This week in Design and Technology we had a talk from designer, Robert McCaffrey.
Robert studied Product Design in GSA before moving into the luxury, sport and ready to wear fashion industries. In December 2016, Robert launched his own cycling footwear and lifestyle company "McCaffrey" on Mr Porter.
I found one particular aspect of Robert presentation very interesting. He brought to my attention the photographer, Richard Wentworth. Wentworth has an attractive range of photography where he captures everyday objects being manipulated to be used for an alternative function.
Robert related this to Ron Arads icon, the Rover Chair. Seats from an old Rover car were used with scaffold bars to create a chair which launched Arads career into another dimension.
What I really love about this almost improvisational design style is how effective materials can be when used out of prescribed purpose. The entire concept comes down to the imagination of the designer and understanding of the materials.
In a more refined but similar way, the Cantilever chair was born from using tubular steel outside of its original purpose.
There's something really special about repurposing items and materials to create the illusion of primary use. Challenging our everyday view of the world drives us towards innovation. Materials are used in certain ways to take advantage of their given properties. But there's always another function waiting to be discovered!