The dull aesthetics of yoga accessories have long been due a revamp, so for Handmade 2015 we wanted to update the ubiquitous clinical, low-quality blocks and mats. Design studio Visibility and apparel brand Outdoor Voices took our concept one step further, producing functional shapes that can be used in all fields of exercise – the 'Shapes Bundle' fitness kit.
Combining sculpture and practical materials, the kit resonates with Visibility's trademark purist aesthetic. Since coming together in 2012, founders Joseph Guerra and Sina Sohrab have been creating raw pieces with a focus on functional materials. When approached by Wallpaper*, Sohrab says that they looked to the core ideas around fitness as a concept. 'Fitness accessories,' he explains, 'are ultra-ergonomic.' This perception immediately connects them with Outdoor Voices, the Austin / New York based brand who make 'apparel for recreation'. The company creates a world of wellness with their active-wear, promoting exercise as a lifestyle, not just a hobby – a philosophy successfully expressed through the 'Shapes Bundle' kit.
The kit's unique design takes two distinct forms. When tied together it resembles a pared down – but playful – architectural puzzle. In pulling apart the bundle, its organic details become clear. Sohrab says they wanted to use 'natural materials for a project that centres around the body', so settled on a mix of birch wood, cork and natural felt. The latter was used to create the set's yoga mat, laminated from two different sheets of the material; a softer, body-cushioning layer for the top surface and a harder, floor-gripping one on the underside. Wrapping the bundle together is a fabric 'resistance band' sourced from the materials yard at Outdoor Voices' LA fabric mill.
Each piece is carefully sculpted, from the delicate grooves in the light cork triangle block, the 12 sides of the birch wood roller and the square yoga block's user friendly curves. The whimsical structures of the objects – with their conspicuous 'building block' style – are enhanced by the subtle play of contrasting colours; the bold blue of the square block stands out amongst the raw beige of the wood and cork when bundled, an admirably design-focused, and practical, addition to any healthy household.
The 'Shapes Bundle' fitness kit has also traveled since its debut at the Handmade exhibition in Milan – it had a moment to shine at NYCxDesign's Sight Unseen OFFSITE event, as well as a party celebrating the collaboration at Outdoor Voices' New York studio.
As originally featured in the August 2015 edition of Wallpaper* (W*197)
The kit combines design studio Visibility's purist aesthetic and recreational apparel brand Outdoor Voice's views on fitness as a lifestyle. Pictured: a light-weight triangular cork block with carefully formed grooves for easy handling
When bundled together the kit is a playful yet pared back collection of pieces, resembling an architectural puzzle. Pictured: 12 sided birch wood roller with holes for carrying
With its deep blue colouring, the yoga block stands out from the rest of the set's wood tones
The mat is made from two different sheets of natural felt; the surface a softer felt for cushioning, and the bottom a harder layer for gripping the floor
Holding the bundle together is a fabric 'resistance band' sourced from the materials yard at Outdoor Voices' LA fabric mill
The 'Shapes Bundle' fitness kit has also traveled since its debut at the Handmade exhibition in Milan – it had a moment to shine at NYCxDesign's Sight Unseen OFFSITE event in May of this year
-
A celestial New York exhibition showcases Roman and Williams’ mastery of lightingLauded design studio Roman and Williams is exhibiting 100 variations of its lighting ‘family tree’ inside a historic Tribeca space
-
‘He immortalised the birth of the supermodel’: inside Dior’s career-spanning retrospective of photographer Peter LindberghOlivier Flaviano, curator and head of Paris’ La Galerie Dior, talks us through a new Peter Lindbergh retrospective, which celebrates the seminal German photographer’s longtime relationship with the French house
-
Take a bite: Laila Gohar and The Luxury Collection’s ‘Cakes & Candles’ are a sweet treat for the sensesLaila Gohar’s six cake-inspired candles draw on The Luxury Collection’s hotels around the world – where guests can enjoy matching edible confections
-
The best gyms around the world for design buffs in 2018 -
Skate park design goes to the British seaside with Guy Hollaway’s F51F51 is Folkestone's brand new, dedicated, multistorey skate park, courtesy of the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust and Hollaway Studio
-
Community centre architecture redefined: Holborn House by 6a and Caragh Thuring opensHolborn House by 6a Architects and Caragh Thuring opens for the Holborn Community Association in London, bridging art and community architecture with people at its heart
-
Pink concrete skatepark is a striking urban landmark in the Chihuahuan DesertA team of architects, landscape designers, sociologists and urban planners came together to create La Duna, a fine example of skatepark architecture on the northern border of Mexico
-
Last chance to play: Yinka Ilori's colourful basketball court in Canary Wharf is a slam dunkArtist and designer Yinka Ilori applied his signature colourful geometries to his design for this new public basketball court in Canary Wharf, London
-
Building muscle: London architecture walks and runsTry these London architecture walks and runs for some physical and intellectual edification
-
Janne Tuunanen captures modernist architecture of renovated Helsinki Olympic StadiumPhotographer Janne Tuunanen captures the sharp modernist architecture of the recently renovated Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland in his latest series
-
Yinka Ilori’s colourful skatepark in France is a pillar of the communitySport, street art and community merge in Yinka Ilori’s skatepark in Roubaix, project that is part of Lille’s World Capital of Design 2020
