Projects Industry Collaboration, Concept, Full Scale, installation Design
Behind the project:
Resew’s Sewing Cart
Turn the sewing process to a live performance.Team: Individual Project
Timeline: 2019. Sep - 2020. April, 6 months
Scale: 75 x 130 x 150 cm/ 29.5 x 51.2 x 59.1 inches (before extended)
Material: Wood, Metal, Wasted Bands, Fiberboard
Industrial-Academic Cooperation Project
Client: Sewing Ltd. Co
Research
Knowing their role, strength and weakness, and their workflows
Sewing Co.Ltd. (now named REHOW) is a foundation founded by Siruba, an industrial sewing machine company. They started the project called “Resew’s Lab”, to promote sustainable fashion by collecting wasted textiles discarded by factories and turning them into beautiful artwork. They also hold courses to invite the community to join in this project. The revenue they earn through selling their work and holding events are used as operating funds and supporting people in need.
designer
- Stable Sources: Through collaboration with factories, they have a reliable supply of waste textiles.
- Unique Textiles: They offer a diverse range of fabrics in limited quantities, making their materials distinctive.
- Professional Equipment: Their parent company has provided them with various industrial machines, some of which are rare in everyday use.
- Experienced Designers: They have a team of full-time, highly experienced designers.
- Stable Collaborations: They maintain consistent partnerships with independent designers.
- Newly Established: As a recently launched project, they require greater brand exposure and face financial constraints.
- Limited Workforce: They currently have only five full-time female employees.
How they usually work?
I interviewed the staff of the foundation, learning how their outside-foundation events were launched, and how they feel during the whole process.
Since their previous events were held indoors, so I also interviewed the engineers and the designers about their concerns of working outdoors.
I interviewed the staff of the foundation, learning how their outside-foundation events were launched, and how they feel during the whole process.
Their previous events were held indoors, so I also interviewed the engineers and the designers about their concerns of working outdoors.
The Form
Different form and function
Initially, the goal was to maximize "mobility" while gradually incorporating the needs for "stability" and "material storage" during discussions with the foundation. Ultimately, the design was modified into a cart form.
Testing the function and the structure
I created several scale models to test the feasibility of different concepts. This helped the client to understand the proposals and provide more relevant feedback intuitively. As the final version neared completion, I produced a full-scale working prototype, allowing foundation members to install the sewing machine on the model for testing.
Identity
In addition to the brand's signature "bright orange" color, the foundation's base has distinctive elements, such as pegboards for display, wooden furnishings, and displays. They often repurpose existing items to showcase and store their collected materials.
Therefore, I incorporated the primary colors of orange and natural wood into Resew's Sewing Cart, added woven ribbons with the company's insignia in detail, and used pegboards as a display method to enhance the connection between Resew's Sewing Cart and the foundation's base.