This is the sixth 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 from Oct. 7-11, which is organized under the theme “Re-imagine the World.” ― Ed.Sustainability is the buzzword in many fields of design, but in fashion, the concept jars with its need to follow rapidly changing trends and cycles. But following in the footsteps of some leading design sectors in sustainability, such

Sept. 26, 2013

The Korea Herald is publishing an interview series on some of the world’s most creative minds who are invited to Korea to share their design philosophies and vision during the Herald Design Week 2013, Oct. 7-11. ― Ed.Design is no longer just about enhancing the aesthetic qualities of products, but it can be applied to every level of an organization, product or service to achieve innovation and efficiency. Tim Brown, CEO of international design consulting firm IDEO, is a leader of this new approa

Sept. 26, 2013

When designer Han Song set out to develop a new fabric in 2003, little did he know that it would take some 10 years of research and development to arrive at a final product that would be hanging at some of the most well-known stores around the world.“I was doing Paris Haute Couture shows at the time and a French fashion journalist, while interviewing me, stressed the importance of having a new, innovative fabric,” recalled Song at his TROA studio in Samseong-dong, Seoul last week.“I felt virtual

Sept. 26, 2013

MILAN (AP) ― Without entering the debate over climate change, Milan fashion designers are engaging in some serious season-bending.Though this week’s fashion previews are for summer 2014, designers ― without claiming to have any weather crystal ball ― have dotted the runways with furs, boots and leather. The biggest cross-seasonal indulgences are fur stoles, tops and Prada even had a summer fur coat. Boots were summer cuts, with open toes, and leather jackets in some cases was perforated or inter

Sept. 23, 2013

LONDON (AP) ― Soft, lacey pastel confections at Burberry Prorsum, wacky florals at Christopher Kane, sparkly party dresses at Tom Ford: London Fashion Week was in full swing Monday, with a huge diversity of new spring looks from a parade of big names all jostling for buyers’ attention.Luxury British label Burberry packed in the biggest crowds with its runway show, which featured a collection of ultra-feminine pastel outfits, sheer pencil dresses and light cashmere coats.  Designer Christopher Ba

Sept. 17, 2013

Soft, lacey pastel confections at Burberry Prorsum, wacky florals at Christopher Kane, sparkly party dresses at Tom Ford: London Fashion Week was in full swing Monday, with a huge diversity of new spring looks from a parade of big names all jostling for buyers‘ attention.Luxury British label Burberry packed in the biggest crowds with its runway show, which featured a collection of ultra-feminine pastel outfits, sheer pencil dresses and light cashmere coats. Designer Christopher Bailey said it w

Sept. 17, 2013

LONDON (AP) ― Sequins, sparkly embellishments, and lots of it. Day 2 of London Fashion Week saw a mix of eccentric styles, but at least two designers agreed that “more is more” when it comes to piling on the glamour.Julien Macdonald, one of London’s most flamboyant designers, dished up show stopping, jewel and sequin-encrusted evening gowns fit for a red carpet entrance Saturday. Not to be outdone, Ashish Gupta also adorned all his outfits with sequins, although here the clothes were torn jeans

Sept. 15, 2013

A key concept in discussion of appropriate design is “design thinking.”The concept, which has been widely discussed internationally, has become the hottest trend in the field.So what is design thinking? How does it help us in the creation of appropriate technology and moreover, as its proponents claim, contribute to the world? Monika Hestad, designer & brand strategist at Brand Valley Design and associate lecturer at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, says design thinking

Sept. 12, 2013

This is the fifth 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 from Oct. 7-11, which will be organized under the theme “Re-imagine the World.” ― Ed.In poverty-stricken states of sub-Saharan Africa, about 10 percent of people drink any water that is available ― at rivers, lakes and ponds. About 88 percent of people who die from diarrhea are thought to have consumed unhygienic wa

Sept. 12, 2013

The Concept Korea fashion show presented a unique mix of four different Korean designers during New York Fashion Week on Monday. Under the theme of “4cus on Ma Dang” ― Ma Dang meaning courtyard in Korean and here referring to sharing the stage ― the annual fashion event presented a show that reflected both the distinctive personalities of four designers and a balanced mix of different styles on the runway at The Stage at Lincoln Center. The four designers, Lee Suk-tae (Kaal E. Suktae), Choi Bo K

Sept. 10, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― Most people are taught from a young age that they want their outfits to match.Isn’t that why there are suits? And belts should complement shoes. And try to wear the same shades of black, right?The biggest group of offenders to the conventional wisdom, however, is probably fashion designers. In the styles they’ve been previewing at New York Fashion Week, which hit its midpoint Sunday, it’s been “juxtaposition” this and “opposite” that.“It’s all in the mix: feminine with masculine,

Sept. 9, 2013

The Korea Herald is publishing an interview series on some of the world’s most creative minds who are invited to Korea to share their design philosophies and vision during the Herald Design Week 2013, Oct. 7-11. ― Ed. Toyo Ito is the winner of the 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the Nobel prize of architecture. The Japanese architect’s career spanning some 40 years is an impressive list of both critically acclaimed and popularly appreciated buildings around the world.The Sendai Mediathique com

Sept. 5, 2013

Japanese architect Toyo Ito’s sketch and an Alessi cup gift set inspired by it will be auctioned at the Herald Design Forum next month.The “Ripples” drawing by the winner of the 2013 Pritzker Prize features green frogs creating ripples on a pond. The coffee cup set by the Italian kitchen utensil brand Alessi consists of two simple white porcelain cups accented with green frogs and white saucers. Ito’s works will be on display on the first floor of Blue Square, the main venue of the Herald Design

Sept. 4, 2013

The Korea Herald is publishing an interview series on some of the world’s most creative minds who are invited to Korea to share their design philosophies and vision during the Herald Design Week 2013, Oct. 7-11. ― Ed. By Lee Woo-young London-based designer Gary Card has explored areas between design and art with a diverse mix of work such as sculptural props, illustrations and set designs. Although it’s hard to give him a label, he has fallen under such names as prop-maker, illustrator and set d

Aug. 29, 2013

Smart packaging is the latest development in the Korean packaging industry ― the technology that enables consumers to connect with and communicate better with products, according to Shim Jin-kie, director of the Korea Packaging Center of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology.“Technology creates products and packages that are easy and convenient to use. Some packages will be built with a technology that talks to users about product information, such as how to use it and how many days are l

Aug. 29, 2013

This is the third 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 from Oct. 7-11, which will be organized under the theme of “Re-imagine the World.” ― Ed.Sustainability has been a keyword in the world of design for nearly a decade and packaging design has been no exception in this effort. The packaging industry moved from the conventional idea of the role of packages as a sales bo

Aug. 29, 2013