What do we actually mean by “design”?

Yes, I finally pulled myself together and decided to update my blog regularly for you until further notice. To be honest, I had already planned to do this in the first year of Pipiza. I keep thinking of exciting topics that I then discuss with friends and lots of exciting things come out of it. Children, everyday life, work and of course my Pipiza... And that's exactly what my blog is for. I look forward to your comments and suggestions...

Today I would like to use this blog entry to give you, dear Pipiza friends, some great news. There will be a new product line at Pipiza. Products that Pipiza already has, but in a new design... Yes, but what exactly is design? Everyone uses this term differently and would define it differently.

Design, whether in fashion, furniture or architecture, is a universal language that requires few verbal cues, and yet it is sometimes considered isolated to certain areas of culture. In order not to give a 10,000-word lecture, I will present my perception of design as I use it every day at Pipiza. For me, design is giving a product a functional and aesthetic form.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I'm introducing a completely new product line. Pipiza's Ethnodesign!! These products bring another aspect to the concept of design: symbolism.

Our cultures all have their own designs, and this is best seen in the fashion world; from French fashion, which is trendy for us, to the red kimonos of Japan. What we no longer realise in the western world, however, is that it is the choice of fabric for the dresses that determines the subtleties of the style; more than that, it defines status, but above all cultural pride. All the materials and fabrics used, which often differ greatly in colour and pattern, have a semantic meaning. For example, women in India who can afford it only wear light silk on their wedding day. In the western world, however, the quality of the fabric no longer has a semantic meaning, but a practical one. Is it water-repellent? Is it windproof? Does this fabric insulate my body heat? How can I wash it? We approach the choice of fabric in a more practical way, and we put functionality above symbolic perception. Of course, these considerations also make sense. Just imagine for a moment that you buy a winter jacket in a sports shop and argue with the salesperson because they don't have it in green raw silk!!!! We no longer define status by the quality of the material, but by the brand that the product carries. Often the more expensive the brand, the higher the status, although we know only too well that price often does not determine quality.

My new ethnic line has now united exactly these three categories again: functionality, aesthetics and symbolism. The aim was to mix cultures. To combine fabrics from all over the world; East meets West, North meets South. I would never have thought how unique such creations could be; for example; a hand-woven Indian jacquard fabric combined with Bavarian satin borders...

It was a big challenge that I accepted with great anticipation and a lot of respect. For my new product line, I have gathered together beautiful fabrics from ALL over the world for you, all from sustainable and fair production. In order to introduce these fabrics in their full glory into my range, I decided to do this with Pipiza's ultra practical diaper bags. You still have to be patient, because the items are all still in production...

What do you think about the symbolism of the fabrics? Do we still have that?

Your Nada