The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

Ballistic nylon takes centre stage in Tumi's latest campaign

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 07:45 AM PDT

For Tumi, the creative use of its ballistic nylon takes centre stage in its latest campaign.

THE varied aspects of art and style have always had a mutual relationship of sorts. While art is deemed to inspire style, the reverse of it holds equally true in many instances.

Take the recent endeavour from Tumi, for example. In its Makes Life Beautiful Work campaign, the international travel and lifestyle brand brought together different creative types to fashion stylish art installations in Hong Kong.

The varying artworks produced were based on Tumi's five founding principles: design excellence, unparalleled quality, technical innovation, functional superiority and world-class customer service.

It also highlights the creative use of ballistic nylon – the brand's abrasion-proof fabric. Incidentally, the brand is celebrating its 30th anniversary of pioneering the use of ballistic nylon in Tumi bags this year.

Eighteen professional and up-and-coming artists, designers and creative entities from across Asia were selected by Tumi, and they were divided into two groups, each with a slightly different task.

The first was asked to reinterpret ballistic nylon to create something completely new and unexpected. The group comprised of fashion designer Barney Cheng, celebrity photographer Sean Lee Davies, product and graphic designer Millicent Lai, 3D visual artist Ben Qwek, plus creative agency &Larry.

While Cheng used ballistic nylon to design a fantasy couture male and female ensemble, Lee utilised the material as a creative canvas to print his famed travel photography.

Lai, on the other hand, created an oriental-themed lotus pond featuring floating lanterns, Qwek unveiled a standout Tumi sign within a 3D setting and &Larry featured custom-made wooden pallets wrapped in ballistic nylon to demonstrate the material's strength.

The second group had to creatively transform a Tumi Alpha Lightweight case, which was a luggage bag made from ballistic nylon. This group of 13 included Hong Kong-based arts writer Diana d'Arenberg, furniture designer Fred Lives Here from Singapore, French shoe designer Vincent Peu Duvallon, eco apparel brand A Boy Named Sue and creative event agency Tuff by Emanuela Santi, among others.

Results were recreations of the Tumi case into a rocking chair, a miniature replica of a photographic studio and a reinterpretion of a picnic set. The various artistic displays also showcased the different passions that each individual held dear to his/her heart. There was a chic case filled with a colourful "wonderland of shoes", for instance, as well as one covered by a collection of botanicals inspired by travels to various Asian flower markets.

The artistic masterpieces for Tumi's Makes Life Beautiful Work campaign were revealed to the media and other guests at a recent event in Hong Kong. The installations will also tour around the Asia Pacific region for a select number of events, namely in Singapore, Taiwan and Japan.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Isnin, 3 Jun 2013