Looking past face value
Slow down and take in what's around you on your daily commute and travels. You'll be surprised by what you can find when you look close enough.
In the everyday there are details that perhaps pass us by. Moments that can last seconds or permanent fixtures that are often glazed over. The way light casts a shadow over the seemingly menial bench or the surface and colour of a wall.
As I look to broaden my focus, I’ve become more conscious of time and more active in finding and appreciating everyday moments. I feel I have people like Yasumi to thank for being more mindful about our ordinary surroundings. Last week, my playground for the week was in Aberdeen and Edinburgh – a ten-hour train ride from Leicester – to tag along with Mat who was in Scotland for a project with Late Rooms.
Though you might not associate the landscape of these two cities with my work, we wanted to seek out normal everyday buildings and to look past face value. We can be quick to cast aside normality in favour of the obvious when objects are initially reticent.
Sometimes you need to slow down, engage with everyday objects from a different perspective and take time in developing a visual iteration. Mat and myself have began to actively challenge the way we work in order to culminate outcomes that are not there at first glance.
The ‘normal’ is what I wanted to use as the backdrop for my partnership with SKAGEN, a watch brand that places importance on simple well-made design and a minimalist mindset. It’s a watch that mirrors my style and hones in on the minute over the obvious. I’ve spoken before about how I focus on detail (read: textures and layers) over the standout on many occasions this year.
It’s the subtle practicality of the SKAGEN Hybrid Smartwatch Signatur that’s made this the first smartwatch I’ve been able to integrate into my life/workflow. It provides function with substance. For example, I’m alerted by where the hands position themselves on the watch as to who has contacted me. Depending on the situation I can then continue with the task at hand without being swayed onto my phone… more time to observe the ordinary.
If you play around with perspectives and look at objects in a different way to how you normally would, the ubiquitous becomes so much more. Travel to new cities with an open mind to what you might find and absorb everything in its obvious and obscure state.jbicon
Could 2023 be the ultimate year of sustainability for fashion? Probably not, but there are some positive things happening if you look for them.