Souk@Sat Exhibition

“Souk” is arab for “marketplace” though Souk@SAT (Society for Arts and Technology) is equally an exhibition space for designers. It showcases designers coming from all mediums of design, from fashion to furniture to print design.

A couple that have caught my fancy were Ryoko Wada and Futil Design.

Ethical Japanese Fashion – Ryoko Wada

Photo credit to Ryoko Wada and Elle Quebec

In modern days, kimono use has declined from every day garment to special occasions only. These beautiful silk garments are now gathering dust in the closet like many vintage clothing. Ryoko Wada decided to make use of remnant mending kimono fabric and turn them into pratical accessories. Coin purses, a new kind of obi (sash belt) and cute round handbags were the end result. Her designs have landed her twice in Elle Quebec for her designs, most recently in the Dec 2007 holiday issue featuring a stunning white and red obi (pictured above).

You can see her designs in a lot of local exhibitions like Puces Pop Montreal and she made an appearance in last year’s Souk@Sat.

Her designs are sold at Appartement 51, on 51 Saint-Paul West, and at Rien à cacher on 4141 Saint-Denis.

FUTIL Design

Montreal Designer Alexandre Berthiaume‘s passion for furniture design has pushed him to create the most innovative luggage design I’ve seen in my very short lifespan. His design has garnered praise from his peers and an honorable mention from the 2007 Palm EnRoute Awards.

Photo credit to Futil Design

Called the “24h Luggages,” it is in fact a collection of modular pieces that can be individually used depending on your need of space. For a “24hr trip”, you can use a single luggage and can be snapped on a back harness to carry on like a backpack. If you need it for 48hrs, another snapping device is used to add a second luggage. A bigger snap-on will carry 4 luggage, about the size of a normal suitcase. The ultimate module is the wheelly snap-on that can carry up to 6 luggage with an easy to pull handle. Of course, the individual luggage may only carry up to 2 pairs of shoes at a time, but if you know the art of folding clothes you wouldn’t have any problems cramming a lot of clothes in them. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also beautifully designed with its rounded corners, woven texture and a stainless steel band.