Reebok: Great Leap

Ora Ito
Product designer Ito Morabito may have an unusual name for a Frenchman, but his approach to work is no less unorthodox: rather than build a name for himself project by project, he decided to make a brand of himself - inviting curious lawyers when he designed ads for fictional branded products from the likes of Louis Vuitton and Apple - and let the commissions roll in. And they have, his so-called ’simplexity’ approach working for the likes of Swatch, Nike, L’Oreal, Sagem and Heineken, among others. The son of a luxury goods designer and nephew to an architect of Nice’s Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, perhaps the design school drop-out got a head-start. But Morabito has done it his own way

Designed to transfer energy back to the wearer, Reebok’s new ZigTech trainers are full of running.

If only the more effort one put in, the more artistic inspiration freely came – as, for example, with Reebok’s pioneering new ZigTech shoe range, whose graphic, crenelated sole not only reduces muscle fatigue but transfers energy back into the runner’s stride, so that the better they run, the better they run.

Wallpaper* gave the shoe one of its prestigious design awards this year. Of course, creativity may not work so conveniently. But it’s an idea that might spur five artists invited by Wallpaper* and Reebok to create original work for a unique exhibition in London in July, taking the functionality and fresh looks of new Reebok designs as their cue.

As well as the ZigTech, the artists will explore the equally eye-catching RealFlex – with a sole effectively comprising 76 mini-soles, making it one of the most responsive trainers in the market – and the Men’s Toning line, designed to encourage the development of key leg muscles during a workout. In fact, they sound ideal for long days standing at the easel, too.

Fabio Novembre
Trained in architecture in Milan, in movie direction in New York and finding his first design job in Hong Kong (for Anna Molinari), the Italian (and ardent blogger) Fabio Novembre has now worked for the homeland greats of Cappellini, Driade, Flaminia and B&B, designing chairs and carpets, trays and sanitary ware with a characteristic baroque style. But he has also added to his CV bars and discos, shops and hotels - and each has benefitted from what he has called the translation of cinematic ideas into architectural concepts. Dramatic? Small wonder the designer also likes to dress up to express various alter egos

Christoph Behling
This Swiss-born products designer may have established a reputation with his work on sustainability - he curates the Royal College of Art’s annual Sustain show and designed the Serpentine SolarShuttle, as well as similar shuttles planned for the 2012 Olympics. But it is in his work with luxury brands the likes of Dior, Lacoste, Versace (for whom he has created the brand’s first mobile phone) and Tag Heuer that he is perhaps best known - specifically as the award-winning designer of most of Tag Heuer’s recent watches, including the Monaco 360, Carrera 360 and the new Mikrotimer Flying 1000th. A slew of new watches is in the pipeline for launch in the run up to 2014

Joaquin and Rafa of Acero Architects
Established in 1996 by Joaquin Torres and Rafael Llamazares, the company now has offices in Madrid, Dubai and the Dominican Republic, with projects covering everything from modernist residential homes for single families through to apartment blocks, office buildings, hotels and full scale urbanisation projects, each gaining the company’s signature boldly graphic, hard-edged lines. More unusual jobs have included the design of a family vault, wine cellars and an old people’s home, between which are squeezed award-winning skyscraper concepts

Alex Griffin and Richard Pearce of Darkroom at Partizan
Celebrating its 20th birthday this year, Partizan (and its newest division Darkroom) have racked up clients as diverse as Dolby, VW, Doritos and Playstation and work covering music videos, documentaries, animations and on-line content. As designers represented by Partizan, it is with installations that Alex and Richard appear to have most fun, however: a recent project for Amstel saw a video art display respond to the information in personality tests taken by individual visitors before entering the gallery, while Light Light for Audi saw LEDs beamed through an acid etched aluminium structure blending craft and technology