Celebrity Life

With this year’s sporting calendar hotting up and international travel looking soon to be finally back on the cards, there’s no time like the present to start planning a summer getaway to one of the most exciting cities in the world for sports fans. And, as many event venues begin permitting spectators to enter their […]

In a series of exclusive interviews with Australian brands making waves around the country and the world and featured in DesignInspire virtual fair, we delve into the city’s diverse and vibrant creative scene.

As the final stop of our journey, we talk to Jonathan Yap, Lead Product Design Engineer of groundbreaking headphone brand Nuraphone and Nimrod Weis, Creative Director of ENESS, which delivers mesmerising transformational art experiences through technology.

Nuraphone

Tell us about your work and how you started your career in design.

I’ve always been enamoured by physical products and, to this day, I am still taken aback by the power of good design and its ability to foster emotional connections with objects that to go beyond the superficial. This is a concept that was taught to me during my industry experience placement in high school, which not only laid the groundwork but cemented my career trajectory in product design. 14 years later, I now help to co-pilot product development at Nura alongside our CTO, with a particular focus on Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering-related activities.

What are your daily inspirations?

Like everyone at Nura, I’m continually driven by the transformative power of music and our technology’s ability to enrich lives through immersive listening experiences. But beyond that, most of my inspiration comes from the incredible team we have assembled and that I have the honour of working alongside every day.

What does the concept “Design for Good” mean to you?

This is a question that has way too many layers to answer in a couple of lines. However, at its core, I believe Design for Good means to deliver solutions that genuinely impact lives in positive ways, whether it's directly, through tangible product outcomes; or indirectly, through initiatives such as sustainability-related process improvements.

Do you think that design – and more in general art and culture – can be useful tools to better societies?

Absolutely! Although I believe design initiatives must be supported by policy to really accomplish its biggest impact. Take Victoria’s urban design sector for example – green building design and water sensitive urban design has been incorporated as a standard practice, with environmentally sustainable development principles written into Victoria’s planning guidelines to meaningfully impact our city of tomorrow.

How do you think the design and art scene differs in Melbourne compared to Hong Kong?

To be honest I think Melbourne and Hong Kong’s design scenes are actually more similar than dissimilar. I believe this is mostly due to the multi-cultural makeup of our populations, alongside a shared focus on export services. In Melbourne, this is driven by our geographical location, whereas Hong Kong’s is primarily perpetrated by its status as an international business hub.

2020 has been a tough year for pretty much every sector. According to many, the creative industries were not given enough support and importance. Would you agree?

2020 was a tough year for everyone, and I believe that applies for policy makers as well. As such, I think it is a little unfair to comment on what must have been some extremely tough decisions made by people in positions that I do not envy. That said, at Nura, creatives make up the foundation of everything we do, and we recognise the impact they have on translating extremely complex, technical requirements into clear, understandable product solutions. I am extremely proud of the initiatives implemented by the company to ensure our entire team, not only creatives, were genuinely supported through this remarkably tough time.

How did you cope with the pandemic’s challenges? What helped you?

Being in lockdown for months definitely took its toll, but luckily, I’ve been making awesome Techno music poorly since I was 18 so that’s always been a great escape for me (maybe not so much for my neighbours). I’m also very thankful for the amazing support of my friends, family, and Netflix to help me get through it.

What’s next for you as a designer in 2021?

We have a few exciting things in the pipeline, but I would probably make many people unhappy if I were to tell you. But for me personally, I’m incredibly excited to be continuing my Nura journey to help redefine how humanity experiences music by really focusing on putting the user at the centre of all design choices to maximise the impact of delivering the ultimate listening experience and to continue to touch lives in a way that only music can.

Is there any particular trend that you see becoming relevant next year?

Despite 2020 being an incredibly tough year, I think the international lockdowns have actually helped illustrate humanity’s impact on the environment and brought sustainability back to the forefront of the conversation. I really hope this continues into 2021!

ENESS

Tell us about your work and how you started your career in design.

I was very impacted by my grandpa’s approach to art and life. When I as a kid he would take me out into the Negev Desert in Southern Israel to show me his sculptures. That experience of encountering art in the desert – the strangeness and uniqueness of it has stayed with me throughout my life. When I was a child it gave me the feeling that our world could be wonderful and unexpected. I always wanted to be a designer because I most naturally communicate through visuals.

Then I studied Graphic Design at Monash Uni and, although it wasn’t quite what I wanted, what I really gained was that as a discipline, design needs to communicate to the masses. It is a visual communication tool that needs to be accessible to everyone, to speak to all walks of life. Accessibility is very strong in ENESS’ work. We try to create works that communicate simply and boldly to a general audience.

What are your daily inspirations?

I am always looking at objects, nature and even products to see if I can transform these executions into something else. I also really love transforming small pieces of gimmicky technology (like the mechanism of a lucky cat, for example) into different and more advanced designs. I am also of course inspired by the people around me.

What does the concept ‘Design for Good’ mean to you? 

For ENESS, ‘Design for Good’ relates to connecting people in public spaces in new and unexpected ways. We’re interested in challenging public realm and city spaces with new forms of engagement. This accessibility helps people who have no regular access to art, because we’re bringing art to the streets and to new audiences.

We are really proud to be making one object or piece that can be shared by many people, rather than making and selling thousands of products to be used by one person only.

Do you think that design – and more in general art and culture – can be useful tools to better societies?

Yes definitely. Great artistic outcomes can provide individuals and societies with optimism and hope and new ways to think about reality and people’s present circumstances – basically new ways of approaching life.

How do you think the design and art scene differs in Melbourne compared to Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is a very progressive art city. You see a lot of eagerness and energy towards exploring ‘the new’ in artistic circles. There is also so much experimentation from fashion to art. Cultural institutions in Hong Kong really help artists and designers with what they are doing.

Similarly, Melbourne identifies as a creative city, and therefore it really assists creative people with opportunities.

2020 has been a tough year for pretty much every sector. According to many, the creative industries were not given enough support and importance. Would you agree?

The act of creating is a very primal activity and during lockdown many creative and non-creative people were stimulated to create. There was also a thirst for new images, new ideas – inspiring ways of looking at the world and art played a big part in this.

How did you cope with the pandemic’s challenges? What helped you?

Actually, in running a creative business for 20 years, the pandemic wasn’t too much of a challenge – it was just a different sort of challenge. We are very nimble and we work across different types of industries and so by operating according to a start-up mentality we were able to pivot more easily.

What’s next for you as a designer in 2021?

We have a large-scale project on at the moment that has the capacity to stimulate engagement with art in a bigger scale. We are very excited about this because it is both contextual and has great integrity in terms of the broad artistic intent as well as the execution of each individual artwork. We are also now using multiple mediums that are diverse, unusual and technologically groundbreaking.

Is there any particular trend that you see becoming relevant next year or, are we saying goodbye to any trend you can’t wait to get rid of?

Asian cultures have always been mindful of people around them by wearing masks when they are sick. I am hoping that the trend of wearing masks when we are sick – as a compassionate act towards others – is now here to stay in Western cultures as well.

Fashion-wise, I think it’s time to clean up a bit! I personally have fallen into the habit of wearing old jeans to work every day because there are no face-to-face meetings.

For more information visit DesignInspire. Access to DesignInspire ONLINE is free for both trade and public visitors

The post These Australian Brands Blend Technology and Design to Create Products and Experiences of the Future appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

In a new series of exclusive interviews with some of Melbourne's fashion designers making waves in Australia and featured in DesignInspire virtual fair, we delve into the city’s diverse and vibrant creative scene.

As the second stop of our journey, we talk to Jill Humphries of luxury headwear brand Millinery Jill and Brian Huynh of independent menswear label MNDATORY.

Millinery Jill

Tell us about you work and how you started your career in design.

My work is really not like work at all as I love creating. I fell in love with the art of millinery about ten years ago after attending the Melbourne Cup. I had always worn hats and a conversation with another milliner had me investigate learning the skill part time while I worked.

What are your daily inspirations?

I draw ideas from everywhere. One piece was inspired by the shape of a leaf when I was walking. And other by a bird. When you design you see the potential in all shapes and start to view things in 3D.

What does the concept “Design for Good” mean to you?

For me it’s trying to create pieces that people will have in their lives for a long time and are not disposable like so many fashion items these days. Also, it is continuing to find new but old products to use within your work, like recycled silks that have been saved from landfill.

Do you think that design – and more in general art and culture – can be useful tools to better societies?

I think that any creative space can help people to look at the world around them and the society they live in. Melbourne is the heart of art and culture from its laneways to fashion and it is respected by everyone who lives here. Melbourne invests a lot in its artists to keep the city scape changing and evolving.

2020 has been a tough year for pretty much every sector. According to many, the creative industries were not given enough support and importance. Would you agree?

2020 has been tough. I had to close my physical atelier in March due to the uncertainty. But I do look forward to the market reviving and coming back again. Creative industries were particularly hard hit. For me, it's been weddings being cancelled and retailers closing doors, but everyone was in the same boat. We will come through stronger.

How did you cope with the pandemic’s challenges? What helped you?

Coping with the pandemic while in lockdown was tough. No one could deny that. I was lucky, however, to spend the time with my daughters and homeschool them. It was nice to pause for a while and make lunches, sit with them and chat more, watch family movies. We actually connected as a family way more and talked more.

What’s next for you as a designer in 2021?

I’m working on new styles and techniques. I am definitely ready to come back in 2021 with a vengeance and push the boundaries with my millinery.

Is there any particular trend that you see becoming relevant next year?

I think people will be wanting strong statement millinery. Sleek and unfussy that can stand the test of time with style. Think slightly toned down editorial millinery - every woman will want to look her best after being cooped up for almost a year. So let’s embrace it and enjoy fashion.

MNDATORY

Tell us about you work and how you started your career in design.

MNDATORY is an independent Australian designer menswear brand. Inspired by the design philosophies of architect Louis Kahn, our aim is to build on wardrobe fundamentals through a transformative design approach. Specialising in men’s outerwear and tailoring, MNDATORY releases two RTW collections per year, alongside a permanent made-to-measure tailoring service for Australian customers.

After completing a Bachelor of Design, Majoring in Fashion at the Whitehouse Institute of Design, I balanced my time working in menswear tailoring and styling; where I worked on prominent runway events, most notably for MYER and at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia for designers like Toni Maticevski and By Johnny.

After recognising a market need for innovative menswear, I made the decision to start the MNDATORY label; launching it in 2016.

What are your daily inspirations?

With our store situated in Melbourne’s CBD, I can’t help but constantly be inspired by our city – particularly its people. Melbourne’s population is so diverse and rich in subculture, it makes people watching one of my favourite past times.

What does the concept “Design for Good” mean to you?

To me, “Design for Good” is a practice of consciousness. It’s all about presence. It’s all of one’s energy, consciousness and time directed towards a clear goal or task. The result, I think, leads to the ability to make design decisions that are sustainable and practical.

Do you think that design – and more in general art and culture – can be useful tools to better societies?

Absolutely. Design, art and culture, whether we chose it or not, form the fabric of how we live our functioning lives. For instance, Melbourne has such a strong café and coffee culture. This naturally informs how Melbournians live, socialise and ultimately communicate – which is where fashion comes in. To me, it’s a very symbiotic relationship.

How do you think the design and art scene differs in Melbourne compared to Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is definitely a more international hub. A melting pot, which is reflected in both its design and art scenes. But, I suppose, with Melbourne being a bit further away from the rest of the world, it allows the city to develop a subculture or “brand” in itself – which I find really cool and fascinating.

2020 has been a tough year for pretty much every sector. According to many, the creative industries were not given enough support and importance. Would you agree?

Yes and no. But from our own experience, we were very fortunate as we received lots of support from our Federal government, State government and local council – with all them extremely proactive in helping SMEs (small or medium-sized enterprises) via grants and various other initiatives. In our state of Victoria, we’re also extremely privileged to have wonderful government agencies like Creative Victoria and Global Victoria, who are both great supporters of the local Melbourne fashion scene.

How did you cope with the pandemic’s challenges? What helped you?

As a SME, MNDATORY definitely had the advantage of being agile and nimble in what has proven to be a fast changing retail environment. We were able to move the majority of our sales online and keep in touch with our regular clients through social media channels. This was a key strategy for us and we’re starting to see the benefits of that now as trading returns to a COVID-normal. Also, given that MNDATORY adopts a just-in-time inventory strategy, it means we don’t hold a large amount of stock, which gave us flexibility (even during the pandemic) to continue to regularly release new product offerings.

What’s next for you as a designer in 2021?

Next to our menswear, MNDATORY will further develop its release of womenswear and denim offerings in 2021.

Is there any particular trend that you see becoming relevant next year or, are we saying goodbye to any trend you can’t wait to get rid of?

Over the last year or so, menswear has seen a real resurgence in tailoring after being so heavily influenced by streetwear in more recent times. As a result, I think we’ll start to see men dress in a form that’s an amalgamation of the two. I see it as traditional tailoring, but in a modern context – a subversion of traditional proportion and silhouettes and deconstructed just enough for when the concept of ‘9 to 5’ no longer exists.

If I had to say goodbye to one item, from a comfort perspective, it would be face masks. But I have a feeling they are here to stay!

For more information visit DesignInspire. Access to DesignInspire ONLINE is free for both trade and public visitors

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