Interview with Zhulin Shi
Hangzhou, China-born, New York based Zhulin(Chanel) Shi is an Industrial designer, fashion accessory designer and artist.
Interview about Sense Move Costume Design Interview
Designer Interview
7 May 2020
I am an Industrial designer, fashion accessory designer and artist. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design and a Master’s degree in Industrial Design Engineering from Zhejiang University, I completed a Master’s degree in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in 2016. In 2014, I have worked with Marc Jacobs footwear design studio, I began to seamlessly blend two worlds of tech and fashion in the inter-disciplinary practice. Since then, I have gained experience working as a wearable product designer in the perceptual computing group at Intel, and a footwear designer in the innovation group at Cole Haan. From 2017 to present, I am working at Stuart Weitzman as an accessory designer. In my childhood, I was dreaming to be an artist. I always like painting and dancing.
In 2018, I launched Last Lab in New York. Last Lab creates pinnacle coveted accessory designs. Focusing on exceptional materials and construction, Last Lab combines a pioneering perspective to enhance people’s experience of moving in their life and to expand the boundaries of the art performance.
Design is to use smart way to life people's life, make them happy and inspire them in their daily life.
Exploring new stuff and mock-up.
Wow Water bottle. It is an unique folding water bottle design with an aesthetic movement. My initial concept is to make a transformation water bottle which is easy to carry. Then I obsessed about discovering different folding movements to get the goal as well as considering the people's different behaviors. With the elegant hand movement, Wow transfer from 2-D to 3-D, "WOW" .
At Cole Haan Innovation team, I designed women's shoe for displaying at the Cole Haan Oculus store. Inspired by the architecture of the Oculus Building, the heel catch the upper with an empty space to highlight the seamless technology of the upper.
Leather and tech material
Exploring new form and structure from a loose idea.
Concept. The Concept should be interesting and make myself happy first.
I feel invigorated, curious, challenged and amused.
Enjoyment.
The design create value in people's life. It is innovative, practical, making people happy and though-provoking.
The concept and presentation. Is it fresh to catch my eyes and touch my heart?
To help transform how we think, we can tackle underlying biases and prejudices that people may have but would be happy to be eased out of, say, fostering the sustainability, helping the disadvantage groups.
The "Design field" is embracing creativity and diversity. The future of design is change people's behavior, people's life and the world.
I held experimental “Sense & Sound” workshop and exhibited the Sense Move costume design at the New Musical Instrument Hackathon 2016 at the Spotify headquarters in NYC.
In 2011, I studied contact improvisation in UC Davis with famous choreographer Nita Little. With the experience in dancing and choreography, I started to ask myself how can costume further link emotional experience to our mind. Nita Little wrote “the ‘mountain’ moves and the ‘cloud’ changes as a result. Notice how our attention travels across surfaces while your awareness may slip into the volumes they contain.” A common thread was found in my research, which is costumes can make a connection between movement, imagination and emotion.
My design style is simple, emotional, giving "wow" moment to people. I found most of my designs can be transformable, create a dynamic form to give people a little surprise in their daily life.
I live in New York now. I feel the cultural heritage of my country didn't affect my design a lot, since I embrace the culture diversity in New York, and I wish the design can be universal in the world.
I will know the company's goal and needs first, and communicate and make proposals sometimes.
Based on the designer's portfolio to see if it match with the brand's style.
Come up an idea from my life or the customer's need, brain storm and market research, pick the good ideas and sketch or mock up, and evaluate the ideas and develop the design, make the tech-pack for the design with the detail concerns, in terms of the material, construction, then produce it, and do the user test and make corrections on the prototypes, then promote the design.
Celine's Box corssbody bag, Celine's Box pearl earring, SMEG toaster, iphone, MENU table lamp
Wake up at 7:30am - Work out in 25 mins - Cook and have breakfast - Check Emails - Communicate with the co-workers - Do some work for the company - Reading a book in 30 mins - Cook and have lunch around 1:00pm - Check the news and fashion trends - Have a work meeting - Do some design works - Have some fruits and yogurt at 5:30 - Dance/play piano - Have a shower - See a movie - Go to sleep
Practice more on foundation class. Don't be lazy! The more you practice and moke up, the more you gain later, one day your eyes will be sharper and know how to evaluate and improve your design by yourself.
I am happy to be a designer that I can use my creativity to make new products and use design thinking to solve the problems in my daily life.
Make people happy in their lives.
Vision, creativity, curiosity, professional design skills, communication
Photoshop, Illustration, rhino, keyshot
Set a deadline by myself.
Depends on the project. It can be few days or few months based on the customer's needs and budget.
How do you feel the design?
Working on handbag design for Stuart Weitzman.
Some accessory designer brands
Fashion accessory design. I love fashion and create my fashion statement.
Do more good designs, to improve people's life and make people happy.
When it comes to production and promotion, I usually work with a team.
I have design 2021 Chinese new year clutch recently.
instagram:chanelshi4
Have passion in your work!