Rachael Sleight gave us a presentation on her design practice throughout her career. She has previously designed and developed products for large brands and is currently working at GSA while writing articles for Stylus and developing her on brand of leather goods.
I had never heard of Stylus before, but it is a site that analysis consumer trends and shifts to allow brands to make decisions that will help them in the long-term. For example, it publishes articles and reports on how extreme environments drive innovation, changes in dyeing techniques and how eco-tech is evolving. Global companies such as Apple and Google use this site to keep their products cutting-edge and appealing to consumers. This is a very different approach on what we’re often taught about timeless design that has been made to last a long time and harkens back to the talk by Nicholas Oddy who spoke about how the concept of ‘great design’ changes depending on who you speak to. For companies such as Apple, great design needs to be constantly evolving in order to sell more products, and to do this, the market needs to be understood.
Rachael’s own brand of leather goods were beautifully and expertly crafted, but the price point surprisingly low. She said she charged lower so as to not cut potential customers out, which is definitely something I appreciate. However, I do believe that there is a fine line between targeting only the wealthy and underselling your own craftsmanship, which is definitely something to consider when discussing marketing to the masses. She also used real cow leather, which naturally brings up some ethical questions, but she made a good point by mentioning that her products are made to last a long time and are therefore much more sustainable than pleather goods – although I did personally love her cork leather designs. They had a lovely, very soft and warm feeling to them that made me want to keep holding and touching them.
One of my favourite designs of Rachael’s was a disposable wedding dress, crafted from Japanese crepe paper. Wedding dresses have always baffled me; it’s not uncommon for women to spend thousands on a dress that they will only ever wear once, for it to then be tucked away and put in an attic somewhere, never seen again. They also very much follow the trends of the time. Look at anyone’s wedding photo on their mantelpiece and you will instantly know the decade they were married in. Why spend such a ridiculous amount on something that will instantly look dated as your marriage progresses? This is why I love Rachael’s unique dress- it’s a really nice spin on what has become considered a traditional design. It will certainly save a bride-to-be lot of money, plus she can burn it if the marriage goes sour!
Morven
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