Over time, materials such as leather and metal can show signs of wear and tear, especially given the prominence of these materials in clothing. In our modern consumption-driven climate, we find ourselves paying less and less attention to the actual materials of which the products we buy are made, often prioritising quantity over quality. It is becoming increasingly rare that we invest in well-crafted durable products, instead often choosing to go for cheaper synthetic materials, thereby undermining the historical value of clothing.
Architect and designer Sigurd Larsen always chooses his materials in the early phases of his design process; after all, it is the material that often dictates the directions one can take. He prefers materials that develop character with use, and has a particular reference for clean, sharp lines and styles. For the Shoe Shelf, designed for Berlin shoe label Zign, Larsen employed steel of a 2mm thickness for the creation of his 9 compartment grid, of which each component is fully detachable, allowing for combinational flexibility and an individually tailored set up. The Shoe Shelf is available in white, as well as in a limited edition electric blue, both colours that feature in Zign’s most recent collection. The collaboration between Larsen and Zign makes perfect sense given the importance that both place on the harmonising of aesthetics and functionality. Such an ethic is crucial to Zign, whose shoes are both beautiful and functional, topped off by the superior quality material employed for their production. With clean lines set against flashes of colour, they are successful in simultaneously occupying spaces of modesty and elegance.
If you’d like to check out the Shoe Shelf in the flesh, be sure to head down to Voo Store tomorrow night (March 16th), where a launch party will be under way from 7pm onwards!
