Atelier Oï and A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE Unveil ‘O Series’ Portable Lamps

In Copenhagen, during the annual 3daysofdesign festival, a new collection of portable lamps titled the ‘O Series’ has been unveiled, marking a significant collaboration between Swiss design studio Atelier Oï and A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE. The exhibition, held at Gallery 2112, showcases a fusion of fashion-derived textile technology and sculptural lighting design, extending the dialogue between the two entities beyond apparel.

Textile Innovation Meets Lighting

The ‘O Series’ builds upon a foundation of material exploration, a core tenet for both Atelier Oï and Issey Miyake’s experimental studio. The collection leverages A-POC ABLE’s signature Steam Stretch textile process. This technique involves weaving design elements directly into a single piece of fabric, which then undergoes a heat treatment causing specific areas to contract. This controlled contraction results in a three-dimensional pleated structure that forms the lampshade.

Designed by Atelier Oï, each lampshade is crafted to be attached to a delicate, oval wire frame. A key feature of the ‘O Series’ is the interchangeability of these textile shades. This allows the lamp’s aesthetic and the quality of light it emits to be easily adapted to different environments and moods, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on adaptability and versatility.

A Conversation Across Disciplines

The collaboration between Atelier Oï, known for its work in architecture, interiors, and product design, and A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE, a studio with decades of experience in fabric engineering and garment construction, represents a move towards interdisciplinary design. The ‘O Series’ reinterprets textile technologies developed for fashion, applying them to create functional and sculptural objects for the domestic landscape.

This project is a continuation ofatelier oï’s TYPE-XIII project, which began by exploring the potential of simple elements like cloth and wire. The ‘O Series’ brings this exploration to portable lighting, inviting visitors to engage with the lamps and experience how different materials and textures influence the surrounding atmosphere.

Design Influences and Portability

The latest iteration of the ‘O Series’ draws visual inspiration from natural surfaces. New textile variations feature patterns that reference the textures of wood and stone, translating natural grains and geological layering into woven fabrics that subtly filter light. Even when switched off, the lamps possess a sculptural quality, their pleated forms maintaining volume and shape within the minimalist wire outline.

Developed in partnership with Japanese portable lighting manufacturer Ambientec, the lamps are engineered for easy integration into various interior settings. They offer adjustable light output across four levels, capable of shifting from a warm, incandescent tone to a brighter daylight white. This functionality underscores the project’s commitment to adaptability, enabling a single object to perform dynamically according to its context.

A Legacy of ‘A Piece Of Cloth’

For designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae of A-POC ABLE, the ‘O Series’ aligns with the foundational concept of ‘A Piece Of Cloth’ introduced by Issey Miyake in 1998. This original philosophy aimed to revolutionize garment production by creating clothing from a single piece of textile, thereby minimizing the gap between design, manufacturing, and usage. In the ‘O Series’, this principle is applied to furniture-scale objects, where fabric serves simultaneously as structure, surface, and light diffuser.

The exhibition in Copenhagen highlights a broader trend of fashion brands extending their creative reach into furniture, lighting, and interiors. However, the ‘O Series’ remains intrinsically linked to the innovative textile techniques that underpin its creation, demonstrating how material research can transcend scales and applications while retaining its inherent character.

Key facts

The integration of advanced textile technology from the fashion industry into functional lighting objects offers a compelling example of cross-disciplinary innovation. For readers interested in sustainable design, material science, and the evolving boundaries between different creative fields, the ‘O Series’ represents a thoughtful exploration of how fabric can be reimagined as a source of light and form.

Source: https://www.designboom.com/design/atelier-oi-a-poc-able-issey-miyake-lamps-pleated-copenhagen-3daysofdesign-copenhagen/