence that captures the imagination.

More than a USP.
More than a tie-up with celebrity.

It’s about creating a spark.
A spark that delights and delivers.
Something unique that tells a story.

From the thread of ideas to the sources of inspiration,
to the materials chosen and the place of their creation.

To the colours and textures,
and the patterns
of play.

To the prices we hold
and the values
they convey.

If your product had an opening line,
what would it be?
And where would the story go?

All shoes are stories.
And they’re not the only ones.

DON’T JUST WRITE WORDS. WRITE MUSIC.

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“Don’t Just Write Words. Write Music.” said Gary Provost

Wisdom from other disciplines and genres can shine a different light.

A shift in perspective can open doors. And create movement.

In Provost’s 1oo Ways to Improve Your Writing, he talks about the rhythm of writing. About the effect of long and short sentences. How they feel. The balance between the two allows the reader to rest. Space. To breathe. And how, in the right moment, you can carry them on a curious journey with detail and texture that raises the temperature, speeds up the heart rate, driving blood through their veins with enough anticipation that they can taste passion on the buds of  their tongue. 

Before delivering the essence of the message, with a line that illustrates the importance of balance, and rhythm.

A pearl of wisdom with a wider relevance than the written word.

Don’t just design stuff.  Design Harmony.

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Image originally found via Swissmiss