No creativity without accident: de Castelbajac

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac finds inspiration from objects nearby ― commercial logos for Lucky Strike, Shell, Disney characters, teddy bears and Lego ― and incorporates them into his world of creation. The accidental and unexpected mixes have created humor and sensation in fashion for 40 years.“There’s no creativity, if there’s no accident,” said de Castelbajac at the lecture given during the Herald Design Talk held as part of Herald Design Week 2013 in Seoul. Throughout his long fashion career,

Oct. 9, 2013

Industry leaders speak to aspiring designers

About 500 people filled the LG Convention Hall of Ewha Womans University in Seoul on Wednesday, excited to see British designer Gary Card and French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.The two designers met and spoke with young aspiring artists and designers, many of them university students majoring in fashion, as part of Herald Design Week, which kicked off on Monday. The venue was completely packed by the time the event’s host Julia Kang, the editor-in-chief of fashion magazine Elle’s Korean

Oct. 9, 2013

Future trends on display at Herald Design Market

Leather laptop mats, skull candles, decorative foldable lampshades and even dachshund-shaped desk lights, the four-day Herald Design Market is a one-stop shop for inspiring avant-garde items stemming from the farthest reaches of the imagination. A selection of around 80 young, up-and-coming designers have been given the opportunity to showcase their products, which range from quirky to practical to inspirational. The market is currently being held in a three-story complex located next to the Blu

Oct. 9, 2013

Herald Design Forum shares tips on success

Prominent designers and innovators in design shared their design philosophy and visions with Korean audience at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday, a main lecture event held during the Herald Design Week 2013. The forum opened with the renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the winner of the Pritzker Prize 2013, who introduced some of his major architectural works that demonstrate some of his key values in architecture - social responsibility. In a comprehensive, detailed lecture, Ito revealed ke

Oct. 8, 2013

Herald Design Market offers goods of all kinds

The Herald Design Market showcases design products of young up-and-coming Korean designers. (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)The biggest merit of living in the age of design, perhaps, is the accessibility and affordability of goods for everyone. About 80 talented young designers set up tables under their own brand names at the Herald Design Market, showcasing everyday items with sophisticated designs. The products were displayed in a colorful, three-storied container building, an open patio of th

Oct. 8, 2013

Herald Design Forum provokes inquiring minds

Participants wait in line for tickets at Herald Design Forum. (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)The Herald Design Forum posed questions and highlighted the importance of design in modern society, forum attendants said Tuesday. 　However, the emotions and thoughts they took away from the event appeared to be as diverse as the fields influenced by design. The forum, part of the Herald Design Week that kicked off on Monday with The Korea Herald’s 60th anniversary celebration, was held for the third ti

Oct. 8, 2013

Toyo Ito: Architecture should be more ...open and close to nature

Architecture should be in harmony with nature and people and reflect people’s needs rather than focus on boasting exterior beauty, said Toyo Ito, renowned Japanese architect and the winner of the Pritzker Prize 2013 at the first lecture of the Herald Design Forum 2013 on Tuesday in Seoul. “Architecture for the 21st Century should enable people to have a comfortable living in harmony with nature,” Ito said during the 80-minute lecture titled “Be Better by Design: Our Responsibility as Designers.”

Oct. 8, 2013

Giovannoni: Innovative design comes from understanding fundamentals

To create innovative design in the fast-changing world, designers must understand fundamental characteristics of products or the nature of patterns in human lives that instantly capture the eyes and the minds of customers, designers said at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday.“We have to include in our job many, different parts of the society. The job is very complex. You have to include different philosophy, marketing and technology,” said Italian industrial designer Stefano Giovannoni.“Innovati

Oct. 8, 2013

‘Accidental encounters, curiosity key to creativity’

Interacting with talented individuals through accidental encounters and being constantly curious are crucial for creativity, veteran fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, said at the Herald Design Forum.“Always, my life, I’ve done by encounters. Different encounters with very talented artists. Because I think it’s a way of learning about the talents of those people, about their creativity, and about the new times,” he said. “Hijacking” was also key to creativity, the designer said during

Oct. 8, 2013

British brains define space through design

Two British designers talked about their common guiding principle of “space” in a lecture titled “Defining Space Through Design” at Herald Design Forum on Tuesday. “Having clarity is the most important when I create design. You need to clarify how the space will be used,” said Gavin Hughes, an interior designer and graphic designer with Strategy Plus at AECOM. “Understand your clients and find out their needs with your every intuition and analysis. If you know it, it does not necessarily cost mu

Oct. 8, 2013

Boy CEOs captivate audience with innovative ideas

The Kumaran brothers, the world’s youngest CEOs of a mobile application company, surprised Korean audiences with their innovative vision for the software industry.The brothers from Chennai, in southern India, said they were planning big things for the future such as developing more innovative tools to make people’s lives more convenient and healthy. A crowd-based application that shows the pollution or traffic levels of cities around the world is one such invention. The brothers hope to take 50

Oct. 8, 2013

Guests praise unique celebrations, Herald’s creative expansion draw

 Prime Minister Chung Hong-won makes congratulatory remarks at the 60th anniversary ceremony of Herald Corp. and the opening of Herald Design Week. (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)Prime Minister Chung Hong-won and ruling Saenuri Party chairman Rep. Hwang Woo-yea were among the some 300 high profile figures attending the event Monday evening celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Korea Herald which also marked the start of the Herald Design Week. Representatives of 19 diplomatic missions to Kore

Oct. 8, 2013

Don Tae Lee: Departure from the familiar leads one to creativity

Born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in the late 1960s, London-based design expert Don Tae Lee grew up without electricity. “Whenever I tell my employees in England about my upbringing, they don’t believe me,” said the 45-year-old during the opening ceremony of the Herald Design Week held in Seoul on Monday.“And I, who grew up without lights at home, am now working for a foreign company. I somehow moved to England, somehow got myself to speak English, and somehow got myself hired at Tangerine. I

Oct. 8, 2013

Tim Brown: Design is key to success in complex, volatile world

In today’s society and the ever more complex and volatile business world, design can provide creative solutions to tackle the complexities organizations face, according to Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO. “Design has never been more influential in the world of business,” said Brown during a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Herald Corp. on Monday in Seoul. In a 15-minute speech, Brown, a leading figure in design thinking, gave a quick preview of his lecture on design-led innovations, which he will

Oct. 8, 2013

Junk reborn as art

This is the seventh installment in an eight-part series that examines the social role of design beyond its aesthetic aspect. The weekly series is a precursor to Herald Design Week 2013, Oct. 7-11, which is organized under the theme “Re-imagine the World.” — Ed.From a biodegradable meal tray to sculptures made of tires, design products and artwork from recyclable materials are becoming part of everyday life around the world.The movement has also become active here in recent years, as an increasi

Oct. 3, 2013

The democracy of design

The Korea Herald is publishing an interview series on some of the world’s most creative minds who have been invited to Korea to share their design philosophies and vision during Herald Design Week 2013, Oct. 7-11. ― Ed.World-renowned architect and industrial designer Stefano Giovannoni has designed some of the most successful products in the world. His clients have included Alessi, Magis, Siemens and 3M, to name a few. Viewing the economy as the engine for cultural growth, Giovannoni has called

Oct. 3, 2013

Designers on mission to save the earth through art

It all started with one simple belief: Design can change the world. In 2006, a small group of industrial designers in Incheon launched a green design campaign presenting rubbish turned into art ― from chandeliers made of empty bottles to an umbrella stand made out of stairs. Giving new life to landfill-bound items, they slowly inspired fellow artists and the general public to join the endeavor for an eco-conscious life.“We started to redesign recyclable materials to brand new artwork or design p

Oct. 3, 2013