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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.

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.

…

Image originally found via Swissmiss

 

A WALK IN THE PARK

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A walk in the park is easy.
And a walk in nature is good for your health, in a myriad of ways.
Good for problem solving apparently.

Movement helps generate thoughts and ideas.

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking,” advised Nietzsche.

If you take it a few steps further, literally and metaphorically, and add curiosity to the experience, then a whole world of inspirations opens up too.

“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than trees.”- Henry David Thoreau

Inspirations are all around us, it’s just that we often aren’t curious enough to notice.
And nature has inspiration in abundance.

Have you seen the underside of a fern leaf ?
Or looked in to the intimate structure of a dandelion ?
I’d never heard of an Allium until a week ago.

Looking at the leaves on a branch from a different perspective and seeing how they glow in the sunshine with an unexpected vibrancy… fascinating.

INSPIRATION INSPIRES EDUCATION

Designing provides an opportunity to satisfy a need, or a desire, or both – sometimes the desire is the need.

It can also be an opportunity to educate and inspire.
It’s all there if we choose to see.

Being curious, about nature, people or life in general, provokes a sense of understanding, possibly a feeling of appreciation, maybe even a sense of respect.

I recently learned of Terrariums and found the work of Paula Hayes pretty fascinating.
Plants growing in the eco-system of a closed glass container seem to look after themselves?
What? Really?
You might have guessed by now that my fingers aren’t green!

This revelation caused me to wonder …

A terrarium for a heel ?

Cherish the Haworthia Fasciata.

FINDING UNIQUE INSPIRATION

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There’s so much that happens in our lives that we often overlook moments and unique inspirations that surround us.

Enjoying the moment, being fully present in the moment, creates a stronger resonance and can inspire ideas that have a greater depth. You come away with a feeling that you’ll remember for years to come.

A few years ago, my friend Mush (not his real name) invited me to a talk being given by one of his friends, Mark (his real name). 

Held in Angelina’s in Dalston Junction, Mark shared the story behind the unique inspiration for the Golden Gai*  – a bar he’d designed towards the back of the restaurant. 

An intimate space immersed in the influences absorbed during his many trips to Japan.  In particular, the essence of a provocative and surreal Shinjuku, in the heart of Tokyo. 

Casually, deftly, helping to unveil Mark’s stories was a friend of his; Graham.

The chat was interesting – the food was delicious – and I kept in contact, loosely, via instagram.

A few days ago, on his instagram feed, Graham posted a picture of a package he’d received from Cate Le Bon.
A t-shirt, a pin badge and an album. 

Curious, I continued to Cate’s page, and tasted a few music clips before being distracted by another train of thought.

SYNCHRONICITY AND THE UNIQUE THREADS OF LIFE

Synchronicity strikes a few days later (or is it serendipity?) when Austin Kleon mentions the very same Cate in his newsletter, and linking to this interview with Emma Madden.

From having never heard of Cate Le Bon just a few days ago, and feeling like I probably should have long before now, to twice in three days.
It would have been rude, and maybe even a little ignorant, to experience these moments and not indulge in more of her work.

Yes, there’s a new album, so the wheels turn.
And I realise it’s not impossible for potential influences in my ‘world’ to refer to similar, and in this case the same, inspiration.
People like us, like things like this. 
I guess that’s what’s interesting about the organic side of social media, what’s left of it.

When the wheels turn through such completely different sources – sources that come about through living life, and meeting people – rather than hits from a sidebar, or a pop-up CTA – it has it’s own story to tell. In and of itself. 

The story of how it came to be in your life.
Not via an algorithm, but from a section of the very thread of your life.

UNIQUE INSPIRATION

I delved deeper in to Cate’s world and found a couple of beautiful songs … with a mesmerising melancholic flow to them.
Like many singer songwriters, and creativity in any other medium, Le Bon delves into her own life for unique inspiration. The very essence of life that swirls around her and within her.

And …

Both are on her ‘Reward’ album which was released a few years ago. The cover art of which inspired the boot at the top of the page.

After so much time in lockdown over the last couple of years, the sense of roaming over rocks in the outdoors rather appeals to me.

Textures of a rock face, against the haze of a winter sky, and a highlight of red.
A wise colour to be wearing if you ever get lost in the Cumbrian hills.

And the angle. 

The angle of the composition. 

I love it.

Whether it’s music produced
or art that’s created.
Whether it’s a story being written …
it’s when your heart becomes elated.

How to find unique inspiration ?
From inside your own life – and it’s all around you.

“You can find inspiration in everything.”
: Paul Smith.

 

WHO SPILLED THE BEANS ?

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There they were, lying in the middle of the pavement.
With a curious translucence, a glistening surface and a somewhat luminous underbelly; stark against their own shadows.
The angle of the suns rays enhanced this scene of sweet abandon.
A display of discarded jelly beans.
One that I probably wouldn’t have noticed had it not been for my train of thought beforehand. 

A few hours earlier, I’d been admiring the colour palette of the collection of wrappers inside the box of Green & Blacks Tasting Collection that I’d been given for Christmas. The butterscotch and the ginger in particular. 

When it came to my daily dose of fresh air, I walked around the park. And as I wandered, my mind wondered, back to the chocolates and the colours of their wrappers.

I wondered if the chocolates could be made in the same colour as the wrapper ? 
I wondered if then, they might end up looking like jelly sweets ?

This thought reminded me of one of my clients who gifts a pack of jelly sweets with every pair of shoes.
Could they be in the shape of one their shoes ?

Bottega Veneta’s Puddle boot came to mind.
They certainly look the part and would be a great shape for a sweet.
A Jelly Boot !  Or a Jelly Welly ?

Either way, they’d be beautifully packaged.

SWEET ABANDON

I walked two laps of the park, leaving via the gate on the opposite side of the park and up the hill. As I reached the top and turned left on to Sydenham Hill, there they were.
The Jelly Beans.
The scene of sweet abandon.
Like a synchronous acknowledgement of my wandering wonderings.

Nietzsche said that  “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”

I’m not sure my train of thought was quite the level Nietzsche was referring to, but I do recommend  finding a sense of joy in the ordinary.

I guess it didn’t really matter who spilled the beans, but being present enough to notice the scene.
And being present enough to be inspired by what’s around you.

“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.”
: Thich Nhat Hanh.

FRAMING THE CURVES

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Simplifying the use of inspirations …
The curves along the side of a grand piano are blended into the shape of the platform.
Super smooth, and polished black, akin to the exquisite finish on the outer rim wall of a Fazioli Piano …
A woven textile upper, with additional stitching, for extra texture, and to catch the red ribbon into the upper.

ENERGY FLOW

Earlier today, I was reminded of seeing Ryuichi Sakamoto perform on the South Bank, so I thought I’d include one of the songs he performed that night; Energy Flow from the BTTB album – here.

Or this link, for a slower, much more recent recording …

COMFORT IN THE KEYS

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The comfort is in the keys 😉
A sneaker idea to show how one source of inspiration can keep on giving.
Using the framework from under the lid of the piano, like on the platform wedge, as inspiration for the moulded frame to hold the foot in the shoe. The rest of the upper being an ultra flexible and comfortable woven or knitted textile.

BUT A SWEET SYMPHONY

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Something a little lighter, more open tonight …
The heel design inspired by the structure under the lid of the Piano … some section open, some sections closed …
While the keys take centre stage on the front strap.
…
I like to play with words as well play with shoes… and when perusing on a title for this post, the word Symphony came to mind, closely followed by the incredible Verve song … and then with a sweet and satisfying note of synchronicity, I find this beautiful cover of the same song, recorded with a perspective overlooking the very details that inspired the design above.

Encore …