FUTURIST IN THE PRESENT

a Book About Art, Design & Life

Written and Photographed by

Dani Foroux
Copyright © 2018 by Dani Foroux, All Rights Reserved
Published by Cyan House
www.foroux-pret-a-couture.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without
the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses
permitted by copyright law. The author of this book does not give medical
advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for
physical, emotional or medical problems without the advice of a physician. In
the case of depression, anxiety disorder, panic disorder or any other
emotional condition, consult your physician before using the techniques
described in this book. The intent of the author is only to offer information of
a general nature to help you in your quest for better thinking. In the event you
use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author does not
assume responsibility for your actions.
FUTURIST IN THE PRESENT
FUTURIST IN THE PRESENT

FOREWORD

PROLOGUE

THE YOUNG ARTIST

PRÊT-À-COUTURE

INTERNAL LOGIC

SOFIA

FUSION

ASPIRATION

ARCHITECTURE

INNER MONOLOGUE 1

COLOR

BLACK & WHITE

INTERPRETATION

PHILOSOPHY

DESIGN
WRITING
FILM
LIFE

INNOVATION

INSPIRATION

50% RULE
FULL MOON
SUN (RISE & SET)

INNER MONOLOGUE 2

ON FLIGHTS

SPACE AGE

1957
2018

THE FUTURE

FUTURIST IN THE PRESENT

PHONELESS DINNER
NOW (BACK TO SPACE)
REMINDER

RETRO IN ADVANCE

FINAL THOUGHTS

THE IDEA

ENVIRONMENT

STUDIO

UNIFORM

POSITIVITY
ART
QUALITY

SEASONS

SPRING
SUMMER
AUTUMN
WINTER

THE END OF DESIGN

STANDARDIZATION
A MILLION WAYS
BEGIN OF ART

PERFECTION

INNER MONOLOGUE 3

EPILOGUE

CREDITS

THE SAGA CONTINUES (NEWSLETTER)

Foreword
As a pragmatist, I never cared for design. I thought to myself, who cares?
What matters is that something works. Functionality over design—that was
my motto. But my brother, Dani, showed me that design is also a function.
We’re novelty seeking creatures. And if we only focused on the functionality,
we would have a boring world.
The eye is drawn to beautiful things—furniture, clothes, shoes, books, cars,
kitchen appliances, you name it. Over the past decade, I’ve learned to create
my own style. My office, home, clothes, writing, graphic design—they all
look and feel the same way. But it only came after Dani started talking about
design to me. Aesthetics enrich our lives. It’s something I truly believe in
now.
But that doesn’t mean beautiful things can’t be practical. I think that the shoe
my brother designed is a perfect example of that. I must admit, the first time I
saw his design, I couldn’t figure out what it exactly was. “Is it a sneaker? An
evening shoe? Or something else?”
Turns out, it’s none of the above. It’s a new category. As an entrepreneur, I
think that’s a good strategy too. Who wants to see another boring sneaker?
We’ve got enough of those. One of the most popular business books in recent
history, Blue Ocean Strategy, talks about how successful companies and
entrepreneurs found a new category for their products. Is it guaranteed that a
product will be successful? No. But at least you’re trying to make a change to
the status quo.
And that is what design is ultimately about. Like Dani shows in this book, it’s
about expanding our horizons and creating things that didn’t exist before.
With our imagination, we can create something out of nothing. No other
species can do that.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. It’s a look inside the mind of a
creator. I think we all have that inside of us. But it takes a lot of hard work
and effort to get it out of us. And then it takes even more work to materialize
our ideas. But as you’ll read in this book, it’s also possible.
Darius Foroux
Author of THINK STRAIGHT
Prologue
Admittedly, people often write books once they have achieved a ton of stuff.
But why wait until you’re older? Everyone has a vision and story to tell,
regardless of age. Young musicians are emerging with entire albums where
they tell theirs. My narrative of the past two years is this: For the sake of the
quest for perfection, I spent two years working on a single shoe.
This process has provided me new insights about art, design, and life. For
one, it made me redefine a concept many of us struggle with, perfection.
Also, it has given me a better sense of the term “fusion,” which drives my
personal style and label. In fact, if everything goes right, at the end you will
sense that this book was a fusion too.
Moreover, it’s a story behind the process of creating a new category of
footwear. A shoe named after my mother, Sofia, the best and most beautiful
mother on this planet. All captured in this book:
FUTURIST IN THE PRESENT
The title represents the type of person I have become during these two years-
in part, this book is a reflection of my “self” that I developed over the years.
But in addition, this book carries several wishes and goals I want to convey to
you, the reader.
First, my wish is that you get acquainted with the philosophy behind the
shoes that I’ve designed. In general, I believe it is important that one gets to
know the person who crafted the item one has purchased (but I equally like
you when you’re reading this without a purchase!). I mean, do you remember
the time when you bought CD, like ages ago?
The cover art of an album also served as a booklet. Whenever I got a new
CD, I immediately put it into the CD-player. And while listening, I loved
reading the booklet. I noticed that some of my favorite artists took the
opportunity to write personal words. Drake for instance, had an inspirational
letter at the end of the Take Care booklet where he thanked everyone
involved in the process. He even thanked Real Madrid for being the best team
in the FIFA video game. Or another artist would give a nice photography
exhibition that explained the album. I thought this was quite special.
That’s “sort of” what FUTURIST IN THE PRESENT is; the booklet of the
SOFIA shoes. But it’s more expansive than a traditional booklet. It contains a
collection of my philosophy on making art, design, and life. Hence, it’s a
booklet, fused with a biography, fused with a collection of essays, fused with
a look in the future. And yet, it’s whatever you want it to be.
As I will explain in this book, I view these shoes as an album that is driven
by a narrative. Even though I see this very clearly, I do understand that the
comparison between shoes and an album seems odd at first sight. So, I expect
and respect that people would like some explanation.
Further, especially these days, people are throwing around specific terms,
which has turned them into clichés and devalued their meaning. For instance,
everybody is talking about design and art in clichéd fashion—these are terms
that describe human life. We can’t compromise their meanings by just
unconsciously uttering them. So finally, this book is my dictionary, and
explanation of my views on universal concepts and terms.
Ultimately, aside from introducing myself and my vision, I hope you find at
least one useful or inspirational thing in this book. Regardless of your
position in life or your age, or interest in my label and purchase of my shoes
— I hope it’s something you can simply enjoy as a human being.
Dani, Spring 2018
The Young Artist
I’m close to mid twenty when I’m writing this. Two years ago, I decided to
start my label as a vessel to transport art into the world. This decision did not
make me an artist. No, I was born an artist.
I believe we all have this internal drive that enables us to make art. As kids,
we all loved doodling and drawing things. No matter how bad our stuff
looked; it was the state of being creative that we loved. We enjoyed the
stories we wrote and the worlds we created. I remember writing terrible
SpongeBob SquarePants fan-fiction when I was eight years old and loving it!
And my early affection for MacBook laptops inspired a desire to create one
for a school project. I was 12 years old. Unfortunately, though, my teacher
did not recommend recreating an Apple laptop; so, instead, I made an orange
lamp.
But the most serious art I made when I was a child were movies. I used my
weekends and long summers to think about stories, which we would film
with friends. In 2008, I had saved up enough money—supported by my
parents and big brother—to buy an Apple iMac. Now, my films got really
cool because of “pro” editing tools.
To this day, I still love the act and process of making stuff, whether it’s a film
or shoe. I see almost anything I do as art. Even our website is designed to
facilitate art- I like to call it a digital museum. Throughout our childhood, we
either cultivate this drive to create art or we lose it altogether. There are
probably important factors involved in this process, but I’m sure there are far
more competent authors to explain them. All I know is that anyone could be
an artist—becoming an artist is simply accepting the gift.
But we do not always choose the details of our art. Sometimes, the details
determine us, as they did while I was creating the SOFIA shoes.
Prêt-à-Couture
We did not simply choose this category for our shoes. Prêt-à-couture chose
us. Naturally, when I was designing the SOFIA, I knew I wanted to create
shoes unlike any other. Once I had finished the design, we couldn’t
categorize it as ready to wear or haute couture. It was something in between.
Looking at the shoes, I think prêt-à-couture made the right choice.
At some point, we all have heard of haute couture and ready to wear. The
former is all about the art, expressionism, and craftsmanship. Though these
garments are very inspirational and aspirational, they are also rather
inaccessible in general. On the other hand, ready to wear captures clothes and
shoes that are made exquisitely but “go easier on the body”. The purchasing
process is also very different. As a result, it’s more likely one would wear
ready to wear than haute couture.
Then, somewhere in the galaxy, there is Prêt-à-Couture— a unique division.
We like to say that we fuse the artful elements of Haute Couture with the
accessibility of Prêt-à-Porter (ready to wear). The influence of Haute
Couture is signified by our limited production capacity to ensure excellent
quality and exclusivity for our clients. Yet, you can buy our shoes rather
easily, and they have a comfortable fit around your feet. In short, thus,
FOROUX shoes encompass the art and craftsmanship of couture that you
can wear anytime you want.
As I wrote earlier, this book is like a booklet of the SOFIA shoes—a
companion. But why did I create this book to accompany the shoes? It’s not a
necessity to ship a book with shoes. As far as I know, brands don’t do this
normally. Well, even before I started designing, I said my shoes should feel
as focused as a music album. Then, the shoes and packaging arrived. Still, I
felt something was missing. And that’s when I remembered the album idea.
That’s what was missing! The booklet!
I can’t wait to usher more art based on the prêt-à-couture vision- one could
apply it to a variety of disciplines. Now, it’s shoes. Tomorrow, it’s garments.
Next week, we make visual art. Next year, we might design airplanes.
That’s what the label is about; there is no limit to the art that we can create as
long we have ideas and stories to tell. As long as we can find the appropriate
format for specific ideas, there are no borders. However, there is one catch-
we should never forget a vital principle called the internal logic.
Internal Logic
Every time I design, I seek a purpose- a reason for the work’s existence. For
the first shoes I ever created, the inspiration was my mother. You know, I
need a(n) (imaginary) place I can visit. And, as you have noticed by now, I
don’t treat or label my creations as products. They’re simply art, which is an
important distinction.
The creation of art follows a different process than making a product. True art
is made according to the internal logic of the artifice and not a predetermined
formula. While designing, I put my faith in this principle. When I worry
about a design, I remember myself that it will be fine as long as I follow that
internal logic, whatever that is at a particular point in time.
As I will explain later, the “future” is a standard ingredient of all of my
designs. But for now, suffice it to say that the true logic of SOFIA is my
desire to make unique shoes for my mother while introducing unique
footwear for fashion-forward women in general. Inherent, the idea lies of
combining two, seemingly contradictory, elements:
A. The casualness of a sneaker
B. The elegance of a stiletto
And then there is something else. I have an image in my mind of a young and
modern professional woman who wants to be different in an organic way.
These days, we often hear brands say, “Be different,” or some variation of
that statement. But the core stays the same- stand out from the crowd. That’s
when you know that nothing and nobody will ever be different as long as we
collectively keep saying stuff like that. Brands hire ad agencies and
marketing firms to tell the world that their brand or company is unique.
This message should not be communicated aggressively. Instead, I believe
uniqueness belongs inside the art and even product—which is the task of the
designer who engraves his vision in the art.
I always knew I wanted to be a multidisciplinary artist. I wanted to paint,
design clothes and shoes, design cars and buildings, make films and record
music. But only recently, I realized something. Each idea has its appropriate
medium. And there is only one way to find that medium.
It’s only by growing through life and accumulating information that we
finally understand the logic of what we see in our minds. This process will
tell us how to manifest our ideas and how to make them tangible. This is the
organic way to create art without forcing it by using standard formulae.
SOFIA
As a child, my mother would take me shopping for shoes. Not just for myself,
but also for her. Sometimes, she would ask me to pick shoes for her. I
remember picking the most elegant models because I always wanted her to
look great. Because the greatest mother on earth deserves to look beautiful at
all times. I always looked forward to these moments.
Thus, it makes sense to name my first shoe ever after the woman who
introduced me to the concept of shoes, and the experience of shopping for
shoes. Today, I don’t just pick shoes for her, but I have created them for her
and for women around the globe. Truly, this is what makes me happy. But
what exactly about my mother inspired me?
My mom still tells me many stories of her adolescence. She always wore- and
still wears -the nicest clothes. She loved the fashion magazines, and when she
saw a dress she loved, she asked her mother to reproduce it for her. My
grandmother was great at this. But shoes were the part of her outfits that she
loved in particular. Specifically, my mom loved ankle strap sandals during
her youth. I guess that explains the strap in the design of the SOFIA.
In recent years, my mom has expressed a desire for comfortable shoes in
addition to her elegant heels. However, there were no elegant alternatives
available. Sure, there are minimalistic white sneakers that go with almost
anything. However, in my opinion, the design of these sneakers is antiquated.
Don’t get me wrong though; heels have been around for many years too, but
the timelessness is designed into their form. In other words, timeless elegance
is simply inherent to heels.
Anyway, the point is that we needed a completely new design that combined
elegance with comfort. And my mom’s desire triggered inspiration within
me.
Then, a few seasons ago, women started paring sneakers with dresses.
Suddenly, we saw high fashion accepting the minimal white tennis shoe with
an elegant maxi dress. I remember a certain high-profile designer admitting
that he accepted the style in Vogue. I guess you could call this “modern
style” an act of fusion; to a certain extent, that is viable. But still, we were
dealing with an existing product that needed an elegant counterpart to
produce a new style- the sneakers needed the dress to manifest elegance in
the big picture. Rather, I was looking to bring elegance and comfort into one
artifice. Inherently, this made me reconsider the term fusion.
 Fusion
fusion
noun, often attributive fu·sion \ ˈfyü-zhᵊn \

a union by or as if by melting: such as:

a. popular music combining different styles (such as jazz and rock)
b. food prepared using techniques and ingredients of two or more ethnic or
regional cuisines

You might have heard of the term fusion related to cooking. When I visited
Los Angeles in 2013, I noticed many food trucks. In particular, one truck
stood out to me. On the truck read: Kogi Dog. I had never heard of it before,
but it sounded Japanese or Korean. There was quite a line before the truck
too. So, as people do, we decided the food must be nice and we joined the
line. As I got closer to the truck, I heard someone explaining how a Kogi Dog
combined Korean food with an American hot dog- or rather how it fused
Korean and American cuisine. In the culinary sphere, this isn’t anything new.
And thankfully, because the fusion of both worlds made the Kogi Dog a
delicious treat.
Fusion is the combination or synthesis of at least two different styles. In the
arts, fusion is quite prevalent too. For instance, in Spike Jonze’s Her (2013),
the influence is apparent in production design. Joaquin Phoenix’s character
wanders around a Los Angeles that was familiar to me; yet, something was
off.
During the emphatic moments of the film, we are shown several aerial shots
of the city. Sure, LA’s downtown area has some high-rise buildings, but it
seemed exaggerated in these visuals. The reason was to create a near-future
Los Angeles, the production designers combined the city with some areas of
Shanghai, a city known for its skyscrapers. That’s right; they fused parts of
two different cities to create a new, futuristic, city.
With the SOFIA I took a somewhat similar approach to fusion. Literally, the
foundation of these shoes exists of two counter poles on the style spectrum.
The shoes synthesize a classic, elegant style with a modern, casual style. The
fusion of both worlds results in a modernist piece. More importantly, it
turned exactly into what I wanted to create, based on my mom’s stories.
So, first there were, and still are, women who dared to wear sneakers with an
elegant dress. We could argue that these women fused two distinct styles; in
other words, they combined a classic look with a casual touch. This was a
nice start. But everything grows and evolves; SOFIA is the evolution of the
fusion of elegance and comfort.
Aspiration
When I started FOROUX , I did not choose to design for 90 percent of the
women. Instead, I focused on the woman who desired a change of the status
quo. She is a strong and independent person who designs her day according
to her desires and dreams. In my mind, she is fed up with the currently
available designs and seeks something entirely new. However, she wants a
delicate revolution and no gimmicks.
In life, we shouldn’t be dominated by income, skin color, look, weight or
where we’re from. Instead, what we want from this life is far more
interesting. Today, we aspire to be something that transcends these antiquated
and random labels.
So, for my first design, I too aspired to create a piece that transcends old
ideas; the SOFIA challenges the notions of traditional footwear. Not
excessively or extravagantly, which would constitute a violation of my design
language- I started to reconsider the architecture of footwear.
Architecture
Architecture is the basis of everything. Even life. So, anything we design,
inherently starts with architecture. I mean this most plainly and superficially.
I like to look at a sky-scraper and wonder, “How does this thing remain
intact?” I conclude that if a strong foundation simultaneously elevates in the
sky and grounds on land an 80-story building, so will a life benefit from
strong architecture.
Around the globe, new buildings are built continuously- fresh foundations are
constructed each day. Similarly, we get more than one chance to build
something meaningful in this one life we get to live. Therefore, I never
worry, and neither should you.
There are three essential architectural questions when designing footwear:
1. What kind of foundation are we dealing with?
2. Where does the foot land when one takes a step?
3. Where is the most pressure?
These questions influence the choice of materials. With certain kinds of
leather, for instance, one should be aware of wrinkles when dealing with a
special foundation. During the development of prototypes for the SOFIA we
experienced this first hand. Since the sole- the foundation -is designed similar
to the flatness of a sneaker, while maintaining the height of stiletto pumps,
the pressure ends somewhere in the middle of the shoes.
While experimenting with calf leather, the wrinkles were excessive in this
area; the aesthetic was compromised, which forced us to develop a special
strong kind of leather that would prevent wrinkles in this pressure point.
Now, the flat foundation of the shoes is supported by the right material, and
the wrinkles are prevented significantly.
See, everything starts with foundation- it pre-determines everything that
follows inception. Yet, even if our foundation in life was not as strong as we
wished, we could still achieve what we want. You see, we can always
educate ourselves to support and strengthen our foundation. Education in the
present moment allows us to find the materials we seek for our future.
Inner Monologue 1
“Everybody calls themselves creatives these days. Just because someone is
doing something art-related, does not make them creative. Creativity is the
ability to arrange a completely new dialogue within elements of an artifice;
to allow the inner communication to emerge. And as a consequence, to spark
an emotion within people.
Creative people have seen the idea for their art in its abstract nature in their
mind; they try to understand the logic of their idea. Subsequently, creative art
is the physical manifestation and understanding of that idea in the world.
Today, it has become very easy for people to make things look creative.
Because certain people have provided us an idea or connotation of creativity.
However, words will never capture the essence of creativity. Deep inside, you
know that one can sense true creativity when exposed to it- creativity reminds
us that we are human beings.”
Color
Aristotle was the first person to propose a color theory. He suggested that
color is given to the people by the Gods through celestial rays of light.
Further, he believed that all colors derive from black and white, and related
colors to the four elements: water, air, earth, and fire. For about 2000 years
this was accepted wisdom.
However, in the Mid 17th century, English scientist Sir Isaac Newton made a
colorful discovery. He found that if pure white light passes through a prism, it
divides the light into all the visible colors. Inherently, that means clear white
light is composed of seven visible colors; these are the colors that we see in a
rainbow. This tells us that color is not in the object we’re looking at; rather,
the surface of the object reflects some colors or absorbs all.
Side Note: I love vibrant colors. But there is something special about black
and white. In my mind, they are the most peaceful colors; they don’t ask for
any company.
White is what we see when all wavelengths are reflected. White is all colors
and no color at the same time, which reminds me of Aristotle’s claim, all
colors derive from black and white. If you reverse engineer the notion of all
colors and no color at the same time, you will understand Aristotle. White is
an optimistic sign since we can fill it with our desires, hopes, and dreams.
White is the start and end of life- a sign of infinity.
Black is what we perceive when all wavelengths are absorbed. Some say it’s
the absence of color. However, you could also say that it’s the absorption of
all colors, which makes black all colors at the same time. Right?
Particles on Door (2015)
Black & White
A canvas is white. This allows the artist to spill his imagination limitlessly.
Of course, physical limits depend on the borders of the canvas. But the
largest part remains white—an opportunity to paint anything inside the easel
that carries the canvas. And even if you’re worried about limits, you can
always paint on multiple canvasses, placed next to each other. You will even
give the painting a special dynamic, not too different from life. Life is not
only one blank canvas. It’s a structured mix of painted and yet to be painted
opportunities.
Before I explain the presence of black and white in the SOFIA shoes, let me
say that for everything, I believe that we can have two judgments:
1. A literal perception
2. An interpretation

Yes, everything can have two judgments. But often, we are limited to the first
judgment. Admittedly, this does not surprise me- in everyday life, we don’t
get many opportunities to interpret art. Empty matter dominates our
surroundings.

Sure, the literal perception does not need any explanation. It’s just what we
see: A white shoe with black parts, and an oval sole. But personally, I think
the interpretation is more interesting. The best part is that there is no right and
wrong while interpreting art. There is only an interpretation, and we get to fill
something someone created with our ideas, our desires, and our view of life.
In a way, the artist gives us the opportunity to finish the art.
Interpretation
First, the upper of the SOFIA is white to reflect life. This white space, our
canvas or life, is placed between two black borders: The strap and sole.
Between these two borders, anything is possible. As soon as we are born,
only birth and death are sure; what happens in between is super dynamic and
dependable on us. In other words, the white upper represents the endless
possibility between birth and death. In this sense, both black parts are not
negative; rather, they are simply facts.
Obviously, the sole is the lower half of the shoe and seems more massive
than the upper for support purposes. The black, ball-shaped, sole then creates
a force that pulls down the white upper. This makes the ball stand out from
the white upper and allows it to disappear in the black sole again, uniting the
undersole with the ball.
To me, the ball represents non-conformity and achievement. It took two years
to get a ball that was exactly 180 degrees and it wasn’t done before. Some
even said it was impossible. Ultimately, we achieved it and created a non-
conformist artwork.
Don’t worry about this interpretation though. It’s only one of the many. My
point is just to tell you that these shoes are not just shoes. As art, they are
open to interpretation. That’s the way you can approach them. And if you just
like to wear them, I’m extremely happy too.
Finally, I’m happy when people say two distinct things about the shoes. First,
they recognize the fusion of sneaker and stiletto. I’m glad about this because,
as I wrote earlier, I intended this and worked hard to fuse the styles
delicately. Then, often people follow up by expressing a connotation of the
future. Why I’m happy about this, aside from the future as perpetual
ingredient of my work, I will tell you later.
Philosophy
Design
I feel like now would be a great time to talk about “design.” Similar to the
word creativity, design is a term that is overused today. Designer lamps,
designer furniture, designer TVs, designer shoes, designer this, and designer
that. But I wonder, what are we even talking about, when we talk about
design?
To me, design is the mutual communication between parts of a physical
entity. Then, what we see, and judge is a meta-conversation. “Wait, what?”
Ok, let’s break that down for a minute by examining my own work.

It’s safe to conclude a few things about the picture above. First, the physical
entity is the silhouette or shoe. The shoe has an oval sole and a pointy, stiletto
nose. Before sketching, I visualized the shoes first, and I noticed a certain
dialogue between the ball-shaped sole and the pointy nose. Sure, on paper
there is a clear contrast between both forms. But, after a second glance at the
shoes, you could note that the “ball” and the nose share a certain roundness,
which I like to compare to different shades of a particular color. Forms,
similar to colors, have different levels. So, when I look at the silhouette from
the side, I see a clear roundness in the ball- while the nose shares a shade of
curviness which, viewed from the front, is a sharp point.
Are you still with me? Ok, let’s continue with the communication between
the ball and strap. So, we established that the ball sticks out of the white
upper (the body of the shoe). Then, what we can see is that the strap hovers
above the upper and pushes into space in forward motion. Again, it seems
like the exact opposite of the ball, which sticks out in backward motion. Their
communication appears when one looks at the green circle in the picture
below.
If you focus on the middle of the upper (the green circle) - the area between
the oval sole and the end of the strap - you can see the heart of the design.
Here, the eye captures the shape and direction of the parts; the sole, strap, and
nose all come together in this area. I understand you might wonder what the
point of this analysis is. But there is no better way to explain design as
communication.

In the end, there is no rational way to justify the communication between

parts of a physical entity. One simply feels the communication. Personally,
the inherent relationship between the parts of the silhouette triggers emotions
within me, the designer. And I hope it does within you too.
Not only shapes, but also colors communicate as I explained before.
Subsequently, communication between components provides us meaning.
The parts of the “thing” are trying to tell us something about the “thing.”
Let’s use a different example and imagine a desk. The desk is made of wood
that is dyed with a shiny white layer—it’s a white shiny desk. It’s an ultra-
clean white desk; there is not even a bit of dust on it—spotless. What does
this tell you about the desk and the person who it belongs to? What is the
purpose of the desk? What does it tell you about the designer? And what does
your answer tell about you, the viewer?
This is the meta-communication and it is twofold. First, once the components
together have finished their conversation, they join each other and show the
viewer the total individual communication. This allows for a literal view of
the artifice- we are presented a certain aesthetic. Directly after this, the
viewer has a chance to judge and interpret the artifice; we call something
beautiful or ugly, which is not that relevant. What is more interesting is
whether we share the artist’s view or that we interpret the “thing” differently.
Unsurprisingly, meta-communication is highly subjective. It all depends on
one’s frame of reference and experience of life. But remember: There is no
right or wrong; there are only interpretations.
Designer
Who is the designer then? Simply put, this is the person who arranges the
communication between the parts. In the beginning, these parts float around
the mind of the designer. Then, magically, he/she puts the parts together to
make the idea tangible. In my case, it’s when I make the sketch based on
what I see in my mind. That’s when I notice the communication.
I believe that a force beyond our comprehension somehow notifies us of a
certain communication—it comes to us in the form of an idea. What I know
for sure is that I, as the designer, only have a desire to create something that
wasn’t here a few minutes ago. And as humans grow through life and
compose the Self, the designer simultaneously composes and enriches his
source of creativity. And it can all start as simple as my mom taking me out
to shop for shoes.
Process
When I design, I have an idea or dream that I try to reproduce in the physical
world. The sketch is the only tangible piece I have of the abstraction that’s
inside my mind. I prefer to stick to that sketch and therefore I don’t change
anything along the way. Because the sketch is the closest I get to the idea that
I received from the mysterious force.
In the end, just like musicians have a sound, designers have something that
marks them too. It would be simplistic to call it a style. So, if I had to name
my “sound,” it would be “fusionary youth.” I simply speak youth that I fuse
with elements I care about at a particular moment in time; marking where in
time my work and I are living and breathing. This is the dynamic and organic
process I’m trying to protect by maintaining a fixed design process.
I prefer to design digitally, so I sketch on a tablet rather than on paper.
Nonetheless, I have not completely forgotten about paper; the allure of pencil
and paper is too strong. Sometimes, I just sketch abstract drawings. For some
reason, I have an affection for squares.

Abstract drawings help me clear my mind before sketching ideas. And I’m
not even aiming for perfection. It’s just me, canvas and pencil.
Further, I don’t use mood boards in the traditional sense. I don’t have pictures
of a certain topic or feeling on the wall of my studio (more about this space
later). Also, I don’t go on Pinterest or any other (digital) medium for
inspiration. This would violate my design process and vision on seeking
inspiration.
My mood board is the initial idea that I have in mind for a specific design.
The idea might seem very large and lacking borders since it floats around in
my mind. But I spend much time and effort to synthesize it down to a
tangible form, something others can see as well. This is literally where the
magic happens as the parts of the idea start their mutual communication. And
to boost creativity, I keep doing stuff that will at least have an ROI of 50%
inspiration (I’ll explain this later).
Writing
Writing is quite different from designing for me. I neither use the same
metrics nor philosophy. Yet, there is some overlap too. While writing, I have
a clear idea or scope as well. I make some notes and compose an outline of
the main ideas. However, none of these lead the way; instead, my mind
wanders around in the form of words on the page. My structure is influenced
by how I feel after the previous sentence. Second per second, I compose a
story dynamically and organically.
Even though my goal remains the same as while I’m designing (to pour my
feelings exactly as I have in mind), the process is different. In writing, the
flexible style helps to achieve my goal. On the other hand, for design the
fixed process delivers me exactly what I see in my mind.
Interestingly, in editing there is some overlap. When you design a shoe, it
needs to be prototyped before production. And the prototyping phase is the
editing phase for me where I clean things up. There are always details that
need some polishing. For instance, certain stitches might not be applied
according to my standards. So, I make a note and get it fixed.
Film
Shoes are not the first art I have created. As I wrote before, I made short films
as a child. I started when I was six years old together with friends. And in
2015, we made a short film, Mystery By The Lake, which we screened at a
Dutch film festival.
That’s when I started to understand and appreciate the power of
interpretation. I had written the film as a motion painting- meaning that the
story and characters were not fixed, and actions were open to interpretation.
One could project their emotions and vision into it. Each viewer had his or
her idea of what had occurred during the seven-minute playing time.
Sure, there were a few interpretations that matched my intentions. But what I
loved most about making Mystery By The Lake were the explanations that
had nothing to do with my initial idea. At moments like these, you get
introduced to a completely new life of your work. This matters more than
compliments or criticism. As a viewer, understanding art is not merely
understanding the intentions behind the work. It’s digesting the internal logic
of the artwork according to the way the viewer sees the world. Also, one’s
life experience is essential; a child interprets a painting differently than the
average adult. That’s the beauty of art and an important reason why I don’t
create products. No, I create art.
Surprisingly, designing shoes and making a film are not that different. It all
starts with an idea- a philosophical abstraction that emerges as a feeling.
Then, out of the abstraction, characters are born. The existence of these
characters revolves around a set of atoms wandering around the universe—
they’re abstract from nature.
As I wrote before, we make up our Self by compiling more information from
our surroundings as we grow through life. As a result, we become less
abstract and more concrete; but be careful, the risk of too much information is
ambiguity.
Life
I’m not sure if I can capture the essence yet. All I know is that family,
friends, health, and art are important values.
Innovation
In each industry, people share different definitions of authentic innovation. In
general, though, we can say that professionals distinguish between
optimization of processes and the creation of an entirely new process.
Optimization simply means pushing existing technology or design to a
maximum. A new process means transforming the current technology or
design. Specific to design, this often entails a new aesthetic and meaning.
As I explained before, I interpret design as the communication between parts
of an artifice. The artifice comes in various forms: a water bottle, television
set, laptop, car, plane, book, shoe, dress, a building, etc. All these artifices
have an existing communication at some point in time.
The television set has a screen. Throughout history, the television has
evolved dramatically. In the beginning, it was a tiny box with a screen not
larger than an iPad. Today, we have a 55-inch flat screen in our living rooms.
Before, the tiny black/white screen, which popped out of the TV set, was
surrounded by giant bezels. Today, the OLED screen has lost the
communication with the bezels. And fortunately, today’s televisions do not
carry a huge box in the back.
The removal of the bezels and box is a disruption of the traditional
communication between parts of a TV set. This evolution allowed us to hang
those 55 inches of pure OLED on the wall. The meaning of our wall, and TV
changed as a consequence.
This leads to an additional effect of innovation. Namely, innovation means
change of the traditional meaning of an artifice or product- change of the
metacommunication. Suddenly, the TV becomes a wall decoration, much like
a painting, instead of being a practical device.
The original meaning of television was to introduce us to events in the world.
The device brought the world into our living rooms. And today, sure, we still
watch the news, foreign shows, and YouTube on our set. However, first we
need the sleekly designed flat screen, so we can make our living room look
stylish.
So, if one completely rearranges the communication between parts of an
artifice, one can change its legacy- at least for a limited amount of time. The
world is constantly evolving, and meanings are changing along. But in order
to make the world turn, we need inspiration.
Inspiration
As artists, we seek inspiration all the time. However, as you might
understand, forcing this quest will not result in the most spontaneous ideas.
Therefore, I allow myself to be surrounded by people, places and things that
can potentially inspire me. To keep things simple, I have set a rule for
myself: There must be a 50% chance that I get inspired. Otherwise, I simply
don’t show up.
50% Rule
A few years ago, one day in spring, I was walking through our local
bookstore. I was not planning to buy a book or anything. Instead, the visit
was the result of an afternoon with a friend downtown. We met up
occasionally to talk about art-related topics and life. So, it wouldn’t surprise
me to get something inspirational out of our meeting.
We had coffee, caught up and decided to go for a walk through the city. And
as the only bookstore in town emerged in our view, my friend suggested
going inside. Even though it was nice weather outside, I figured I like books
—so why not.
We spent much time in the store. We browsed some irrelevant shelves
(sometimes we spend some time at the travel section, even though most
information about the topic is on Google), before we ended up in the fiction
and poetry section.
They say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but doesn’t the cover stand out
while you’re simply browsing the shelves? I certainly think so; if the cover
art does not speak to me, I simply do not pick up the book. And the contrary
proved true too as I noticed a little book, hidden in the middle of the shelf.
The cover was designed in a beautiful pink color with birds printed on it. I
picked up the book and started reading a little bit. I bought it in an instant. I
returned home and started working on a short film.
What had happened? I went out for coffee with a friend and ended up in a
bookstore. I did not know and did not expected to find this book that
afternoon, tucked away somewhere in the shelves of a bookstore. Neither was
I determined to spend money on a new book. I just knew that there was a
50% chance of getting inspired when I left to meet this friend.
This rule allows me to place myself in situations designed by chance and
luck. The chance part is expecting some insight from conversations with my
friend. Luck is what happened after that conversation, something that was not
planned at all, but just occurred. Sure, we all know that books can offer new
insights and spark our minds. But the only thing we need to do, is just realize
this very fact, and we’re open to potentially inspirational things in life as a
consequence.
Why 50 percent chance? Well, 50/50 is exactly enough space to make a
decision. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.
So, 50% is the minimum. When I go to a museum, the chance to get inspired
is obviously higher since I’m surrounded by pure art. The movie theatre is
also a very inspirational space for me. Obviously, this heavily depends on the
type of film I’m seeing. But in general, there is a high degree of immersion.
In particular, Christopher Nolan films are ultra-inspirational in cinema. I’ll
never forget watching Inception (2010) on such a large screen. It planted the
seed of wanting to create art of immense scale.
Full Moon
One of the most inspirational things in nature is a full moon. A full moon is
beautiful during both a clear and cloudy night. On a clear night, the rays of
light clearly illuminate large parts of the dark sky. During a cloudy night,
though, you can see the clouds cover the moon like dust. Moon dust, as I like
to call it, creates the illusion of a second sky, hovering relatively low above
our heads.
By just having a silent moment of staring at the full moon, I get a special kind
of energy. It’s the feeling that I can create any art I want—a beautiful ecstasy
of sheer creativity.
There is something magical about being in a high-rise building at night while
looking at a full moon through the glass. Especially during a super cold
Winter night where you have nowhere else to go. All you can do is share a
moment.
Sun (rise & set)
Research shows that people are happier when the sun shines longer. But we
don’t need science to tell us that. We all know the difference in mood we
experience during darkness and light.
And since the sun makes me happy, it makes me more productive and
inspired. The sun is like a catalyst- it makes nice things even nicer.
Of course, the beauty of the sunrise and sunset is special. These are both
moments of the day when we witness the pure dynamic of life on earth.
Sunset and sunrise are signals of transformation- the day metamorphizes into
the night, and vice versa. Our planet is never idle.
Sure, the beauty of a sunrise and sunset is a treat to the eye, but as artists we
should try to adopt this dynamic in our work. That’s the purpose of nature on
our planet- to show us how to make art.
Inner Monologue 2
“You carefully contemplate your impact in today’s culture. A today where
one is enticed to ride trends.
What do designers think of when they create products that live on the internet
rather than in the real world? What are their goals? What is their
philosophy? Why do they create these products today? And what is their
impact tomorrow?
You’re aiming for longevity and seek meaning for your work- similar to the
art that people enjoy years after creation. Something that helps people live
happily. That’s what drives you. You would feel like a fraud if the work lacks
meaning- when meaning is fabricated and is a mere façade.
But there is no need for worries: you’ll never let that happen to your art.”
On Flights
From a very young age, I have enjoyed flights. But it took many years before
I understood that you can use the time you spend on a plane to contemplate
and meditate—with your mind in the clouds.
Since you’re literally in or above the clouds, there is no place you can go
other than your shared destination. For a limited amount of time, we cannot
influence the direction of our life. Before we boarded the plane, we decided
to head in a certain direction. So, as soon as we’re inside, control of our
trajectory is out of our hands.
Ironically, you’re stuck in your own mind while traveling to a destination that
you simultaneously share with hundreds of others. You might think of all the
fun things you have planned on your trip. Or maybe you’re traveling home,
and you’re thinking about the chores you have to take care of. Perhaps you’re
traveling for work and are strategizing before you arrive. But I use this
wasted time to reflect on life and work.
Side note: Some planes are in service since the 1970s. Imagine all the people
who have sat in your seat since then. Where were they traveling to, towards
which dreams were they flying?
Window seats are nice since you can just stare out of the window for hours
depending on the distance you’re traveling. I remember I flew to Los Angeles
in the Summer of 2013. From Amsterdam, this flight was about 14 hours in
total with a connection in Las Vegas. At one point we were flying over Utah,
and the landscape was just breathtaking. I still see those beautiful images
very clearly in my mind. These internal images can always be used; the thing
about inspiration is that it doesn’t have to work directly.
Even though you’re doing your own little thing, you and all other passengers
are landing at the same place, at the same time. From that shared destination,
all passengers continue their lives. You know, I think there should be a
special airline that just flies to make people think and reflect for a few hours.
Or imagine we could fly to space and lose our down to earth thoughts for a
second.
Space Age
We’re currently living in the second space age.
1957
Historians document that the First Space Age started in 1957 after the
Sputnik launch. It lasted until the 70s. That’s when fashion and design, in
general, shifted to a funkier and softer style.
During the 60s and 70s, not only fashion, but also disciplines like
architecture, design, film, and music were influenced by the atomic character
of the time. The period is characterized by huge optimism. Suddenly, wealth
improved in the Western hemisphere and an endless belief in a better future
grew in society.
It is difficult to avoid circular reasoning when discussing the aesthetic of the
period. We all have preconceived notions of the space age. We often tend to
draw a parallel to the future. The reason is that during the Space Age, design
was based on futurism. I will talk about this extensively a little bit later.
But for now, I can suffice by saying that the artifacts of the period look like
they’re made on a different planet, by extraterrestrial designers. They do not
share the appearance of their earthly counterparts.
A great example of a design from the era is the Go-Go Boot designed by the
late Andre Courreges. A simple Google search shows you what I mean.
Uniqueness stems from the internal logic of these shoes. Every part supports
the space age vision. Just examine the stitching for a second. The pattern is
stitched from the middle and flows into a specific motif at the heel.
Compared to regular shoes, these boots look like they’re designed on a
different planet.
2018
In the First Space Age, space programs were initiated and coordinated by
government bodies. But today, private companies are getting closer to getting
us to space every day.
Space-X and Virgin Galactic are two firms led by visionaries, Elon Musk and
Richard Branson. The former was launched in 2002, the latter in 2004. Both
share a common goal: Get people, like you and me, to travel to outer space.
And as we’re closer than ever to democratize space travel, I like to raise the
question: Does space influence contemporary design?
Culture has changed dramatically since 1957. Contemporary design is highly
fragmented- we’re caught up in too many trends at the same time. Most
people are not consciously concerned with what is going on in space and
humanity’s quest to reach it. So, very quickly, we can establish that today’s
design is not inspired by our quest to reach outer space. In fact, other than
Tom Sachs’s work, I don’t see much art influenced by the realistic possibility
of going to space.
Consequently, I don’t have a clear picture of what the state of design is today.
On the one hand, mainstream design and fashion are marked by
standardization. On the other hand, fragmentation has taken over design and
fashion since the rise of fast fashion chains. A positive side effect, though, is
that there is something for everybody.
One of the first reactions that I receive on the SOFIA is: “Wow, it looks very
futuristic”. They’re quite correct; it looks like it has just arrived from the
future. Why? Because this was an ingredient of the idea behind the shoes. In
addition to my mom’s stories, I pictured this shoe to be something women
would wear once the second space age had proven a large success. They
would be the shoes one would wear in a penthouse in space.
My mind wanders off, and I ask you to join me for a second. Imagine we
could build apartments in space, not even on planets. Imagine looking down
from a glass platform on our Planet Earth and taking in its beauty and
immenseness- realizing the core of our existence on Earth.
It shouldn’t be impossible; the International Space Station also floats in outer
space. I guess we just need an architecture that carries the logic and purpose
of life in space.
I can take people’s comments about the “futuristic design” in multiple ways.
First, I can be pleased since I wanted to create something that is viscerally
futuristic. And, I feel like I’m contributing to design in the Second Space
Age. Because I do spend some time thinking “What are we going to wear
when we fly to space?” And even if the launch takes longer than expected, at
least we have cool stuff to wear in the meantime.
Nevertheless, I sometimes wonder “Could the silhouette be ahead of its
time?” Admittedly, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was; isn’t being ahead of
time the point of innovation? This simply means that a tiny bit of the future is
happening right before our eyes- the future in the present.
The Future
To me, the future is an abstraction just like any artwork. You might think that
the future is a blank canvas. Nonetheless, one could make a point to prove the
contrary. Continuously, we have expectations of tomorrow. In fact, we are
thinking about the future more than the present. So, how can the future be a
blank page?
Well, in reality, we don’t know with 100% certainty what will happen the
next second. So, the future will always be an open field. All we have is an
expectation of tomorrow. The prediction can only come true by working for
what you want today for tomorrow. Tomorrow is exactly like the minutes
before a painter puts the first splatters of paint on a canvas. It is pristine.
The arts influence our views of the future; the Sc-Fi genre, for instance, has
always examined the future. Unfortunately, most books and films of the
genre entertain a negative outlook. Many tell tales of a dystopian future. A
Clockwork Orange, Brave New World, Blade Runner, and The Terminator,
just to name a few, share this negative view. It’s difficult to find movies or
books that take a more positive perspective on the near future. The only one I
could find is, again, Her.
The way the city is constructed by fusing LA with Shanghai, just makes you
want to live in it. However, if you compare this with Blade Runner’s take on
future Los Angeles, all you want to do is escape it. And the love affair of
Phoenix’s character with his phone’s OS, Samantha, is not by definition
negative. It’s simply an alternative for a human connection. And the
somewhat somber consequences and process of their love seems similar to
what we see in other romantic movies. Fortunately, the story ends well as
romantic movies often do.

Futurist in the Present

futurist
noun fu·tur·ist \ ˈfyü-chə-rist \

1. one who studies and predicts the future especially on the

 basis of current trends
2. one who advocates or practices futurism

I realize the importance of staying in the present moment. But at the same
time, I love thinking about the future. In fact, bringing the future to the now
is my job as a designer. On top of that, I have chosen to only make innovative
art. Anything less is a failure in my eyes.
I’m a firm believer in the notion that one should stay in the present. We are
not in direct control of what happens the next instance. By focusing on what
we can control we feel better in the long run; what we control is the present,
the now (sure, there are exceptions while on a plane). Moreover, the only
place I can physically exist is now. But my mind is free to wander to
tomorrow and create anything that already exists in the abstraction of the
future. The mission is to bring that to today.
Long had I struggled with this dichotomy. I couldn’t find a way to deal with
it until I realized that I was a futurist in the present. This allowed me to think
about a better tomorrow purposefully. Subsequently, I must apply the ideas
today to create the tomorrow that’s in my mind. Otherwise, these thoughts
remain pointless abstractions, and oblivious to the world. A rule of thumb
should be introduced at this juncture:
Of 24 hours, the Futurist in the Present spends 90% in the NOW - 10% in the
future.
Our memories, internal art, are an exception to the rule. I don’t like to dwell
on the past because I can’t change anything about it. So, when I reminisce for
inspirational purposes—to call up the internal art—I just find the feeling I
need, and leave the past.
If I stay in the present most of the day to create something I dream about, I
have found that I can make tremendous progress. And on a different level, I
believe this rule helps us, humans, connect to each other.
Phoneless Dinner
I enjoy having dinner with one person in particular. During the time we spend
together, this person never checks their phone. In fact, during our last dinner,
the person’s iPhone was in their coat, which was placed on the chair next to
me. The person had a substantial distance between her and the phone, the
most distracting device in our life.
Having no distractions allows us to focus on the present moment we spend
with another human being. Present moments become the memories we
cherish most in the future. And we will remind these moments vividly
because of the lack of distractions.
Now (back to Space)
Sure, it might take some time until we can all vacation in a hotel in Space.
So, being a Futurist in the present, my company’s identity too revolves
around bringing the future to the now. We can’t sit still and wait- so why not
bring ideas about space to earth? The SOFIA is the first example, and as I
wrote before, we plan to manifest this vision via different disciplines. The
future of bringing the future to the present is very bright.
Reminder
Again, the only time we can live is the present moment. And we can only
design the future in the present since we only live now. Physically, there is no
other dimension to exist in. Only our mind can move through dimensions.
The combination of being physically limited to the present and the abstract
movement through time makes design a beautiful craft.
Retro in Advance
I do not consider myself a futurist in the traditional sense because the idea of
traditional futurism is not entirely clear to me. Remember the futuristic style
of the 1950s? The cars looked like space vehicles and buildings looked like
they were grounded on the moon. People believed that was how these things
would look like in the future. Yet today, we can look back on that period and
establish that almost nothing has come true. We still don’t have flying cars.
Now, imagine we would bring the 1950s futurism back; granting the era's
designers' wishes and visions. Would it still be futuristic? No? Then, what
should we call it instead?
The answer is retro. And that's the problem of futurism. As soon as a
prediction of the future becomes a reality, the idea or design becomes retro. If
I would design something 'futuristic' today, and in a hundred years it receives
wide acceptance, I have created retro in advance.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines retro as: Relating to, reviving, or
being the styles and especially the fashions of the past: fashionably nostalgic
or old-fashioned. This is a great definition in my opinion since it is exactly
what happens when predictions come true. What else does reviving or being
the styles of the past mean? All this taken into consideration, I dare to say
that FaceTime and Skype are retro.
In 1968, genius filmmaker Stanley Kubrick made one of the most innovative
pieces of cinema. He created a film named 2001: A Space Odyssey. Honestly,
if you would tell me this film was made in 2018, I would believe it (if I was
completely ignorant regarding cinema). Just viscerally, it does not feel like
1968. In an early scene in the film, we see Dr. Haywood R. Floyd video
calling his family back on earth.
In 1964, AT&T experimented with an invention that the company named
Videophone. The technology did not become mainstream - until 30 years
later when Skype created its software. The main reason was the financial
constraint: at $16 per 3 minutes, a 15-minute video call with your BFF would
amount to $80 (or $610 in 2014). However, in 1968, Mr. Kubrick predicted
that a video call would cost much less in the future. This is the deal with
Face-Time today. Even though nothing is really free, Skype and FaceTime
are rather cheap and super accessible.
It’s irrelevant whether Kubrick created the technology or not. The point is
that he predicted the future when he shot a video call in his film that takes
place in the future.
Until an expectation or prediction turns into reality it is nothing more than an
idea (that is made public). There is always a chance the prediction becomes
reality in the future. And once it does, the prediction becomes retro.
Therefore, we can call the future retro in advance. And in 1968, Kubrick
made retro in advance.
I’m a futurist in the present who does not make predictions of the future.
That’s what separates me from the traditional idea of futurism, and I don’t
consider myself a part of a movement. Instead, I just create the future because
only 10% of the day I spend visualizing the future. And when I see something
that I want to bring to today, I start designing in the present moment.
Inherently, thus, the future is always the internal logic of my art. With the
SOFIA, I just fused the future with the story of my mom.
Final Thoughts
I don’t understand the interplay of futurism and retro. We predict the future;
when we look back, and see that the prediction has come true, the original
idea is suddenly retro. Therefore, when I combine both terms and their
definitions, I get to retro in advance.
Note that this theory and confusion around futurism only apply to when a
prediction comes true in the future; not when nothing happens. In that case,
we’re talking about a pure prediction of the future- an idea. But there is still a
chance it becomes retro at some point.
The Idea
When we meet someone for the first time, we don’t know much about them.
After a very short period, sometimes a few seconds, all we have is an image
of this person in our mind- an inkling. Maybe we reflect some facets of our
own life onto this person. Maybe this person reminds us of someone else we
like or think we like; we want this person to be that other person. We fall in
love with the idea of this person, which can be anything or anyone.
Yet, the longer we know the person, the more we get to know about them.
Chances are that our idea is crushed; our love for this person, which was
based on the idea, dies along like the tree that loses its leaves in autumn.
Maybe, we like the person more than our idea; our love intensifies and
blooms like tulips in spring.
One day, our maybe will transform into a definitely, and our idea
metamorphosizes into a personality. Only time will tell us if our idea is true
or false.
Environment
Studio
Imagine a space with white walls, white furniture and white floor. Now,
insert a green faux tree. Only two desks are leaning against the wall,
opposing each other, and both carry a small IKEA plant. A black chair
accompanies them. A stack of old Vogue issues lies on the ground.
The entire space serves as a canvas. A place I enter with no pressure and
minimal expectations. Here’s where I spend my time reading books, looking
at art, and it’s where I work. I don’t have any art on the walls because I like
to keep the shiny walls pristine.
Also, there are no distractions this way. If I want to look at art, I’ll do it on
my MacBook whenever I want.
Welcome to the Futurist in the Present’s space.
Uniform
I never wear a random outfit when I work. In the morning, I like to take a
minute just to think what would benefit my work that day. It might seem silly
but think about it for a second.
Why does a fireman wear a special uniform? Because it prevents his skin
from exposure to high temperatures. Why do you wear gloves when you’re
doing the dishes? To protect your hands against the heat of the water and
chemicals of the detergent.
Picasso wore a striped t-shirt. I like to wear black turtlenecks and suits while
designing in Winter. In Summer, I often wear a crisp white shirt, sometimes
accompanied by a suit, other times by black jeans. However, I keep it organic
and natural- when the universe requires me to do vary or wear something
completely else, I listen. I could wake up and suddenly feel like fusing a
tuxedo jacket with sweatpants and sneakers.
The point is that we all need a distinctive uniform for our work. For me, it
serves a psychological purpose rather than functional. When I dress well, I
feel better. Subsequently, if I feel nice, I design better.
Design and art in general form a complete package or experience; it’s not
only the end product that matters. No, the process is equally important in the
end- I love it when you can sense the process in the work. And if you wear
something that evokes the sensation you want to convey with your art, the
impact will be greater.
Finally, when you feel nice, confident, and positive, I truly believe that you
will get better ideas for your art and life in general. Positivity is the most
magnificent sensation; if my art makes even one person happy, I’m satisfied.
Positivity
My brother taught me the importance of surrounding myself with positivity.
To appreciate people who support you and are on the same page. But
sometimes, it’s good to have skeptics around. Their energy can help me see
where my confidence stands. If criticism hurts, something’s not right, and I
should take a minute to reflect and regain balance.
Do note that critical people are not negative by definition. Instead, I’m wary
of the jealous since they try to undermine the work. Just because they can’t
make great art, they try to ridicule yours.
To me, there is no such thing as a jealous artist. Placing the adjective jealous
before the noun artist is not even possible: real artists are not jealous. No,
artists are supposed to support each other at all times since they share an
extraordinary opportunity; namely, the artist’s chance and willingness to
make art is unique. Especially from a fusion viewpoint, I see a positive future
for art. Our planet and humanity will benefit amazingly from interdisciplinary
collaborations.
Art
Trying to define art is like defining the universe. It’s impossible; art is just
what you feel it is. I always have music playing while I’m working. I love
how I can be inspired by a word, sung in a certain melody at the right time.
Sometimes, I put on a movie in the background while at work. However, this
can be somewhat distracting at times. But the point is to have art around me
at all times; mostly, a different art form than what I’m working on, which
benefits the fusion of art in my work.
Memories can be art—I call this internal art. Like I mentioned during On
Flights, something you see, or experience can be used years later. We can
access memories at any time, so also while at work. Just make sure you don’t
spend too much time in the past.
Quality
A product or artifice does not simply “have quality.” Instead, our judgment
determines how well or badly something is made; quality is a method of
displaying our standards to the world.
It goes both ways: The creator shows his/her standards by creating something
in a particular way. The user does the same thing by rejecting or accepting
the product/artifice.
Bad quality depresses me. Bad quality fabric, bad quality food, bad quality
text, bad quality art, bad quality anything.
I know the importance of great quality. That’s why I put pressure on myself
to provide great quality. But the funny thing is, we all have different taste;
my kind of bad might not be your kind of bad. And vice versa.
Seasons
As a fashion designer, seasons are essential to me. In Fall and Winter, I’m
designing shoes for Spring and Summer. And vice versa. As a futurist in the
present, I live in these contradictory periods since I’m designing for a
different season in the future. But in general, regardless of profession, I
believe we shouldn’t be oblivious to the season we’re breathing in. Each
season has its beauty and function.
Spring
Spring is my favorite season. Similar to autumn, it’s a hybrid in nature;
spring fuses the departing chilliness of winter with the arriving heat of
summer. It’s the first phase of beautiful weather and more happiness. Also,
by this time I’m tired of all my winter outfits.
Even the scent of spring makes me feel like beautiful days are on the horizon.
Side Note: It’s April 7, 2018, the first official warm day of the year. I
suddenly sensed that particular scent this morning. The morning that I
finished the book. I just had to mention it here. I’m not sure if it’s simply the
general smell of spring or that it’s the scent of the warmer days of the season.
The nights of spring are refreshing. After cold autumn and winter nights, we
can finally stand in the night comfortably. On clear spring nights, I love to
watch the stars and listen to the city in the distance. The sounds of the cars
make a peculiar soundtrack to the immersion in the night sky.
On these nights, it seems like inspiration shines down on me from the stars.
The fresh air, the light of the stars, the dark of the night, and the sounds of
life in the distance- all asked to be present in the universe.
Nonetheless, on these nights in spring it feels like the city takes the night for
granted. People in the distance neglect the stars and distract themselves with
useless information; they drive their cars to locations rather than destinations.
Only a few seize the night and experience its beauty.
Summer
That scent you sense during spring grows deeper in summer as the planet
heats up. Summer nights are the best part of the season. Clear skies allow you
to stare into the endlessly dark shades of the night, only before being
illuminated by the golden stars. You see the flickering green and red lights of
the airplanes carrying passengers to their destination. On these nights, I often
wonder where these people are flying to—who are they flying to? Who are
they flying with?
Waking up early on summer mornings is not just a formality of life- it’s
pleasure. You can witness the change of the summer scent as it evolves
during the morning.
Towards the end of summer, in August, the scent evolves again.
Unfortunately, words cannot describe the evolution—some things in life are
only to be felt. No science can ever capture the essence of this smell, and its
influence on each person on our beautiful planet.
Do you know this particular smell in the air during nights towards the end of
summer? It’s as if you can smell autumn in the distance.
Autumn
By now, I’m tired of my summer outfits and look forward to wearing my
black turtleneck again. Autumn is the second hybrid: The warmth of summer
degrades into the cold of winter. I believe that the purpose of both our hybrid
seasons is to introduce us to the changes of our planet in a gentle manner.
Like a parent who teaches her child to ride the bicycle, we are coming to
grips with a new environment. We feel the cold emerge out the warmth, and
watch how trees die to be reborn in spring. This time of year is mainly
cloudy; however, this should not be depressing. During the day, the sun is
always shining, be it behind the clouds.
Winter
Winter is what autumn started in September. The cold weather becomes more
prevalent, and the interior of our homes grows warmer. Both in temperature
and colors. Red and dark shades of green enter our homes as soon as the
Holidays are in sight. Winter is a great time to be focused on work since there
is not much going on outside.
As an artist, I try to find inspiration in the changing of seasons; in winter the
changes are quite significant as the landscape can turn white overnight. The
snow is the best part of winter. Unfortunately, it has become quite scarce in
our winters.
The End of Design
At the moment of writing, we are trapped in the “Ugly Sneaker Trend.” I’m
not making up this term; it’s a real thing. They’re those big, chunky, brick-
like, sneakers. All of a sudden, these shoes are very popular (on the internet).
In just a few years, we went from the ultra-minimal designs to these super
maximalist bricks. I ask myself: Where do we go from here? What’s the next
stage of design?
Real design has become rare these days. Reproduction of design has taken its
place. If there is true design out there, I’m sure you will sense it when
exposed to it. Because real design is visceral; the external aesthetics are less
important to the feeling the artifice sparks in us. We need to feel the
communication between the parts that make up the artifice—whether that’s a
shoe, house, car, laptop, landscape, etc.
When we don’t process the things we encounter, the parts of the artifice just
float around in the cosmos, regardless of the look of the artifice. In other
words, we should be aware of the feelings and emotions an artifice sparks.
Standardization
The rise of formulae has dominated design in recent years. Just like
Hollywood movies are based on a specific model, design is intended to be
sold to the customer. The result is standardization. I don’t even need to
explain this, just step outside and open your eyes. Architecture, shoes,
clothes, etc., look similar in the world. We build entire neighborhoods
according to the blueprint of one house. Ok, the blueprints may not be all
identical, but when you walk through the street, all houses look the same, or
at least very similar.
And even though designers try to make things look different by changing a
few items - think materials for instance - the overall communication between
components is not changed drastically to call the design innovative. For
legitimate innovation and design revolution, in addition to the televisions I
discussed before, think of Apple computers that replaced mainframe
computers. As a result, we went from machines as large as a room to a
desktop computer, the Macintosh.
A Million Ways
Anyone who has ever designed anything with attention, love, and care knows
that there is not one right way. We have endless choices to make. So, we tend
to justify each decision to ourselves. We are also in control of these choices.
Personally, my control and attention to detail have grown into an obsession.
At each design decision, there is a persistent existence of “There is probably
another way to do this.” Why did I choose this color, shape or these
dimensions?” No handbook exists on making the right choices in your
specific situation.
This fact grants us the freedom to make choices however we want during the
process. The body of work we produce is like a book, but we can only access
it looking back on our work. All the decisions come together at one moment,
often referred to as the end. And on the road to the end, there are chapters that
bring the artist closer to the conclusion of his/her art.
Begin of Art
By now, you probably know that I don’t view my work and shoes as
products. Instead, I call them art, and therefore, I use the words art and
artifice throughout. The reason for my semantics lies in the way society deals
with products.
We buy products just to throw away at some point in the future. We watch
movies and listen to music through streaming services. And suddenly, we
stop the movie or song because we had enough and switch to a different title.
Or we buy clothes on sale to wear only one season. We blame the low price
for enticing us to buy the product.
This amounts to only one observation: Products are disposable.
Have you ever thrown away art that was valuable to you? And I don’t mean
the price that was attached to the work- I’m referring to inherent value. A
piece that influenced your life and supported you when necessary. That is the
intention I put in my work. But of course, I create it for the world. So, one is
free to decide what she does with it. All I hope is that it makes someone
happy.
Perfection
In everyday life, perfection is a relative concept. It only haunts us if
alternatives of the “thing” we’re dealing with exist- as long as there is an
alternative to a product, artifice or event, perfection is nothing more than a
benchmark. It merely means that something is perceivably better than
something else. Perfection is perception; similar to any other judgment.
We shouldn’t aim to be perfectionists. Some of us are, and others aren’t. Both
are perfectly fine; there is nothing wrong with either one.
A particular dichotomy drives perfection. On the one hand, perfectionism is a
type of fear. We’re afraid that our work won’t be rewarded the way we have
created it. Therefore, we keep changing things in hopes of getting it “right.”
However, at the same time there is an enormous pressure to make the work
satisfy ourselves. I just accepted that I am a perfectionist; I will work as hard
as possible achieve what I saw in my mind.
Then, there is a special side to the story. From the very beginning, I decided
that I wanted to name my first shoes after my mother. My mom is so special
to me that I couldn’t make something that was just “good enough.” No, it had
to be- right- perfect. So, the first thing I did with the prototypes, was show to
my mom. You can’t believe the feeling when I saw her wearing the shoes for
the first time. Full circle.
As artists, we want to create the art precisely as we see it in our minds. Some
say that this will never happen. I agree, never will art be 100% of the original
idea we had in mind. However, I dare to argue that 99% of our single idea
can turn into reality. Especially when starting out, that 1% is the aspiration
and motivation to keep creating art and to beat the odds. And sure, there will
be times you create art that is below of what you had in mind. However, there
is also the possibility that you create something that is even better than you
had in mind.
In terms of the universe, one presence is exempt from fear of perfection. Only
in nature with its dynamic power, we can see pure and objective perfection-
in nature, perfection is not a relative concept. In nature, perfection is the
sublime. One minute, we are enjoying the sun; the next, our clothes are
drained by the rain.
On a recent suburban night in Spring I saw a color in the sky that only exists
in nature. Humans cannot simulate this color in RGB or CMYK. My iPhone
could not capture the color, even though it tried hard. And words would do
short of describing the sky that night. Only eyes allow us to appreciate the
night’s beauty.
Why is nature objectively perfect? Because we do not know the alternative;
there is simply no alternative to nature. It’s the sublime and highest level of
presence. We might not like the weather, but we can’t disagree. The sky
above our heads and the earth under our feet are there- nature is simply here,
and we can’t compare it to anything. Sheer perfection.
I believe that nature caused our desire to achieve perfection in everyday life.
We enjoy the serenity of a lake surrounded by mountains. We witness the
changing of time when we experience a sunrise or sunset. We stare into the
star illuminated night sky and contemplate our existence on our planet. On
the spot, we’re likely to fail to understand these events because we’re
absorbed in the sublimity of it all. Our minds can only do so much at a time.
And unconsciously, we want this effect in our art.
Inner Monologue 3
“The most beautiful thing in the world can become ugly under scrutiny. As an
artist, do not spend much time looking at your work. Because, deep inside,
you already realize that nothing is ever finished. However, as artists, we are
not happy to accept that.
You feel that every little thing about your work can be improved if that “other
little thing” is added. That would make it “perfect.” Unfortunately, this is
wrong. Nothing human-made will, and has ever been perfect. Only nature is
perfect.
Your work is finished in that first moment you see your work. You recognize
it. You know you have seen it before. That is when you know that you have
done your work. Everything that follows, is a distraction. If you keep staring,
nothing will ever move forward. By the same token, if you keep changing
stuff, nothing will ever change. No, showing your work is change and
progress. The act of making the abstraction tangible is paramount. The result
is successful art.
Stop looking at your work for too long. Looking at your work is scrutinizing
your work because there is no objective analysis your own work. And let’s be
real, analysis of art will never be fair. It’s like asking an orange to become
an apple. Impossible.
Because we as humans can only judge. The more art we consume and judge,
the more principles we create for ourselves. The purpose of art is education
—the kind you find nowhere else. The kind where a physical piece stimulates
your soul to communicate with your brain. For you, this fear of not making
art that totally matches my sketch or idea, is directed inwardly. You’re
fearing the event of letting yourself down since you see space to improve
consistently.
In the end, you wonder, will people even notice the struggle?”
Epilogue
As I look through the window on an early sunny Thursday morning in April,
I drink a freshly brewed cup of coffee and listen to the chirping of the birds.
And while I’m enjoying this free concert nature gave me, I’m typing these
words to finish up.
Something just dawned on me—a casual insight. I love the process of making
something. And I don’t need an entire essay to explain why. No, because
right now, sitting here in the sun, I can see it very clearly. The process is not
just working on that thing you’re creating; the process is everything involved
in making the art. It is the equivalent of a lifetime in a universe. You see
something grow from an abstraction into a real thing in front of you. And you
don’t grow it in a vacuum; instead, everything around you—the weather, the
people, the art, love, nature etc.—influences the creation.
And then I feel grateful. I realize that being in the process of creating art is an
achievement in itself. Go figure, how many people are making something that
wasn’t here a minute before? Something that was nothing more than an
abstraction in one’s mind. We should be thankful for our will to create.
We should not compete with other artists or be jealous of others’
accomplishments. Instead, we need to collaborate where we can and take
inspiration from success around us. Neither should we ever feel better than a
fellow artist because we have more success than them. Both art and life are
roads, not destinations. And real artists share the road.
Personally, during my lifetime, I wish to contribute to our universal desire to
achieve more happiness in life. And the path I have laid out for myself was
creating as much art, and as diverse as possible. Not just shoes, films, books,
but any format I can pour my vision in. And hopefully, you’ll join me in
painting the canvas that is the future. Until then, I’ll be here, waiting in the
sun.
Credits
**Credits roll at this point**
I am enormously thankful for my mom, dad, and big brother.
Honestly, the things they have done for me in my life, and their support in all
my ventures have been humbling. My mom inspired me to create the shoes I
dreamed of creating. Words are not enough to describe what she has done for
us. Thanks for being the best mother on the planet. And I thank my big
brother, who edited this book and helped me from the very start. Thanks for
teaching me the important stuff in life, and sharing your unique vision.
Finally, my father supported each decision from the beginning. Thanks for
arranging the possibilities so I could put my vision in my work and in the
world.
Everything my family’s done for me makes me a better designer, artist and in
the end, a better person. It makes me realize that family is the most important
thing in life.
I cannot say it enough, thank you.
The Saga Continues (Newsletter)
As I write in this book, I admire nature and life for their organic core. Life
and nature are never still. And as a student of life, I intended this too for this
book.
But the very nature of publishing a book contradicts this aspiration. And
maybe there are people who are not even interested in witnessing the
evolution of Futurist in the Present. Therefore, I have decided to keep
writing the book for those interested in Art, Design and Life.
So, how do I evolve Futurist in The Present? The answer is by E-Mail. If you
sign up to our newsletter, you will receive extra chapters as soon as they are
written. For free.
Just visit www.foroux-pret-a-couture.com, where you will find a field to sign
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