Francesco Furlan

Substances who Shine

Dialogue between substance and value

Substances who Shine is a dialogue between design disciplines on value creation and material appreciation: these suits picture a discussion between jewelry and fashion, textiles, and tailoring. In jewelry, the accountability of used materials places great value on jewels: can the same happen in fashion when using meaningful materials?

Substances who Shine is a project that reflects on the possibilities of textile design for tailoring suits. The idea behind it is a dialogue of design disciplines on value creation and material appreciation. These suits are the picture of a discussion between jewelry and fashion, between textile design and tailoring. In jewelry design, materials' accountability is such that jewels acquire great value. This project aims to translate this process into fashion creation, tailoring suits with self-designed jacquard fabrics.

‘What if instead of A I made B?’ A personal experience started this dialogue between substance and value, pointing at the future with curiosity. During the creative process, textile design and tailoring informed each other, guiding the choices on fibers, density, colors, and touch. The aim was to push woven fabrics and suits to work accordingly and cover a body like an actual jewel.

For Furlan’s creative practices, it turned out that fabrics with creative value place value on the clothes made from them. Like people, these materials can convey their arguments, not with reason but through senses: their feel and their properties make them stand out, make them Substances who Shine.