Style

Have you ever wondered what is style? Well, I have. 

Everyone talks about style, in EVERYTHING, not just when they talk about Coco Chanel, or architecture (like Churrigueresco style), but EVERYTHING.

You can listen that something "is not my style", or that clients ask you to transform their 1960's apartment into an old summer house British style. (what do they want when they say this?). You can also hear about stylists who dress different actors at Oscars, and other Red carpets, and the word is bouncing everywhere all the time. But what is style?

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, style is "a particular way in which something is done, created or performed, a particular form or design of something, or a way of behaving or of doing things" (you can read the full definition of style in this link). So it's basically a way of doing things, but how can a way of preparing breakfast can become a style? Can it?

 
I've been in several courses and workshops lately, I feel I had not a free week in November, if I think about it. Most of these workshops have been design oriented, though none if them had anything to do with the other, actually. I like to do this to have a different ways to see life. In some of these workshops, the word "style" actually comes out and is discussed, in other... not so much. There are some workshops in which I can feel it's being erased (or tried to be erased by imposing their own), and others in which the word is never mentioned, but somehow you feel encouraged to develop your own. 

From these workshops and what I've been feeling, as far as I understand, style is finding a voice and using it. If it's your voice, then it's amazing, if it's a copy, then... Not so much, but it can be the beginning of a journey. 

I understand now, why an old architect got angry when told his work was a copy of his youth's master's. He found his own voice through his master's teachings, but it was still his voice. 

Talking about masters and courses and workshops I would love to talk about the teaching-learning process. I find the way of teaching is really important. I've realized there are people who believe in teaching the technical part and guiding you in the search of your voice, and others who impose their voice while teaching, believing the student will learn to do things "the right way" to their eyes, but forgetting everyone has a voice and "the one and only right answer" is not a real thing. The results are, of course, really different. You can have self-thinkers (dangerous, but more challenging and able to be treated as equals), and clones who will adore you and follow you without second thoughts. I think that the saddest and most dangerous ones are the second ones, as students, when they become professionals, lack the enthusiasm of researching or proposing, because they already feel they have all the answers. And the saddest thing is that I believe the teachers of the second group don't really do this on purpose, and are not the evil super villain o the story. 

What if I want my own style?

Ok. Let's say I had the first kind of teachers, I am trying to discover my voice and I want to have a style of my own. How can I do it? 

So far, I've figured out a style, when being seen by others, it's more like a signature. When people see it, they can recognize what or who's style it is. I need to say what, because maybe it's not a person's style, but more like an era, or a location (pizza Chicago style?).

During the editorial design course I took several weeks ago, I asked the teacher how to create a style. She gave quite a long answer, but, from what I could extract and can remember, you basically needed time and work, and a bit (well, maybe a lot) of exposure, so people can recognize it's your work without having your name physically written on it. Think about Frank Gehry, you can easily recognise what he has done. His style is so recognisable that even the Simpson's made a parody of him in one of their episodes. Think about Jackie O, people go into stores looking for dresses Jackie O style. Or an era, like Adele's makeup which is so much 60's style. 

Adele-by-Mert-Marcus-for-Vogue-US-March-

Image taken from exquisitehugs.com 

Image taken from http://fashionstylefan.com/

The three of them have something in common: they are easily recognisable. When you see Adele's cat eye, you think immediately in the 60's, It's become her signature look, but if any other girl used that same look, you would think 60's makeup. When yo see a dress that looks like the ones Jackie O used you'll think about her, regardless of the price or main function of the dress (you'll still think about Jackie whether it is a wedding dress or a coctail dress). 

I've worked with three lighting designers before, and I can recognize the work of one of them when walking around the city. I might not like it, but he has certainly developed a style. It is not widely recognisable, as the others I have mentioned, but the ones who know his work, will recognise it immediately. I guess the others have bigger exposure, and that's the reason expose plays an important part in creating a style.

In conclusion, you can develop a style, and even though it will be complicated, it will be worth it, as you'll become unique and irreplaceable.

Good design and bad design

Is there something such as bad design or is everything allowed?

Last week I took a course on editorial design. The course was very well prepared and it involved theory, exercises and activities. One of those was a "show and tell" of good and bad design. One of the students said she found really difficult to find good and bad design as rules and fashion kept changing. Her answer made me think and several questions popped in my head: is good design the same as fashion? What's the difference between good and bad design? Is fashion and style the same? What is style? What is good design? These are enough questions for two posts, so two posts will be.

Does bad design exist?

Short answer: yes.

One day I read (or heard, I actually don't remember) that it's rather difficult to determine whether you are a good person or not, as we don't have a one and only known purpose as human beings, so we cannot decipher whether we are good or bad as we can say pretty sure whether a cup of hot chocolate, a lip gloss or even a car is good or bad, or at least good or bad quality (I've noticed nowadays people is afraid to say something is bad, it's more common to hear it's not what I expected, or it didn't work for me, or similar stuff).
The point is, we are able to determine whether it's good or bad design, even if we don't know why. My primary example is a chair. Everybody knows what a chair is and has used one, therefore, knows what it's used for and what to expect from one. There are lots of chairs out there, and I've seated in lots of different chairs through my life, but not all of those were well designed. Let me explain: chairs were designed or copied from a chair that was designed and famous, but the result was not always a good one. There are many beautiful or interesting chairs out there, cheap or expensive, made with the most beautiful materials... But as uncomfortable as just they can be. There are beautiful chairs in expensive restaurants, designed just for them by a wonderful design firm, in which you just cannot sit for the entire meal. That is the best example I could think of a bad design. 

image taken from iconicinteriors.com

Example of good design: Eames Style Plywood LCW Lounge Chair. 

Design inspired by Charles and Ray Eames

Going back to the editorial design course, we could round up what bad design was, not just for a chair or editorial design, but in general, and discovered that the key was the audience.

The audience? Yes, I know it's strange, but not so much if you think about it. I like to call it "the user", but it's the same: who is the design's target. 

image taken from publicrelationssydney.com.au

If you are designing for kids, you cannot take decisions for grown ups, because the measurements, abilities and interests (among other things), are different. If your design is adequate for your target audience, and accomplishes its main purpose, then it might be a good design. If you use the golden number, the finest materials and the final product looks beautiful, but it doesn't appeal the desired audience, or doesn't accomplishes its main purpose, then it's a bad design. 

Oh, and design is not the same as fashion nor as style, but the next post will be about that. 

Hugs and kisses and lots of love from the bottom of my heart.

Swedish design... and a bit of Mx

I love light, that's for sure. And I'm in love with design, nobody can deny we have been having an affair for quite a time, though I wouldn't say I'm meeting with lighting design as often as I want, I'm having my romantic escapades with design in general, architecture, interior, graphic, everything has become such a mix in my head lately... I think I'm finally getting to know a bit of it.
What's the problem? None. Then, what's my problem? Besides the lost and search of my identity and the whirpool of things that have to be organised in my head, I've been drifting away from Scandinavian design, specially Swedish design, and I find that a bit troubling as I fall in love with Stockholm while living in there. I even feel it as home outside home. Oh! I wish I could be back... maybe I'll apply for a lighting design position when I finish whatever I have to do in here.

I remember a store I loved, besides the Moderna museet and Fotografiska's shops, IKEA (obviously) and a couple of stores I found by chance, I loved DesignTorget. Today I'm going over the online store looking at all the new stuff they have and longing for the things I didn't bought when I could (like a phone), and I'm again fallin gin love with the simplicity and beauty of Scandinavian design. I wish I could design something like that, but I know I can't.

Many years ago, when I did my architecture thesis, I stated that Imagination is like a box where you keep all the images you collect during your life, and being from Mexico city, the images I've collected during my life and the way I see the world are quite different from a Swedish girl who's lived in Stockholm most of her life. They grew up with snow, and darkness, and learning to be punctual. I grew up surrounded by flowers and traffic jam, and a sun that would never abandon us for long, and about punctuality... well... there will always pass another bus, or another train, or you can always take a taxi, and people tell you things begin half an hour before. 

During these four years, I've been embracing mexican design and those things that make us unique, but I've forgotten a bit Swedish design, and that je ne sais qua that makes them unique as well, and highly recognizable as Scanndinavian design. 

Here are some objects from DesignTorget and some from Arta Ceramica (Mexico), so you can contrast and compare (as in school). Hope you like them, and, just to close this entrance, I haven't designed any kind of object, not Mexican nor Scandinavian influence, but I hope life takes me into that path soon. 

Hugs

Rivsalt

Cochinitos

Mugg Nagoya 4-pack

Pony

Burk Bambu korklock

Pajaritos

Termoskanna Stelton vit

Polka

Annelie Sundin

This is the great designer, who also happens to be cute, funny,

amazing and extremely talented.

I'll begin a new section of my blog talking about young designers with a dear friend of mine, who happens to be Swedish and who kindly host me at her home for some nights. (Thanks, Annelie!).
Her name is Annelie Sundin and I shall declare myself a fan of her work. To my eyes, she is a great product designer, and I do love her products.
A few months ago, she had an exhibition along with two other friends in Stockholm called Metamorphoses. In there she presented some of her bowls and lamps. There is a good thing about her lamps, she is not just a product designer, but a lighting designer, so she creates not just pretty lamps, but she actually knows what she is doing and what she wants to achieve with light.
It's not me the only one recognizing how good she is, as she has just been published in a Swedish magazine called Vårt Nya Hem, in which she describes her work as geometric minimalism.
Her pieces are simple, based on geometry, but with that little of magic that makes them special.
I leave you with some of her products and the link of the website if you want more information.
www.anneliesundin.com

Winged light

Lately I've been a bit obsessed with luminaries. I just find amazing how many ways of taking light to people might be, and with so many subjects, and each lamp gicing you something extra special in it, so you can say: "OMG! I love it! I absolutely want to buy one!"
Today my inspiration were birds. Not just because I listen to them every morning through my window, or because I love how fragile and strong they can be at the same time (I love fagile stuff) but because I realised they have served as an inspiration for many people with different backgrounds.

First, although they are not lamps, I have to mention Mati Klenell's birds for Iittala(yes, again).



Now, let's begin with the light.

I saw this lamp that looks so pretty. It is from Swedish Hommin, designed by Hung Ming Chen and it's perfect for not leaving a naked light bulb.

The next one is a Mexican lamp from Eos Studio, called Wirebird. that I found so simple and so pretty at the same time. Check it out.

An why not talking about one of the greatest lamp designers (I love his luminaries) called Ingo Maurer, who used the birds as a theme for several lamps such as
Birds, birds, birds

Birdie

and Birdie's nest

And mixing these two ideas, the simple, yet beautiful lamps by Chinese Zhili Liu, among which we can find:
Sparrow

Nightingale

and Doves

I have found all these lamps so beautiful and simple. I can say these are the most beautiful and inspiring bird lamps I have found on the web. Hope you enjoy these birds as much as I did.


hugs and kisses!!!!

Birds

I spent my day from store to store, from shopping mall to shopping mall, from furniture store, to furniture store. Unluckily, it was not for buying me some pre-birthday stuff. Not this time.

I was walking the whole day looking for the final details of a project, that i want it to be amazing, even if i'm not let do my job.

Anyways, I felt really happy today when I saw a turqoise glass bird. I had seen it before. It was not a common bird, though. It was a wonderful glass bird that brought as a secret lots of memories and good times. Even though I would have loved to buy it, it was tooo expensive for me (maybe in some years things change).

It was Matti Klenell's bird. An amazing two piece glass bird that could keep your must valuable secret inside it.

During my studies at KTH, Matti went there to give a lecture and to see our lamp presentations. I must say it was great. His lecture was inspiring and amazing, and he seems a great, simple, and happy guy, just like his designs. No pretentious at all, but amazingly simple and amazingly beautiful.

I loved his birds, specially this one that gave a magic moment in the middle of a busy day.