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

YOUR JOB AS AN ARTIST.

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“Your job as an artist is to create meaning, create beauty, create transformative experience. You are an agent of culture, not a functionary of the social order.

Believe you are doing something meaningful every time you create a work of art. Everything you write, reflecting what is true. Everything you shape, reflecting your way of seeing. Everything you film or perform, brimming with the life in your heart and mind. Each of these is its own butterfly in the Amazon, no matter how insignificant you think its impact. You cannot know down the channels of time what it will touch or how it will transform the world.”

: Susan Dirende @susandirende

MORE CURIOSITY.

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There is a book I might never finish reading,
with words that were never meant to be read.

The words of wisdom shared in Meditations
were Marcus Aurelius’ thoughts, for himself.

They weren’t preaching to others.
They were teaching himself.

Which shifts the perspective,
and feels like a lesson in itself.

More curiosity = less division.

More humility, and more creativity.

 

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