Detail

The next important step was selecting the material for my design. I wanted it to look original and stand out but still be sophisticated.  As I did before I asked a few female friends what kind of material they would look out for when shoe shopping and what material they would think suitable for my design. I felt a woman's input would be good at this point seeing as I am designing a shoe for women and it needs to be as appealing as possible to them. The two top materials selected by women were leather and suede. I thought it would be interesting to combine two such materials together to bring out a unique design and result. I also went out to find samples of the kind of leather and suede I would like to use for my design. Below are pictures of the cut-outs I chose.

black suede cut out                                    soft  black leather cut out

After selecting the materials to be used I scanned my first sketch of the end concept design. With Photoshop I then created the design with the material trying to give a clearer outcome as of how I would like the shoe to look when completed. Unfortunately having only had 4 lessons of Photoshop this semester I tried my best to get the best outcome possible as an amateur with this program. 

When the above was finally completed I could finally move onto the next step; Art inspiration. From the very beginning I thought this might be the hardest part but I thought about something which could work greatly with what I've produced so far. Since Media and Design where out of the way, I could now focus on the art design. 

One of the first things I blogged for this concept when it came to research for this unit was the Christian Louboutin shoe. Personally, I love all black with that one item of clothing or accessory that sticks out and makes the outfit. I was always a fan of Christian Louboutin because of the black shoe with the red sole. It really stands out and is such a unique look liked by many people who understand fashion and style. Since I wanted my shoe to be mostly black, using both suede and leather, I could use the sole of the shoe to be creative and stand out even more. I thought this would work and look even better because of the fact that my shoe does not have the typical heel like a normal shoe would have but more of a twisted wedge. This leaves me with the back/sole of the shoe empty and flat leaving me able to design it more freely and also be seen clearly from the person standing behind the woman wearing this shoe. A particular artist I took a liking to was Paul Jackson Pollock, known as Jackson Pollock. ''He was a painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his uniquely defined style of drip painting.'' [Wikipedia, 2013].

 One of my favourite drip paintings I came across was a piece inspired by his work. I took a great liking to the bright various colours splashed onto eachother. I thought it would go nicely with the black shoe I designed. Plain and simple with a touch of over the top coloured art. 

With this design I cut out the part I thought would be most appealing against the heel of the shoe and stuck it on, giving my design some life and colour expressing my taste and likings. 

Quidditch for muggles.

Upon creating my designs I felt like I was limiting myself. I went through my previous blog posts seeing whereabouts I might be able to improve my design. Whilst scrolling down I remembered about the runway show I posted about when dealing with transformation with clothing. I posted a runway video of Alexander McQueen and a certain shoe used for this runway caught my eye. It was original, appealing and unique. 

Looking at this shoe I felt inspired and decided I could use it for my concept shoe design. All I needed to do was improve it and go round it. The design caught my eye straight away. I loved it's shape and thought it would fit my final piece nicely. Therefore I started coming up with a few sketches and finally decided on the shape I wanted to use. [See Below]

I finally decided to go along finishing off my concept with the design above. Original, new and fun. Finally having been inspired by Alexander McQueen's design, it was time to move onto the next step. Adding film/media into my concept design. I decided to go with Harry Potter more than the Life of Pi for my final piece. I chose to go along this path because I myself being a fan of harry potter will be more interested and motivated to create something with a better outcome along this film and not another. I also thought people might be more appealed to the design I had in mind for this piece along the lines of Harry Potter. 

Whilst doing research I came across a car many people are familiar with and one of its latest designs made by designer Jeremy Scott. The Smart Car. Looking at his design gave an idea which I could add onto my shoe design based on Harry Potter inspired by this car's unique look. 

For the above sketch I applied the inspiration I got from the smart's design; the wings. It gave it a sleek look and flow throughout the shoe making it more aesthetically pleasing. 

I then altered it based on the ideas I got from the Snitch in Harry Potter. The wings I drew on the shoe for my final concept design were inspired by The Golden Snitches wings, giving it a more serious look. 

''Quidditch is a fictional competitive sport in the wizarding world of the Harry Potter Universe. It is an extremely rough but very popular semi-contact sport, played by wizards and witches. Matches are played between two teams of seven players riding flying broomsticks, using four balls and six elevated ring-shaped goals, three on each side of the Quidditch pitch (field). In the Harry Potte runiverse, Quidditch holds a fervent following similar to the position that association football holds as a globally popular sport.''

'' In the films, the wings on the Snitch are gold. The winged Snitch is enchanted to hover, dart, and fly around the pitch, avoiding capture while remaining within the boundaries of the playing area.''

 [Wikipedia, 2013]

Fresh Start

Whilst looking back on my work I was still quite confused as to how I wanted to proceed with my concept. I took a look at my blog with one of my unit tutor's, Ms.Sharon Abela. She liked the idea however thought it might be a bit too cliche'.. a bit too mainstream. Looking at it over again, scrolling through my work I agreed. Even though it was a good idea, it wasn't anything new. the design and inspiration might have been original but the way I went around designing the shoe wasn't; So it was time to look back and reflect and see where I can improve my work. My initial idea for my concept design was to come up with an original sneaker which I would like myself. Thinking it over I thought it would be best to design a woman's shoe; a design which in my opinion will be able to open up more windows when it comes to the design. With a woman's shoe there is much more to portray and I think I can express my creativity better. Looking at my previous research, not only within this unit but also in that of my other tutor Ms.Vella, I took a great liking to the signature shoe of Christian Louboutin. A classy shoe, loved, wanted and appreciated by many fashionistas and fashion icons. They're simple, yet elegant and look better than many other rival designer shoes; matter of opinion of course. I initially got inspiration from the shoe on the poster of the film 'The Devil Wears Prada'. Simple, elegant, and it portrays the title in the shoe itself.

[Photo taken by Me]

IMDb, 1990-2012. The Devil Wears Prada. [online] Available at: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458352/> [Accessed 16 December 2012]

Google it

Before selecting what I wanted to do for my concept design, i did a bit more research on several different things and apart from the first 5 blog posts I added abit more to get an idea on transformation when it came to art film and design.
I was going through a few things on the internet and trying to look up information on shoe design. There were quite a few interesting creations and half of me was confused on what my final piece would actually consist of. I think I'm headed more into the poster design than the actual on shoe itself design. As a student going into graphics I think it would be more down my line and something I would actually enjoy doing. Alas, looking at different shoes wouldn't hurt to get an idea.
One simple one which I found quite cool was the 'Custom Designed Google Shoe'. It's probably because I always like that one kind of accessory which really sticks out, be it a shoe, a t shirt, a watch. Even though it does actually have the word ''google'' written on it, it comes into mind straight away that it could be related to google because of the colours used. It is exactly the same as the search engine typography. It's designed with primary colours, just as is the logo of google. They're bright and they all stick out making the shoe and its design very noticable Be it a gold watch or a lime green belt, pick something that people will remember and associate with you. As Coco Chanel once said ''“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory.” Lesson learnt - just don't over do it. 

furthering my research I also found some other cool designs of search engines on shoes:

In the above two shoes, it is very obvious  from what source their design came from and is showing off to the public because they made it obvious by adding the logo of the site on the ankle part of the shoe. They're both designed using colours which stick out next to eachother making them catch the eye straight away. Their design is unique and catchy, described as being ''a geek must- have accessory''.

Above is another shoe I stumbled across which has similar features to the ones mentioned before. They are based on the design of De Stijl. They are a pair of Nike's which the concept design comes from the elements of Piet Mondrian's painting. (see below)

Composition with Yellow, Blue, and Red, 1921, Tate Gallery. London.

I am also posting a link I found which has a few other designs such a wii, ps3 etc. http://adventured.com/good-business/social-media/google-shoes-twitter-shoes-halo-shoes/ (adventured.com, 2012)
ZDNet, 2012, Google sneakers: The pair of shoes every SEO and search engine geek should have!. [online] Available at: <http://www.zdnet.com/blog/seo/google-sneakers-the-pair-of-shoes-every-seo-and-search-engine-geek-should-have/2280> [Accessed 16 December 2012]
Roundedoff, 2012, Brass Monki Custom Nikes. [online] Available at: <http://roundedoff.com/2011/02/16/brass-monki-custom-nikes-pictures/google-shoe-nikes/> [Accessed 16 December 2012]

contemporary practice, 2010, Rietveld Schroder House. [online] Available at: <http://contemporarypractice.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/rietveld-schroder-house/> [Accessed 16 December 2012]

Concept idea

For my concept design, I must admit I was quite lost on what to do. I had practically no Idea on what to go by. In my previous posts, nothing was particularly linked to eachother, they were pretty much completely different designs/models/artworks etc. However, analysing them all together, together with work showed to us by our tutors in class, I managed to put a few thoughts together. my concept idea is that of designing a shoe. I'm still uncertain whether I want it to be a poster, an actual shoe which I will transfer a design to or so on. It's still very much open to interpretation.

A poster which I found interesting is the DVD cover of a film which I just saw recently and a fellow classmate of mine mentioned when I was working on another assignment in class. ''The Devil Wears Prada'' was one of the films I'd always watch over again and actually not mind it, even though it's quite the chick flick and I'd rather sit down with a bag of popcorn and a good action film. The design of the shoe is so simple yet so effective. The whole title of the movie is perfectly depicted into the shoe shown. The shoe, which is Prada, and the Devils fork made into the heel of the shoe.

This shoe also came to mind after I had tried photo-manipulating a Christian Louboutin Shoe photo I took myself. I really like the shoe because of the way the poster is made. It is the biggest object in the poster and it's in red so it definitely is the first time one's eyes are drawn to. The background is white making the red shoe stick out even more. The writing is also much smaller in comparison to the shoe so it doesn't take of emphasis from it. I also like the fact that it is kept simple and there isn't too much going on. It is very much 'to the point'.

IMDb, 1990-2012. The Devil Wears Prada. [online] Available at: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458352/> [Accessed 16 December 2012].

212 NYC

Manhattan Model

Yutaka Sone - Little Manhattan (2011) - 2.5 tons of marble carved into a precise model of Manhattan

This is a map of Manhattan transformed into a marble stone model. It is 3ft. tall,  and 9ft. long. Sone put this model on hold after 9/11 because he wanted Manhattan to get back on its feet, back to running as usual before he continued it. He started working on it again in 2006 making a wood and foam model, basing it on photos he took from a helicopter himself and from images on google earth. He also visited sites himself to get a feel of how it looked in real life and its topography. He then, in 2007, started carving it into the marble.

There is also an element of harmony when it comes to this model. The top of the model is a precise carving of manhattan, but the bottom of it, as the artist stated himself, isn't and he was free to design it as he wished. the bottom is smooth and looks somewhat like a skirt. It looks like it has flow. ''I wanted the bottom to be more poetic and elegant, like a white feminine dress.” (Yutaka Sone, 2011, Issue of  New York) It is mostly done to scale however things such as the empire state building are made a bit bigger so that they were able to carve in their detail and as a symbol of their importance.

The material chosen is also of importance. He first made the model in wood and foam but the finished model is done in white marbel. It's white colour gives it a sort of harmonious look and feel. It is smooth in texture, white light colour so it immediately grabs the viewer's attention and makes him more curious. It makes one move closer to observe it and look at the little details it entails.

Im also using this to help me with my concept design. I always find pictures of buildings interesting no matter on what they're put, be it a poster, a bag, a book cover and so on. So I thought.. why not a shoe? I really like the idea that this model is made in white  marble.  It gives it a harmonious look and makes it look simple and clean even though so complex and detailed. I always preferred a white pair of tennis shoes to anything coloured, because they look fresh and stick out more. It also gives u a cleaner look with a good finish. I was thinking about transferring a picture of a place such as Manhattan or New york onto a pair of shoes. It will be a unique design, elaborate yet sophisticated. I was thinking of a design that would look similar to my blog background picture itself.  I won't only be restricted to using a picture but maybe I could use a map itself as the design for the shoe. 


Yutaka Sone, 2011, White City: Manhattan in a Marble Dress. New York Media LLC [online] Available at: <http://nymag.com/arts/art/features/yutaka-sone-2011-10/>  [Accessed 16 December 2012]
Tumblr, 2012, Little Manhattan Yutaka Sone. [online] [Accessed 16 December 2012]

Take a Seat

Basic info:

Alessandro Mendini - Proust Armchair - Studio Alchimia

1970's in Italy 

Anti - design

was critical of advanced technology & consumerism 

Rejected functionalism, favoured a fun/emotional relationship between user and object

There is transformation in this object because it isn't like all the chairs created at the time. Its full of life and colour. It was more about the design than the actual functionality of the chair. It was something that one would notice easily and probably have a lot to say about it. obviously this was good marketing for a designer - word of mouth. Unfortunately this could have been both good and bad. 

The print itself is very geometrical but not symmetrical. It looks made up of small squares with different colours. The texture looks like something is made of glass which make it impossible for the user to sit on, but this chair is just made of fabric and its just the illusion it gives. 

''Originally created as a rebuke to austere modernism while redefining design’s dualism of good and bad taste, the chair is an icon of 20th century Postmodern design.''

''Inspired by the French writer Marcel Proust’s theory of continual flux, the past is as relevant as the present. Reviving decoration and historicism, the Proust chair has been interpreted using Impressionist brush strokes with its rococo detailing.''  (The Proust armchair, 2011, Geoffry Gertz)

''We can define 'haute femme' as bringing back the romanticism and plush comfort of eras past and adding whimsical modern twists. Perhaps the first person to introduce this idea was Italian designer Alessandro Mendini in 1978 when he came out with his Proust chair (Poltrona di Proust) as a part of his Redesigns Furniture series. He believed that modern design was running out of new ideas and turned to redecorating classics as a solution. Here, he painted a Louis XV chair with imagery that evokes the work of 19th century writer Marcel Proust.''

^http://stylebust.com/2010/08/07/sassy-seating-more-haute-femme-chairs/

Sources of information and pictures:

sparked, 2011, the-proust-armchair. [online] Available at: <http://www.sparked.biz/2011/04/21/the-proust-armchair/  18/11/12^http://stylebust.com/2010/08/07/sassy-seating-more-haute-femme-chairs/ 18/11/12> [Accessed 18 November 2012]

sparked, 2010, the-proust-armchair. [online] Available at: <http://www.sparked.biz/2011/04/21/the-proust-armchair/> [Accessed 18 November 2012]

Homes Inspired by Nature

Below is a house I came across when looking for transformation design when it came to architecture.  This house is built to resemble Cover Leaves. The design is very harmonious and captures ones attention straight away due to its unusual innovative design. To add on to the effect of the ''natural look of nature'', so to speak, the house is built out of organic materials. This helps give off the look of nature and blend in in its surroundings (trees/forest/woodlands etc). The house is build of mostly wood so it blends in with the trees and looks like its part of nature. The colours used are also very natural and it lacks shocking colours so that it doesn't cause conflict with its surroundings. The house is also roughly the same height as the trees surrounding giving it even more of a blend. I think it is rather impressive how such a big building can be transformed in such a way that looks like part of its surroundings.

CNBC, 2012, Homes Inspired by Nature, [online] Available at: <http://www.cnbc.com/id/46799791/Homes_Inspired_by_Nature> [Accessed last 15 December 2012]

T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose

to change in condition, nature, or character; convert.

to change into another substance; transmute.

ART

FILM

DESIGN