MUTE

#ProductDesign

#Wearable

#FashionDesign

MUTE IS A PROJECT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE NON-COMMUNICATION. IT CONSISTS OF FOUR WEARABLE DEVICES, EACH OF WHICH IS DESIGNED TO MUTE A DIFFERENT FORM OF COMMUNICATION.

THE PROJECT WAS DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH MAR DORESTE, MARTÍ SEGURA, AND JULIA PERUCHO, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF SAÚL BAEZA (DOES-WORK.COM).

THE PROJECT BEGAN WITH AN ABSTRACT BRIEFING THAT CHALLENGED THE TEAM TO FIND CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EDWARD SNOWDEN, ISABEL I DE CASTILLA, AND REI KAWAKUBO. THROUGH RESEARCH AND ITERATION, THE TEAM ARRIVED AT THE CONCEPT OF MUTING COMMUNICATION.



HOW

TO BRING THIS IDEA TO LIFE, FOUR WEARABLE PRODUCTS WERE DESIGNED THAT FOCUSED ON MUTING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION.

THE FIRST PRODUCT CONSISTED OF TWO WHITE CONTACT LENSES THAT CONCEALED THE IRIS, EFFECTIVELY MUTING THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF THE WEARER.
THE SECOND PRODUCT WAS A CROWN-LIKE HEADPIECE MADE OF TRANSLUCENT PLASTIC THAT COVERED THE ENTIRE HEAD, MUTING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. THE THIRD PRODUCT WAS A COSTUME WITH VELCRO ATTACHMENTS THAT BOUND THE WEARER'S ARMS TO THEIR BODY, MUTING BODY LANGUAGE. FINALLY, THE FOURTH PRODUCT WAS A SET OF SUPPORTS THAT ATTACHED SMOKE FLARES TO THE ARMS AND LEGS, COMPLETELY COVERING THE WEARER IN A SHROUD OF SMOKE AND MUTING THEIR IDENTITY.
DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ATTEMPTS TO MUTE COMMUNICATION ONLY SEEMED TO AMPLIFY IT. TO ADDRESS THIS, THE APPROACH WAS REVERSED AND THE CONCEPT WAS COMMUNICATED THROUGH A REAL RUNWAY SHOW FEATURING THE WEARABLE DESIGNS. THE RESULT WAS A THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND VISUALLY STRIKING DISPLAY THAT CHALLENGED TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF COMMUNICATION AND SELF-EXPRESSION.