Iconique Fashion Magazine: Krv Kurva

Krv Kurva: A Greater Purse-pos

Nowadays, nothing in fashion is created in a vacuum. Whether in the form of a tribute or clever repurposing, unwittingly or in complete reverence, most designers come to reinterpret something that has been tried and tested, and doing away with comparisons seems an arduous task.
For this reason, in the numbers game of mass-produced accessories and their equally as proliferated imitations, it seems an odd premise that one bag could transcend the qualities that make an accessory… well… an accessory.

Consider this: a bag whose mission it is to eschew the 'of-the-moment' fervor that characterizes modern-day purchasing trends, in favor of a more challenging cause whose success is not predicated on the bodies that will be toting it next season. What would such a bag resemble? And who could have the foresight to turn the accessories race on its head, or maybe more appropriately, inside out?

La.Ga is the brainchild of Lisbon-based design duo Jorge Moita and Daniela Pais of Krv Kurva Design, and is their first foray into the world of fashion and design research and development. Theirs is a bag that captures the dualities inherent to human life: light and strong, rigid and malleable, organic and structured, it engages with its wearer by virtue of its sameness. Juxtaposed with its appendage-like counterparts that exist apart from the body, Krv Kurva's creation exists as an extension of the user's silhouette, becoming dynamic and processing gradual changes to shape and texture with time. In this way, La.Ga comes to signify this question of how an individual comes into contact with their surroundings, which in turn begs the question: "can we wear anything that surrounds us?" Our design duo would assert that the answer is a resounding 'yes,' when one considers the expansive landscape around us. Cars, buildings, furniture - one could enumerate well beyond fabrics.

Krv Lurva

Armed with the promising results of La.Ga, Krv Kurva decided on an exhibition in which designers and illustrators of local and international fame would be charged with the task of interpreting La. Ga in relation to the proposed theme "To Love is Not An Option." The exhibition began in Athens and made its way to England, Italy, Hong Kong and Spain. Some three-hundred limited edition pieces were created, all of which were marked with what could only be described as an indelible stamp of individuality bearing few commonalities save the loosely overarching statement: "much far[ther] from your decision to love is an option that you can't have."

Post-La.Ga, it seemed a natural next step that Krv Kurva undertook the task of refining their work further. Whereas its predecessor was developed on the "sensitive direction of a woman," Ga.Lo utilized the same 50x70mm square to lend itself to more perspectives and users. Its highly economical construction, laser cut graphics, and multiplicity of uses (future editions will include QR Codes capable of interfacing with camera phones) rendered it an urban bag that champions the notion that the thing in itself can be all-encompassing. For this reason, Moita and Pais titled the presentation of Ga. Lo "The Award," a gift to the multi-talented people who were key contributors in inspiring the Krv Kurva ideal.

When asked about the experimental nature of Krv Kurva's work, Moita explains that their projects are conceived through a deep-seeded desire to do away with the "easy consumerism" of the times, and "retrieve..some[thing] extraordinary." He likens La.Ga and Ga.Lo to a UFO, not only for their sleek alien-seeming blade-like quality, but because they transcend all walks of life, traversing realms outside the somewhat parochial fashion set. Krv Kurva's far-reaching creations have made it into the hands of architects, museum shops, galleries, bookstores, furniture stores, and have even traveled the globe to Japan. While comparisons with UFOs and aliens may abound, nothing in our current cultural landscape comes close to the inventive fervor driving the Krv Kurva team. And although they have charged themselves with the ostensibly insurmountable task of breaking away from the pack, we have no doubt that our design duo is up for the challenge in 2006 and beyond.

www.krvkurva.org

Written by Daphne Woo


	Krv Kurva: A Greater Purse-pos Nowadays, nothing in fashion is created in a vacuum. Whether in the form of a tribute or clever repurposing, unwittingly or in complete reverence, most designers come to reinterpret something that has been tried and tested, and doing away with comparisons seems an arduous task. For this reason, in the numbers game of mass-produced accessories and their equally as proliferated imitations, it seems an odd premise that one bag could transcend the qualities that make an accessory… well… an accessory. Consider this: a bag whose mission it is to eschew the 'of-the-moment' fervor that characterizes modern-day purchasing trends, in favor of a more challenging cause whose success is not predicated on the bodies that will be toting it next season. What would such a bag resemble? And who could have the foresight to turn the accessories race on its head, or maybe more appropriately, inside out? La.Ga is the brainchild of Lisbon-based design duo Jorge Moita and Daniela Pais of Krv Kurva Design, and is their first foray into the world of fashion and design research and development. Theirs is a bag that captures the dualities inherent to human life: light and strong, rigid and malleable, organic and structured, it engages with its wearer by virtue of its sameness. Juxtaposed with its appendage-like counterparts that exist apart from the body, Krv Kurva's creation exists as an extension of the user's silhouette, becoming dynamic and processing gradual changes to shape and texture with time. In this way, La.Ga comes to signify this question of how an individual comes into contact with their surroundings, which in turn begs the question: "can we wear anything that surrounds us?" Our design duo would assert that the answer is a resounding 'yes,' when one considers the expansive landscape around us. Cars, buildings, furniture - one could enumerate well beyond fabrics. Armed with the promising results of La.Ga, Krv Kurva decided on an exhibition in which designers and illustrators of local and international fame would be charged with the task of interpreting La. Ga in relation to the proposed theme "To Love is Not An Option." The exhibition began in Athens and made its way to England, Italy, Hong Kong and Spain. Some three-hundred limited edition pieces were created, all of which were marked with what could only be described as an indelible stamp of individuality bearing few commonalities save the loosely overarching statement: "much far[ther] from your decision to love is an option that you can't have." Post-La.Ga, it seemed a natural next step that Krv Kurva undertook the task of refining their work further. Whereas its predecessor was developed on the "sensitive direction of a woman," Ga.Lo utilized the same 50x70mm square to lend itself to more perspectives and users. Its highly economical construction, laser cut graphics, and multiplicity of uses (future editions will include QR Codes capable of interfacing with camera phones) rendered it an urban bag that champions the notion that the thing in itself can be all-encompassing. For this reason, Moita and Pais titled the presentation of Ga. Lo "The Award," a gift to the multi-talented people who were key contributors in inspiring the Krv Kurva ideal. When asked about the experimental nature of Krv Kurva's work, Moita explains that their projects are conceived through a deep-seeded desire to do away with the "easy consumerism" of the times, and "retrieve..some[thing] extraordinary." He likens La.Ga and Ga.Lo to a UFO, not only for their sleek alien-seeming blade-like quality, but because they transcend all walks of life, traversing realms outside the somewhat parochial fashion set. Krv Kurva's far-reaching creations have made it into the hands of architects, museum shops, galleries, bookstores, furniture stores, and have even traveled the globe to Japan. While comparisons with UFOs and aliens may abound, nothing in our current cultural landscape comes close to the inventive fervor driving the Krv Kurva team. And although they have charged themselves with the ostensibly insurmountable task of breaking away from the pack, we have no doubt that our design duo is up for the challenge in 2006 and beyond. www.krvkurva.org Written by Daphne Woo