[Un]Discovers: Julia Krantz

Lately I've found this incredible project, Shell, by Swedish Designer - Julia Krantz - a Textile Design graduate from HDK. I found this project very creative as she managed to express her idea very thoroughly along with a great use of lighting in photography. Other than this fashion project, Shell, Julia also works on designs in other disciplines, such as prints, graphic and product design.  Today we are lucky to have Julia tells us in detail about the project, Shell.

Regarding the project, Shell, why were you particularly inspired by the anatomical elements and inner organs? 

Biomimetics is incredibly fascinating, nature's own principles as a platform for execution. But mostly we talk about it as in combining form and function, I have primarily worked with aesthetics. That in itself creates dual dimensions, to build on what is already there, making it visible, but with a twisted perspective. Moreover, the strong symbolic value of the human anatomy is interesting to work with.

Can you give us some details on the progress that you followed to come up with this result?

The sketch process has been free and unlimited. None of the garnments have been constructed on paper, I have tried to relate to an aesthetic - and built directly on the body. It has been a very time-consuming process, but i think working like that can lead to different results. I covered all the metal strips by hand with hand stitches. My hands were sore and full of blisters, I felt like I was losing my mind! But every bend, every decision was taken with great thoughtfulness.

As you mentioned in the email translating the project into product design or architecture, what are the elements/characters that you see in the outfit that could possibly translate into either one of the above as a piece of art? And how would you do it?

When you work with an overall theme, an aesthetic, your work becomes a huge mood-board in itself, that makes it easier to cross borders between different fields. The parallel to architecture is obvious, to work with space and volume and to make constructions, the clothes are like little buildings in themselves. Similarly, I would be able to design products, packages and even typography with the same aesthethic.

Stepping away from the Shell project, you mentioned that you wished to put the 3D graphical world and the print design world together, can we expect that happening for your next project?

I'm really psyched to try and work like that. I'm just at the beginning of a collaborative project with a graphic designer and a photographer. We bring our disciplines together, telling a common story instead of holding us to our own fields. We are right now just in a start-up phase, working on ideas. I'm superexcited about our work, it's very challenging!

We thank Julia a lot for doing this feature with us.  We look forward to see more of her incredible work in the creative discipline in the future.  


Photo Credit: Katrin Kirojood
Model: Thistel