Bringing life to design

 I previously documented my discovery of Hafsteinn Juliusson's 'slim chip' a simple, interesting and somewhat kitschy culinary idea which just made me inwardly giggle with childish glee and excitement.   The item I am about to document is perhaps more serious (?) but still simple, imaginative and conceptually beautiful. 

How much closer to nature could you get? Indeed, Juliusson has designed these pieces for the people of metropolitan cities as 'an experiment in drawing nature toward man, as nature being the presupposition of life'. The mossy jewellery brings to mind the innocent and natural play of a simple childhood,  playing in the dirt and on the grass making playthings out of sticks and leaves. The way children innocently wear daisy chain necklaces, leaf bracelets and use paperbark as powder-puff in a non-political way, is evoked here. The person and the plant live, work and play together  in harmony. 

The use of metal and moss together bring together the modern and the traditional, the man-made and the organic. I also love the way they are displayed, placed like little bridges on a pebbly surface. I wonder about the applications of this mini-innovation, how beautiful it could be to transfer other living details to our daily dress, blossoms on a collar, jasmine on neckline, its scent wafting up your neck throughout the day... I attempted to add plants into a one of my designs early on in my university degree  - but the idea was then dismissed as perhaps too kitschy  (that said, maybe I hadn't developed the garment shape well enough in the first place...) But it's definitely an idea I would love to further explore in the future.

While the knuckle duster does have violent connotations, I'd assume that the piece was designed this way a) to allow maximum growing space for moss and boost the impact or b) because Juliusson, like me, has a penchant for the absurd and the satirical. (I am looking forward to the day when someone designs a knuckle feather duster for the tough housewife/husband - ok ok, stupid chindogu idea -  but everyday needs a little bit of ridiculousness). 


Either way, its the perfect blend of the natural and the man-made, nature and culture, a beautiful reminder of the delicate balance of nature, and how it is our duty to live harmoniously with it and not take it for granted.

slim chip

 What is food? Some people regard it as pure nourishment (i.e. belly filler) and some as pure enjoyment (i.e gourmets) and some as both (i.e. gourmands).
According to wikipedia, food is 'any substance composed of carbohydrates, water, fats and/or proteins, that is either eaten or drunk by any animal, including humans, for nutrition or pleasure'. 

Icelandic designer Hafsteinn Juliusson has formulated something that fits none of the former categories (I doubt it can be classified as carbs, water, fat or protein) but which can be eaten by humans (and probably animals) for pure pleasure. The satisfaction of mouth watering flavour without the calories (and without the flavour loss and eventual disgusting disintegration of chewing gum), that takes you back to your childhood days... when you used to eat random stuff that your parents didn't consider edible.. i.e paper. 

That's right, they're paper chips. 0 calories and in luscious and exciting flavours - blueberry, mint, cheddar and wasabi... 

According to Juliusson, the design is a tentative solution to thoughtless calorie intake through the consumption of junk food - which is often linked to 'habits and social rituals that help interrupt the flow of routinary (sic) daily activities more than to the hunger impulse"...


Karl Lagerfeld, which I could see as an avid consumer of the 'slim chip' (to fill out his diet of steamed vegetables, tic tacs and diet coke) might possibly want to withdraw his statement: "you've got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly"... It could be healthy mothers with healthy bmi's eating bags of slim chips still complaining that thin models are not healthy body role models.. Not that eating paper instead of chips is encouraging healthy attitudes to food or healthy eating habits either (eating only when you are hungry). It sure looks fun and it's imaginative though. Imagine using this as confetti or made into paper plates .. cheddar plate, with a pear and walnut salad piled on top - formed into a wrap possibly? rolled up blueberry paper filled with a ricotta, orange zest and honey mix?


the possibilities are exciting.. Imagine if i could get my hands on some .. wow. 

All info was gathered from Juliusson's website....