Siemens FABRIC
We made patterns from data, printed them on fabric and held a fashion show with top African designers to ignite a conversation about the future of African cities.
Africa is the fastest urbanising continent, but within this problem lies an opportunity. One that the rest of the world has never had.
African cities need to plan for rapid urbanisation and an impending population explosion, yet very few have. Could there be a smart digital solution to this very human problem? And could a combination of data and African ingenuity reveal it?
We tasked data experts sourcing and verifying existing data sets of Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg. Once the data sets were mapped and overlaid over the topography of each city, a graphic designer revealed the ebb and flow of the city with visualisations of each data set. Once the main data maps had been created, specific areas of public and commercial interest were selected and fabric designs were then isolated. A total of 9 fabrics were created of three specific areas of interest in each city.
The fabrics were then composited and printed on a variety of high-end fabrics with further surface details and embellishments added.Zizi Cardow, John Kaveke and Palesa Mokubung, top fashion designers from Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg, respectively, were sent their 3 city fabrics, and tasked to create a cutting-edge fashion collection to represent their city. 12 outfits were produced, each reflecting the future aspirations of each city.
Government ministers, industry leaders and the press were invited to a cutting-edge multi-media fashion showcase in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, featuring audio-visual projections of the fabric creation as a backdrop to a spectacular ramp display of the garments.
A project film, campaign page and social media campaign were launched simultaneously, targeting each city. Social posts, videos, stories galleries and carousels were used to reveal the story, interview the fashion designers as well as showcase the patterns and garments
