Contemporary design studio we+ created an ever-changing installation for a store window at Seibu department store in Shibuya, Tokyo, counting down from 22nd November to Christmas Day. “Surprise” is a Christmas theme of Seibu-Shibuya in this year. we+ responded to the concept by covering inside the window with knitted tapestries and gradually disclosing like an Advent calendar.

Towards the end of the period some Christmas gifts are exposed one by one. Five special spool machines are set in front to reel in over a month and unravel 80 tapestries in total. These tapestries are arranged 5×4 in four layers and the inner layers are revealed little by little. The checker patterns are designed to become more complex as time goes by, giving different impression to the audience every time they pass by.

Each tapestry is one meter wide and knitted with wool that passes the image of winter and Christmas sweater. By using common material we+ visualised fun and playful time in winter that everyone dreamed to un-knit in childhood. we+ is a contemporary design studio established in 2013 by Hokuto Ando and Toshiya Hayashi based in Tokyo. Hokuto graduated from Central Saint Martins in London and Toshiya graduated from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo.

They develop their experimental approach to products, installations and graphics, by combining unconventional materials and technology to shift perspectives. zu12They have exhibited at international exhibitions including Milan Design Week and Maison & Objet. Their works are represented by Gallery S. Bensimon in Paris. They also have been commissioned by a variety of partners including SONY, Marimekko, Isetan Mitsukoshi Department Store, Finnair and Mori Art Museum.

Design: we+

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