MILAN, May 21, 2010 / FW/ — From the first creative call last July 2009, WHAT’S MORE ALIVE THAN YOU® presents the first artworks realized from the first 15 pioneers who believe in a new concept of fashion.
Artists, designers, fashion designers, architects and creative people, all together became involved to design new and artistic collections to wear.
One of these artists is Akahito Shigemitsu, a student of interior design who led us to the discovery of Japanese culture in its contamination with the Western one. His artwork was PostModernGeta, a re-interpretation and re-imagination of the traditional Japanese Geta or Zori.
With PostModernGeta, the design has been then completely revisited into an elegant, contemporary shoe made of recycled or recyclable materials combined with leather and precious textiles.
Proposed in two versions, the PostModernGeta is part of a mini collection that Akahito thought was inspired by traditional Japanese footwear, yet compared to the draft submitted and selected, the sole has been changed.
From the first idea of using for its construction, a plastic material we have passed to the solution of recycled rubber, but it did not provide good performance in terms of ease.
In agreement with the designer the shoes were then realized by using a sole of leather recycled and water shaped on aluminum mould. This solution allowed for a comfortable, but also light shoe wherein the weight is only 223 grams per pair for the “moccasin” version.
The material of the upper is calf and wrinkled in barrel leather with natural and slow process by using just water and it is made of one piece, to maximize the surface of the leather and the particular pattern.
Akahito wanted to play with his culture, creating an object characterized by particular and essential design.
Based in Osaka, Japan, Akahito Shigemitsu wishes to travel around the world, meet people from all cultures and see so many cities and to take inspiration from many countries to create a new style. In the meantime, he tries to renew the style of his country and to export it, discovering Japanese culture in its contamination with other cultures.
He could start his journey towards the discovery of different cultures from here.
The PostModernGeta is available at www.wmaty.com
