– Compared to what you saw when walking, what can you see and sense differently from the boat?
we bumped into not only the beautiful coastline of this city, but also the trash mountain, which shocked me a lot and made me feel we build a fortress from the real life. When I was doing the walk zone, I didn’t feel that much. Because I’ve been used to living a city with endless lights and shops and goods. I didn’t have a break to think about how we treat all the goods after they finish their “functional” duty. I read the story about how we ship and throw all the daily trash to a specific area in Pacific ocean, and the pics on internet are far remotely shocking than a real scene “floating” in front of me.
Does New York seem prepared for sea-level rise?
If there will be a storm, New York must be much better than last time. From the reading last week I also learn a lot about how this city improved in this aspect. Lots of efforts are putting into flood mitigation from government’s big u project to the architecture designs to subway improvements. So I have quite confidence on NYC.
– What areas appear to be vulnerable to coastal flooding? Are any effects of
Hurricane Sandy visible?
I think the buildings in New Jersey seems quite vulnerable for me. Since it’s pretty close to the coast and not an obvious protection methods. I once lived in N export, so I remember there is a train station just next to the hudson river, which is another dangerous aspect to consider. Personally i didn’t find any effects by seeing on the boat.
Do you see any evidence of the Big U being constructed?
I didn’t notice lots of the evidence of the construction of Big U. But when I was visiting my friend which is near the manhattan bridge. And I do noticed people were using equipments for fitness and life expending, and really using that area as a community.
Are you able to determine which areas of the coast are built on landfill?
I can hardly tell from the boat viewing. But I heard the story about Fresh Kills. For many years, it was the largest landfill in the world. It makes me wonder about the “floating garbage” area we saw. Is that still the same pattern as Fresh Kills?
Do you see any sea walls, reinforcements or marsh areas?
I saw some walls around new town creek which seems built for flood mitigation. But not really saw the marsh areas.
– What kind of systems do you see interacting (people, water, boats, etc.)?
Lots of people were hanging there either by boats or riding along the coast. Liberty Statue is also considered as an attraction for culture visiting. There is a water waste infrastructure nearby the New Town Creek, which connect more directly to our daily life.
– How do you think the New York City coastline will change over the next 50
years?
“The City has experienced 1.1 feet of sea level rise since 1900, and current projections show sea levels will rise another one to two feet by 2050 and two to four feet by 2100.” When I’m reading this, I’m afraid to imagine new york city is vanishing like Venice. But at the other hand, we are doing strengthening for the coastal defenses and constructing projects like Big U, and educating people of being aware of climate changing. So I hope it’s not too late to save the coastline.
1) How would you describe Nagaoka’s “non-designing” design practices?
“non-designing” design for me, has an essential of proper functional perspective. For example, the soy source cruet can be a perfect example of long-life design because it can prevent draping accurately. Beyond that, it is also talking about how to reproduce or improve or transfer the products from original ones. So they can be re-defined as new designing products.
2) How do your opinions of “good” design compare with Nagaoka’s?
Would you define good design differently, how so?
As a fashion designer, I consider one garment as a good design, not only because it flirt one’s body, but also it can inspire other designers about how the fabric can be done. For example, the way of construct patterns or the silhouette it approaches. Sp compare with Nagaoka’s concern o design which is more about recreation for saving materials, I prefer more original design piece, even it seems not that “practical”. But the thing in fashion is one piece itself can “function” itself by simply providing the possibilities and ideas of transferring the 2D fabric into 3D human’s wearing both aesthetically and practically.
3) Nagaoka says that we have entered a new era where people want to buy things that mean something to them, that truly matters, and that we have entered a new era. Do you feel these ideas are specific to Japan or are applicable to other countries too? What evidence do you have of your opinion (what makes you say yes or no)?
Yes, I agree with this opinion.
4) What kind of design do you think appeals to young people today?
Most people think young people are chasing and trying to catching the trends all the time. But for me, this generation is more about personal and unique. It’s quite true that we still have titles of “ key trends” on the websites after every fashion week. However, we can see young people are less and less restrained by those mainstream voices. Instead, lots of the “KOL” today come from our own generation and groups. She can be your classmates or neighbors or anyone you think you are inspired by. So I think young people today start noticing their styling and lifestyle instead of catching trends.
5) Near the end of the program, the host of the program says the future of design could be, “people who make things with care and people who use them with care” and that this could be a new form of prosperity. Do you agree? Why?
Even until today, over consumption is still a big issue in fashion. I still believe people will start to consider more about what they are buying. One garment with designer’s personal perspective and care will finally make people to feel the connection and true beauty of that. People who wear that piece with care, and even inherent that as a vintage piece say so much louder about their attitude and style than just grabbing a fast fashion piece and throwing it after one season. So, yes.
6) What do you think of the student projects shown at the end of the program?
Lots of designers today is actually doing that. NICA ANNETTE, who graduated from our school, is collecting the fur from sheep in upstates, spinning them into thread or yarn, and then using the nature pigments to do dying. It’s not only eco-friendly, but also defining cultural identity. The uniqueness and value is prefer for the human hand over the industrial process.
7) Do you consider yourself a long-life designer? Would you like to become one?
In my view, if someone cherishes your designed garment, then you can be considered as a long-life designer. Since nowadays, a piece which can stay in wardrobe over one year is considered as a miracle, the longer one garment can be literally worn or aesthetically kept, the more value it would be. So I hope I can be a designer who does not design for fulfilling people’s closets, but take one or two permanent hangers there.
I remember there was an armoire quite similar to this in my grandparents’ home. Because walk-in closets were not common in ancient China, we used to having an armoire store our clothing and possessions, especially in the old time. And one interesting fact is we never hung clothes at that time, but folded them nicely and stacked them in armoires. The armoire were quite widely used until 1970’s. After that, the designs and techniques we used on furnitures started attracting people’s attention. The structure methods, especially, were unbelievably smart, which named mortise and tenon joint. All the wooden frame used the tenon-mortise joints as the connections of column and beam.Some of the joints techniques are even over 7000 years. These magnificent ancient techniques demonstrate the great intelligence of the craftsmen.
