CREATIVE FUEL 2014

Below: [58] Pedro Friedeberg “Reclusorio para Colibri”, 2006.
pedrofriedeberg.com. Left: [57] Afrofuture Milan Design Week windows at
La Rinascente, Milan. afrofuture.it. Opposite Below: [56] Projection facade
by Dev Harlan for Adidas Y-3 S/S 2013 Show, New York. y-3.com.
techno TRIBAL
Inspired by contemporary artists and
street culture brands, the techno
tribal trend has been gathering
momentum in the past year.
The essence of the trend borrows iconography
from both traditional and contemporary tribal
patterns and recontextualises them through the
application of technology to create new meanings.
The combination of cultural meaning and repetitive
surface pattern has struck a chord with the mood
and demands of the modern technological era/
society. Part of the appeal of tribal style is that
it is about a rejection of traditional modernism
and minimalism.
The continuing adoption of tribal motifs, from the
modern tribal of Kenzo and the ‘Martian glam’ of
Peter Pilotto, shows how the application of digital
technology can create something that is dynamic,
raw and contemporary. Tribal motifs represent
an authenticity lacking in today’s increasingly
technology-driven creative language.
Motifs as diverse as Egyptian hieroglyphs and
African sculpture shapes link to ancient traditions
of craftsmanship, using designs and patterns that
are sometimes thousands of years old. More recently
these components of the style have been joined/
added to with new tribal art forms such as graffiti
and street art. The ‘Lost Tribes’ project by Erik
Parker is inspired by everything from hieroglyphics
to graffiti tags to create a unique vision of what is
going on now.
Other examples include the influential Afrofuture
exhibition at La Rinascente during Milan
Design Week 2013 which showcased the full range
of techno tribal style. Taking over the entire ground
floor of the store and featuring everything from
African sci-fi to bio design, Afrofuture showcased
the “exciting mind shift in African design and
technology and how it is radically shaping new
notions of design”.
In the last year we have seen fashion design
continuing to draw inspiration from tribal art.
Leading edge designers such as the aforementioned
Pilotto and Kenzo along with street-wear labels
such as ‘Perks and Mini’ aka P.A.M. and Adidas
are all currently referencing the ‘tribal’ aesthetic.
25 LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS 2014 / CREATIVE FUEL
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