JULIA KOERNER
©Julia Koerner Portrait by Ger Ger, All Rights Reserved.
Julia Koerner is an award-winning Austrian designer working at the convergence of architecture, product, and fashion design, specialized in 3D-printing.
Her work stands out, recognized at the top level of these disciplines, where it has been featured internationally in world-renown museums, institutions, and publications. She is the founder and director of JK Design GmbH. Her recent collaborations involved 3D-Printed fashion pieces developed with Haute Couture Houses for Paris Fashion weeks and Hollywood Entertainment Productions such as MARVEL's superhero blockbuster Black Panther. Julia is a graduate of the Architectural Association, London, and University of Applied Arts, Vienna; she is a faculty member at the University of California, Los Angeles since 2012.
INSPIRATIONS
Petra column©JULIA KOERNER
Petra column_02©JULIA KOERNER
Salt Crystals in Jordan_02©JULIA KOERNER
SETAE_Close Up of Madagascar Sunset Butterfly_©JULIA KOERNER
SETAE_Madagascar Sunset Butterfly_©JULIA KOERNER
DESIGN VISIONS
ON WHAT DREW HER TO DESIGN
“Computational design processes have added a new dimension to my cross-disciplinary design work, I have positioned my research and professional practice to operate between architecture, fashion, and product design. Generative design processes are enabling me to bridge these scales. Technological advancements in manufacturing, specifically 3D-Printing, have unveiled for me a potential to manifest complex digitally generated forms, into physical and tangible objects. Of specific interest and relevance to me is computational design at the convergence of emergent technologies and material performance within the industry.”
HER DESIGN STYLE AND DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
“The constantly intriguing aspect of my work is its embodiment of a beautiful organic aesthetic incorporating innovative emergent technologies and design. The relationship between fashion and architecture lies within the understanding of the human body, its movement, and direct surrounding space. A garment performs like a second skin, a kind of protective layer of clothing, while the facade of a building serves as the immediate enclosure of a structure and also protects the building from environmental forces. While both serve the function of a protective layer they also serve aesthetic functions. The seams of the garment are designed to allow the body to ergonomically move, while the facade of a building serves as a protective layer with operable openings.”
ON GOOD DESIGN
“I believe that good design needs to be smart, affordable, beautiful, and conscious of our resources. Working with materials which are biodegradable, recycled, or made from organic materials reflects the values I believe we should all share.”
HER VIEW ON SUSTAINABILITY
“It means that each and every one of us has to contribute to a sustainable lifestyle. It does not only regard the way of how we make things but how we live, what we eat, and what we wear. The fashion and garment industry is a major consumer of valuable resources and high on emissions. We at JK Design GmbH are a leader in digital design for 3D printings and we aim to disrupt the unfortunate reality of this industry and offer a superior product in design and quality while improving resource efficiency and environmental impacts.”
HOW DESIGNERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MAKE A BETTER TOMORROW
“With additive manufacturing we at JK Design expect consumer costs to be high and therefore we will first tackle consumers who are early adopters of high-end innovative fashion, and those who are environmentally-conscious. As our design development advances and manufacturing is scaled, consumer costs can be reduced and the consumer base can therefore grow widely. The project is able to foster equal opportunities and create opportunities for all kinds of individuals globally. Today, the fashion industry has a negative social impact through the exploitation of overseas labor working below-average pay and in poor health conditions. With our research, we can disrupt fashion design as we know it today, and unveil new opportunities in design and also the incorporation of local cultural and social elements in the design, and the possibilities of hyper-personalization.”
THE FUTURE OF DESIGN INDUSTRY
“As a woman on the forefront of design with additive manufacturing, my design research is disrupting the fashion and product industry by demonstrating new ways of design with computation, and the possibility for on-demand and localized production which eliminates global shipping footprint and sweatshops. The current social and environmental impact of the fashion industry is significant. The ultimate goal is that the design processes are automated from design to production leading to ‘local production’’ and ‘mass customization’’. Such a process can be revolutionary in re-thinking fashion production as it has the potential to reduce shipping and carbon footprint. 3D garments can be transferred in the form of a digital file, and as long as technology is locally available, the apparel can be printed and assembled locally. Scanning the body allows for mass customization eliminating generic garment sizes such as S, M, L, XL, and allowing for a personalized fit.”