Hot young design team Lanzavecchia + Wai have taken home a prestigious EDIDA award from Elle Decoration magazine. Last week they were named the winners of the Young Designer Talent category at the 2014 Elle Deco International Design Awards. It’s a deserved win and one of great interest to us thanks to their work in the world of mobility products.
The partnership, consisting of Hunn Wai, from Singapore and Francesca Lanzavecchia, who hails from Italy, have shown a genuine passion for designing mobility products and exploring the ways that they show how we perceive disability. This is particularly true of Lanzavecchia, who in 2008 published Proaesthetics – a catalogue of prosthetic mobility products with an eye on the aesthetic appeals they can have. Proaesthetics used disability aids as “a stage to discuss, understand and cope with disability, illness and human frailty.”
Of Proaesthetics Lanzavecchia said: “we live in a world where there are thousands of styles of jeans to choose from, but only a few models of wheelchairs. Why is this so, when everyone has the possibility of joining this minority community?”
She asked why we provide so many less able people with no choice other than mechanical and generic assistive products, leading to a social stigma around disability aids? Through the Proaesthetic designs she set out to reinterpret these products and give them a more stylish look that fits more naturally with the user. It’s all about trying to view disability in a different light.
The designs are not in production but they show an interesting and innovative way of looking at disability. Let’s take a look at some of the trendy cane, brace and orthosis concepts she came up with:
Protraction Crutch – “Worn like a sleeve, the crutches seem to extend directly from the user’s arm. Always conveniently within reach without the risk of them falling on the floor.”
An innovative and convenient idea in many ways. The crutch element looks very cool in its own right.
Brittle Cane – “This aid manifests the symptoms that afflict sufferers of brittle bone. A delicate-looking cane but at the same time strong enough to support body weight.”
Looks really stylish and reminds us a little of the Olympic torches from London 2012.
Exo-Hip – “The beauty of a replacement hip joint is repurposed as a walking aid. An iconic symbol of man-made cures becomes a portrayal of the body condition.”
Beautiful cane which evokes the human body with a metallic, bionic look.
Bone – “A bone-shaped cane to make up for the one not functioning properly. A symbolic expression in form, for its user to come to terms with, and for the public-at-large to recognize the fortitude of human frailty.”
The cane that best emphasises Lanzavecchia’s aim to make mobility aids as an extension of the body. A bold a thought provoking way of wearing your disability on your sleeve.
Victorian – “Opposing the iconic thick and rigid image neck braces have, delicate lace is coated with flexible plastic to support the neck in the style of a Victorian collar. The perforations inherent in the lace pattern naturally ventilate the supported area as well.”
This neck brace looks beautifully ornate and is an area that nobody has really even tried to refine. It’s so bold and looks incredibly delicate despite actually being really supportive.
Hooky – “Since one is obliged to wear a hard second skin, why not give a function to this ever-present accessory? Hooks allow keys, headphones or even a camera to be hung within reach.”
Quite a few of the designs in Proasthetics look to give extra function, beside support, to prosthetic or assistive products. It would be interesting to see what people think about this one.
In the battle between style and practicality this brace certainly knows where it stands. Not that it looks bad, but the hooks are a little bit strange. In a way this does make a lot of sense but some people may think that this turns them into a coat hanger.
Splintool – “An indispensable tool can become part of an indespensable aid; giving it another dimension of functionality.”
You may prefer this splint as a multi-functional aid, because hooks are handy but bottle openers are essential! Perhaps a bit more subtle than the hooky neck brace.
Lingerie – “Transpiration patterns are mechanically produced right after the extrusion of the sheet. These patterns can create an interesting embellishment: in this case a sexy lace pattern for the young woman who had inhibitions undressing in front of her boyfriend.”
A desirable looking back brace, this doesn’t just try to blend in but expresses the wearer’s identity. It’s a decorative piece rather than something to hide. What a fantastic change to see!
Polly – “A young girl’s brace where she stores her prized possessions.A colourful brace with sculpted-in pockets to store personal artifacts.”
Just as with the neck braces, some of the Proaesthetics back braces serve multiple purposes. Not entirely sure exactly what you’d store in the pockets but there must be a some kind of use for them!
Tattoo – “Exploitation of the typical medical ‘skin coloured’ plastic meant to mimic human skin. The brace then, can become a representative skin for body piercings and tattoos.”
Provides expression alongside support with tattoo style patterns and designs on the brace. In this design the idea of using “orthosis as a personal canvas” rings truer than ever.
There are so many things to love about the Proaesthetics approach to mobility aids and attitude towards disability in general. It’s good to see that Lanzavecchia and her design partner picking up the EDIDA Award and we hope that they can perhaps use this publicity to return to the world of mobility aids and bring some of these wonderful creations to the mass market!