UNStudio was invited by F.FRI and YAC Academy to collaborate on a project that would investigate the design potential for the fashion textile archive of F.FRI. Inspired by this intriguing archive, the Future Perfect initiative explores potential design opportunities created by combining patterns from the archive with outdated products left over from manufacturing.
The overall aim of the initiative is to create an objects collection in the widest sense of the word, where both design and sustainability are approached in new ways. Rather than recycling leftover products, the concept is to repurpose them by combining, overwriting and altering them in such a way that their original properties are respected.
As a result, the patterns of the fashion textile design archive are translated into design that enhances both the aesthetic and ethical values of the leftover products. In Future Perfect, the historic fashion prints from F.FRI and the outdated textile and carpet collections are given a new lease of life through a circular approach that minimises reproduction and recycling and instead concentrates on creating value by design.
A further and essential aim of the project is to reach broader audiences through design. While the new collections will be created under the umbrella of Future Perfect and all share the same design principles, they can be realised in multiple forms: from new interior products, objects, furnitures and fixtures, to visual merchandising campaigns or urban furniture, depending on the products that are reused.
A three-phased approach
The project takes place in three phases, kicking off with a six week long design studio with F.FRI, YAC Academy and a group of young designers. During the studio, UNStudio, together with Kvadrat and Object Carpet guided the designers in the development of two different collections: one product and one spatial collection. Both of the proposals are based on reusing the leftover collections of Object Carpet and Kvadrat.
Phase two takes the form of an exhibition at the Milan Design Week in which a spatial interpretation of the overall Future Perfect concept is presented. The exhibition, part of Isola Design District, will give a glimpse of how fashion patterns can be transformed into an immersive spatial design and how outdated carpet and textiles can take on completely new forms and functions.
The exhibition will also display the results of the design studio.
The third phase of the Future Perfect project will involve more detailed research and development where the concept is scaled up into a methodology to define guidelines for the use of different types of outdated products.
This third phase also involves the product development of the outdated carpet and textile collections with detailed analysis of sustainable and efficient production methods. The aim of these methods is to minimise base material use and apply simple production methodologies to achieve maximal design results. Source by UNStudio.
- Location: Milan Design Week, Isola District, Italy
- Architect: UNStudio
- UNStudio Design Team: Ben van Berkel with Frans van Vuure, Melinda Matuz, Caterina Micucci and Alexander Kalachev, Saba Nabavi, Arian Chorooomi, Derrick Diporedjo, Alejandro Estrella, Artemis Kyriakou
- Advisors and Collaborators: F.FRI, YAC Academy, Object Carpet, Kvadrat, Cesare Roversi, Deltalight
- Programme: Exhibition, Research Development
- Status: Opening June 7, 2022
- Images: Courtesy of UNStudio