KAMAL Fashion House
Group: Noor Al-Assali, Amy Harris & Tarryn Thompson
Project Outline
This project will be designing a new work space for a Toronto based Fashion House. The Fashion Studio requires intricate development of spaces as well as surfaces that can respond to the range of creative activities and collaborations.
The selection of the fashion designer is from FAT (Fashion Art Toronto), a platform that annually presents progressive and experimental fashion that pushes the limits of different art form.
http://fashionarttoronto.ca
Site Analysis
Commerce and Generalities
Sun Path Diagram
Circulation Diagram
Travel Times
Renovations
During the design and renovation stages, Bortolotto Design Architects designed the pre-existing office spaces into a place that OCAD students can work and collaborate.
“We’re trying to keep as much as possible. We’re keeping the exterior, the floors, the structure, the vertical circulation like the stairs and elevators. Essentially the interior will be a raw space for the students.”
Alongside with the exterior scrim, the glass along the Dundas Street frontage of the building will allow people a chance to look in and will be lit with projected LED media walls featuring student artwork.
The scrim pattern is influenced by the City’s artistic geography.
https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2015/05/rosalie-sharp-pavilion-act-gateway-ocad-university
Client Descriptions
HAUS OF KAMAL
KAMAL is a Toronto-based fashion start-up founded in 2018 by Yasi Kamali, focusing on sustainable couture through handmade and hand printed clothing. Every piece of clothing is designed to bring confidence and resilience to every wearer.
Yasi’s love of fashion started when she was just a child, obsessing over fabrics, fashion, and making clothes for her dolls. She aquired her bachelor’s degree in fashion and textiles design in Tehran, than began her fashion line. Shortly after becoming active in the fashion world. she moved to Toronto in 2019 to further support her goals.
Kamal’s most recent collention titled “Marmar”, explores the concept of beauty in flaws. Textiles within the collection resemble a marble texture, to highlight that it’s the imperfection cracks that make the texture beautiful.
Lo'bat Accessories
Co-founded by Golnar Ahmadian and Hediyeh Maadi Tehrani in 2018, Lo’bat focuses on sustainable jewelry that celebrates the women’s shared Persian heritage. The name is derived from the ancient term used to compliment Persian women. They begin with a concept inspired by Persian heritage and then work on sculpting material to meet the requirements of their accessories.
They used recycled paper and cardboard as raw materials, then form them using a paste in a papier-mache technique. When they feel stagnant in their design process, they try to change their point of view and then approach the problem differently. This usually means discovering new art from the Middle East. They want confident women who dare to be different wearing their jewelry.
Shared Values
- Representing their culture
- Sustainable Fashion
- Difference and Uniqeness is Beautiful
Concept Model
Concept Statement
The concept for this project is that the two different pieces are able to work alone and have singular identities but joined together, they can create a unified cohesive atmosphere.
Recycled Material
The model will be made using only recycles materials and no gluing or sticking of the materials together to be able to ensure using it again in the future.
This will represent the image and space of these brands.
Connected Words
CYCLE
RECYCLE
INTERWINED
UNITY
MOVEMENT
LAYERS
Design Statement
The design for this project needs to reflect the unity of the two designers. Their culture, identity, and values need to be exemplified and shown through patterns and colours, while also demonstrating the importance of the designers use of sustainable material.
Bubble Diagrams & Zoning
After many iterations of bubble diagrams, the final ones reflect the designers and the more suitable way to work in a studio. The open concept in the middle of the space with the moving studio space while all private rooms are along the side of the floors, allows for more conversational work between the designers.
Circulation
Circulation is important for the visitors as much as it is for the designers. Having visitors areas located at the back of the floor where they have to walk past all the work, gives them a chance to see what is happening behind the scenes unconsciously.
The circulation relates back to the original
Colour Palette
KAMAL
Lo'bat
Situations
Moving Studio Space
Open Studio Space
At the beginning stages of the project, these situations give an idea of how we want some main spaces to feel like and the experience we want to design.
Further Studies
Design Diagram - Islamic Patterns
In many Middle Eastern and North African patterns, you'll find the use of circles and repetition. This use of geometric figures represents the symbol of unity and the starting point of many Islamic patterns. Depending on where you are in the world, different counters will have different distinct patterns that include certain shapes and colours.
Most of these geometric designs start off with a simple shape of a circle or triangle, and when placed, create these different "families" of patterns. Different families are found depending on what country they originate from. Many of these families of Islamic patterns are often found as mosaics with ceramic cut tile pieces. In architecture, they are combines with the use of colours and calligraphy to create hierarchy and meaning in a space.
source: artofislamicpattern & printmag.com
Design Diagram - Persian Patterns
For Persian patterns, most of them start off with a hexagons, triangles, squares, and dodecagons and placed around repetitively to create a more complex pattern. Specific colours are added depending on the region/country.
The main 'girih' pattern in Iran starts off with a decagram (10 sided shape) and employs a "10-fold radial symmetry". This pattern then repeats with no end or until there is no space to put the design. For our 'moving studio space', it was important that we pre[resent the connection of the two designers through their culture and heritage. While the pattern can change orientation, colours, materials, and where it is place, the simple shape of a hexagon is the base that starts the pattern to help it grow.
Branding
Colour Palette + Hex Code - KAMAL
Colour Palette + Hex Code - Lo'Bat
Logo Design
Logo Ideas
The idea of the logo would be to include both designers names on the design but depending on the floor in use and/or who it belongs too, the logo would switch to the designers name that can be read. If the space is being used by both designer, both names will be read. While this in mind, we want to make sure we still add the Persian designs and patterns to make it unique and special to their brand.
The Pods
Our tranformative Pods are designed with the intention to facilitate a variety of different activities including but not limited to transporting, working, and socializing.
The Pod functions to accomadate both designers, the incorporation of each of their respective colour palettes establishes as a neutral work space. The dark green and deep red are representative of KAMAL while the blue and gold are connected to Lo’bat. The organic yet textured materials such as the wooden chairs and the velvet ceiling are derived from the each designers collection. The lighting system within the Pods allows for a more individualistic customization to allow for any setting while also being functional for transportation.
The features of this Pod are sliding doors for easy and accessible access, removable seats for underneath storage, a table that can be pushed into the ground for an open area, a TV and outlet for all technological needs, a whiteboard wall to draw and communicateon, and wheels for easy floor transitioning.
Pod Detailing
Floor Plans
Lo'bat First Floor Plan; Jewelry Designer
Gallery Second Floor Plan; Shared Space Between the Two Designers
KAMAL Third Floor Plan; Fashion Designer
Sections
Section A
Section B
Interior Elevations
Display Area
Kitchen
Perspectives
Reception
Seating Area
Gallery & Walkway
Material Board
KAMAL
Lo'Bat
Lighting Board
Furniture Board
Tools
AutoCAD, Sketchup, Photoshop, ProCreate, InDesign, Model Making
Roles
Site analysis and the history of the site was done by Noor. The client descriptions were done my Amy. Precedent Studies and bubble diagrams were divided up equally. The concept model and statement as well as the design statement were done by Noor. Situations were done by Amy and Tarryn. Branding were done by Noor. The floor plans and sections were done by Tarryn, and the elevations were designed by Amy. The Pod detailing was drawn baby Noor. The renderings were done by Amy as well as the lighting and material board. The furniture board was done by Noor as well as the final presentation look was designed.