Vibram is bringing a programme of initiatives to Milan Design Week (April 17-22, 2018) that will be hosted at the new Vibram Connection Lab in via Voghera 11.
VIBRAM CONNECTION LAB
Vibram Connection Lab was founded on the notions of exchange, experimentation and research: a space dedicated to the development of team work and innovation that combines the creativity of New Concepts with the technological know-how of a cutting-edge company like Vibram.
Our ambitious goals include:
- Promoting encounters and interactions between professionals from a variety of different backgrounds and with experiences to share for the purpose of facilitating the initiation of new insights and projects
- Sparking new and inventive collaborations
- Starting up social network-related activities
- Promoting a wellness-based lifestyle
During Milan Design Week, Vibram Connection Lab is getting turned on with a programme of activities dedicated to students of Design, press & media as well as events open to the general public. All of this will be held from 17 to 22 April at the Vibram Pop Up Store located on the ground floor on via Voghera 11.
ENCOUNTERS AND WORKSHOPS
The first “occupants” of Vibram Connection Lab are the guys from the B.Live (Being, Believing, Living) Group, a project developed by the Near NPO Foundation that offers children and adolescents affected by serious chronic illnesses the opportunity to get involved in activities promoted by Italian companies and entrepreneurs. The guys from the B.Live project are the lifeblood of Connection Lab, where they have established one of their official headquarters. For the occasion of Fuorisalone week, they are organizing a workshop on “connection” for students attending Milan’s Scuola di Fumetto (School of Comic Strips). The B.Live guys will also be engaged in an encounter with Dr. Corradi, the Head Physician at Niguarda Hospital, dedicated to food disorders.
The programme of activities organized during Milan Design Week includes a series of workshops and lectures created for students attending Design Institutes in Milan (IED and POLI.DESIGN) as well as for groups of young designers from Domus Academy who are visiting Milan during the week of the Salone del Mobile.
There is also a special event slated for the press & media. Vibram is hosting the renowned Brazilian designer Humberto Campana and his brother Fernando on 19 April at 7:30 p.m. Humberto is holding a lecture on the Campana insight and method of design, introducing the Vibram Tropical Carrarmato lug sole concept, the project they have been developing in collaboration with Vibram.
POP UP STORE, VIBRAM SOLE FACTOR AREA and FERRINO BACKPACK STUDIO
From 17 to 22 April, Vibram will be welcoming the guests filling the streets of the Design District as they come to see the Pop Up Store dedicated to the various collaborations and customizations in the special place set up on the ground floor of via Voghera 11.
One of the most recent collaborations that is definitely “out of the box” – the very heart of the Vibram Connection Lab’s way of thinking – is the one with Ferrino, a time-honoured company famous for its outdoor equipment and apparel, which has designed an urban backpack specifically for the occasion. It combines Ferrino technical fabrics with a Vibram material created for high-performance comfort and protection: Vibram Luxury Rubber. The Ferrino Backpack Studio will be set up at the Connection Lab and it is an authentic artisan workshop where a limited edition of backpacks will be made in real time. Guests can have them customized by the Ferrino team. If you are interested, the appointment is from 17 to 21 April from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Continuing along the lines of the concept of customization, guests can discover the Vibram Sole Factor laboratory, the project launched by the company with the specific goal of advancing and promoting the importance of the sole as a finished product. For this occasion, Vibram is introducing a selection of its “best of the best” soles. Those interested are welcome to purchase them and have them applied to their shoes by the expert shoemakers on the premises. All you have to do is bring a pair of shoes with you – lace-ups, boots, sneakers etc. – and the Vibram sole of your choice will be applied. There is also more great news regarding the Sole Factor project. Vibram is introducing “Co-create your shoes” where guests will have the opportunity to participate in the design and creation of a pair of shoes – matching the upper and the sole to apply, chosen from those available in the catalogue. The result will be a pair of shoes that are not only original, but totally unique! 100% Vibram customized based on the creativity and preferences of the person purchasing them. Available at the Vibram Pop Up Store from 17 to 22 April from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Aside from these special projects, Vibram is also hosting a corner dedicated to Vibram Furoshiki The Wrapping Sole, a shoe inspired by the Japanese art of furoshiki which has been the recipient of awards from the world of design including the ADI Design Index and the Compasso D’Oro International Award 2017. Models from the new SS18 collection will be for sale – along with new models of the Vibram FiveFingers V-Alpha and KSO EVO – at a special price during this Milan Design Week. The appointment is at the Vibram Pop Up Store from 17 to 22 April, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
There’s more than just design here. There is also a wellness-based lifestyle to take into consideration. This is a field that Vibram has taken to heart and will be presented in an artistic manner: sensory gymnastics performed by the athletes at NATKED under the direction of Gianluca De Benedictis. The performances will be held at the Vibram Pop Up Store from 17 to 21 April from6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The show is entitled The Earthquake Design Project and its goal is to tell the story of the relationship between design and the individual. The interpretation focuses on the architecture of a human body which reacts to external prompts – such as stress – constantly modifying its strategy of adaptation as to ensure that the body is preserved. Awareness of the body, through experimental and athletic techniques, makes it possible for people to understand their very own extraordinary engineering; an evolution that connects the experiences of technology to Vibram’s technology – for those who are interested in knowing which material is better suited for them as they get around in the world – and the technology of the body according to Natked. A fully aware body is a body that intellectually will never take for granted the way it wants to feel the ground under its feet.
Appointment in via Voghera 11, from 17 to 22 April.