In Vignelli from A to Z there's a section on "Garments" in which he describes how he came to branch into clothing design. Dissatisfied with what was available and fuelled by his own "if you can't find it, make it" mantra, Vignelli set about designing his own cloths. Firstly, he conducted a survey of menswear through the ages and concluded that what was currently on offer was basically anachronistic (who needs lapels?). Being a modernist, he had no interest in such fashionable and frivolous decoration.
So he reduced and simplified; form and function, of course, being the goal; he removed all the unnecessary components from each garment and ended up with an elegant, stylish collection. OK, some of it looks like it's off the set of a 70s sci-fi film.
Well, I was reading that while on holiday in rainy Donegal where I spent most of the time inside a dark blue Pac-a-Mac and it struck me what a sterling example of form and function, modernist design the Pac-a-Mac is.
Clearly functional: shower and wind proof, it's made from a minimum number of component pieces, folds into it's own pocket, weighs next to nothing and slips into the pocket of your capacious and equally functional combat shorts; along with your Swiss Army Knife, digital camera, crabbing hooks, cold sausage and Bionicle arm.
Hello, what is the name for his clothing line? -thanks
Posted by: mango | 04 August 2008 at 04:31 PM
Design: Vignelli
Posted by: Richard | 04 August 2008 at 07:52 PM