Monday, 8 April 2013

Robert Wun "Burnt" - Jason Richards

Tully Walter (Faint Mag, March 2013): "Robert Wun"
Designers: Robert Wun

Robert Wun, 2012. Burnt.

How do you create something new and original in an age where it feels like everything has been done before? A simple Google search to gather ideas and inspiration for your next project ends in the discovery of one or two or ten versions of your idea - done, and better.

Robert Wun's most recent collection helped me refine the answer for myself. In "Burnt", he achieves something quite spectacular by drawing inspiration from his understanding of fashions heritage and combining this knowledge with his own contemporary values. The over-sized ruffles against the sharp silhouettes evoke a sense of balance between historicism and futuricism. These contrasting elements are further supported by the use of a monochromatic palette as well as both organic and artificial materials.

To keep pushing ourselves forward, we have to acknowledge those that came before us. Cheesy, yes, but - we couldn't have got here without them! The broader our understanding of history and the greats, the more innovative we can be in our approach to creating fresh and effective new designs.

Robert Wun, 2012. Burnt.

Robert Wun, 2012. Burnt.

2 comments:

  1. I really liked this work by Robert Wun and how he creates something new by marrying ideas from the past with ideas for the future.

    This notion of doing something 'new' in design, got me thinking about practical ways that can help us get more inspired so our creative minds can be unleashed. I came across this article
    http://www.designassembly.org.nz/articles/inspiration-where-art-thou

    There are a number of practical ways to help extend our knowledge base of the design world; which helps us to create fresh and well informed work.
    A lot of the advice is in line with what we already doing in classes and on this blog (such as multi-brain brainstorming, library research and starting an inspiration database). But some new points that stood out to me were things such as looking to nature for inspiration, looking to alternative fields of work, and talking with others. I think that it is a good idea for us to talk with current designers as much as we can, people who have gone before us and have a wider knowledge base than we do.

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  2. I really like this collections design, I really like how the pieces displayed here are quite different to anything else that I have seen around as of late.

    Your mention of being inspired by the old to help with the new, got me thinking about the cycle of fashion.
    How things come around in circuits or come back around a lot faster than any other time before now. How if this is a recurring thing, how fashion could become very predictable. This got me thinking about designers out there, really wanting to make a difference and really push the boundaries of what has not been done before in fashion history.

    I came across a group called Fashioning Circuits:
    http://fashioningcircuits.com/

    The goal of the project is to explore the ways in which fashion and emerging media intersect. Where areas of intersection might include the ways in which fashion and emerging media are constantly in flux, looking forward; the fashions of emerging media.

    I'd like to look more into ground breaking designers of today and find out where they get inspiration themselves for their work. This potentially could influence my work as well :)

    Dana

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