Shin Tanaka

Shin Tanaka is a: grafitti writer, web specialist, T-Shirt designer with an innovative range of paper toys. Shin has developed his paper cutting/folding techniques and now wants to pass the flame. On his website he invites the public to download his creations (layouts) and use their own hands to build up their toys. He is passing on the love of hand creation and spreading the word across the globe. He has a blank layout (that anyone can download and take part in) that asks the maker to be creative and innovative and give the toy a face, clothing and develop their own character. This is a revolutionary way of interacting with toys, toys that can be recycled, built up from scratch, shared and enjoyed. A form of inherited knowledge, Tanaka has become the teacher of an all new toy revolution, taking people away from technology and making them use their imaginations and hands.

A Lil Bit More Jen Stark...

Jen Stark is the personification of that indescrible feeling of creating something by hand, that feeling that there is no word for but described by most as: attachment, connection, interaction, satisfaction, emotional response, inherited knowledge etc These are the words/phrases that people use in all of the texts I have read on the hand aesthetic. And in my opinion Jen Stark is the greatest example and advocate for the hand made. Whilst on her website I discovered something of which I had over-looked on previous visits, some amazing hand drawn visuals, extremly powerful and colourful. These have been created with paper (Jen's specialist medium) and felt tip pen! The most basic medium is Jen's choice for the sculptures she creates and when designing and creating initial drawings she uses felt tip pens. It is so basic, that it seems quite radical. The felt tip pen has definately been over-looked for a long time if this is the magic it can produce!

Karen Nicol Embroideries

Karen Nicol

First I will begin with a quote from an interview People Tree conducted with Karen, Nicol says,'I think Primark should be closed down by the government, when you bring up a generation who think it's easier and cheaper to buy a T-Shirt than to wash it'
Karen grew up making her own clothing from simple block patterns encouraged by her mother and was taught to embroider through inherited knowledge passed down by her mother.

Karen also describes working in a prodominately hand produced studio, everyone working together, creating, designing, "I love the whole human interaction that producing craft brings"- This is something that is reoccuring throughout my research, the interaction and connection to the craft and the interaction with others (other designers, makers, customers).

Karen Nicol is a leading and well established, innovative embroidery designer with clients such as; Chloe, Matthew Williamson,Givenchy, couture range for Chloe, and the list goes on.

In an interview with Selvedge magazine Karen is asked about the production competition from India and China, Karen states, "they can charge very low prices for beautiful embroidery. They don't have the design skills that suit the western market yet so I still design as much but a lot of the production is done overseas now, leaving us with the more complicated pieces at the 'couture' end of the market"- which suggests to me that hand embroideries be can done in industry this country but only available to high-end market. "When sampling you must always take into account the the cost of the embroidery. For production this can be multiplied by seven when it reaches the shop"- £10- £70- astonishing to Karen and to me.

Karen Nicol designs for People Tree...

People Tree Fashion

People Tree also incorporate big names to promote their cause, working with well established recognised designers and people of popular culture such as Emma Watson (as shown above)

Karen Nicol created a collection for them- on an interview with people tree Karen Nicol was asked about her feelings on using traditional hand skills "I love traditional hand skills; a lot of my work is inspired by vintage pieces... that's why I love working with people tree as you are keeping them alive"

Also in the interview both Karen and Safia (of people tree) discuss their own examples of inherited design and how their own tacit knowledge was passed down from their relatives. Nicol also expresses her love of human interaction through craft and working along side others in studios using traditional techniques, intercation of producing craft.

Environmentally sound design

As a surface designer of our generation I can not ignore the importance of environmentally sound design through the production process to the final design; once almost a trend protect the environment is now a world wide responsibility. Along with protecting the planet through using natural resources, desposing of chemicals in an environmentally friendly way and reducing harmful chemicals from dyes etc, companies are now starting to promote fair trade.

People Tree is an organisation that promotes fair trade, ecologically sound methods of production and creating opportunities for local poverty stricken comminuties in countries such as India. They work with 50 fair trade groups in 15 countries, sourcing materials locally from silks to natural dyes and teaching new skills and creating jobs in the communities too. They use the skills of the local people and produce screen printed and hand woven/embroidered fashion.

All hand techniques with allowance for the time it takes to produce the garments, without the fast turn around of trends and seasonal fashion of mass industry. Setting an example to worldwide fashion business.

http://www.peopletreemagazine.co.uk