It’s not simple to explain the two projects. It’s better to use the words of their founders. “The term Strange•R comes from the word stranger. A Strange•R is an everyday object which once was familiar but now seems strange, having random words deriving from the dreams and experiences of the people in the city applied on them. R is Re-live, Re-born, Re-use, Re-visit, Re-learn, Re-think, Re-create, Rejoice, Relationship… These diverse interpretations will see the transformations of everyday objects into something that can be reapplied into our daily life in a renewed way. At the same time they assume characters that tell of the stories of our city”. We can say the essence of a Strange•R is an “Invading memory”.

People had an active role in the project: they could be “Object Translators”. Their task was to give life to an abandon object. Re-think it. Re-invent it. In a way that allow to see the strangely familiar and the familiarly strange. Results are surprising. And if we do catch hold of the surprising and wonderful in the everyday, let’s think about the limits of what is possible and peraphs you may come face to face with a moment of revelation.

The Pallet Project has been introduced at 100% Design and exposed at Gallery Jacqueline Rabun in London until the half of October. An art gallery for a project like this? Yes, because three British artists have customized Pallet Lo Chairs which has been auctioned for charity. They are Gavin Turk, Cornelia Parker and Rachel Whiteread.

The proceeds of the auction will go to found a workshop in Lugano, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Here, using Nina’s instructions, gallery owner and charity worker Cecilia Gilk has taught unemployed people to make the Pallet Chair in their co-operative. So, in this way, discarded pallets will be turned into saleable furniture, with the hope to help people in poverty to improve their lives.

A collection of newly designed pallet furniture and accessoried made by Nina Tolstrup will be view and on sale at Jacqueline Rabun’s shop in Belgravia.

[re]design has just token place at 100% Design in Earl’s Court with an imaginative exhibition called “Doing it for the kids”. As you can just imagine, it was a show of a lot of fantastic products about sustainable play design. The project explored play types, the importance of play in child development, how toys help mould our kids’ values and how they impact on the environment. All the play resources shown in this surprising exhibition can inspire designers, educators and parents to be more critical and creative.

Almost fifty designers have given their interpretation about what it is re-design philosophy in childhood world, in a great stand made in paperboard, that looked like an enormous box of toys just opened on the floor. In “Doing it for the kids” album in Flickr you can see a few of images.

Now “Doing it for the kids” will move to other cities, with a tour that we hope long and successful. From 16 to 25 October it will be in Newcastle, from 19 to 21 November in Birmingham.

Re-use, re-cycle, re-design have been ones of the most popular keywords. We want to share with you a few images, thoughts and feelings we gathered in that days. A rough colletion of short sources of insipiration for your creative minds.

So, let’s start from the first image we shot in Earl’s Court at “100% Design” expo fair. This image can be considered the thread of the next episodes you’ll read at Refashinoso.com. See you soon with other inspirational posts from London Design Festival.

Are you a creative talent? Shicon, the leading community of icon designers and creative minds about style, is born the 14th september 2009. The 19th went at London Fashion Week not as a sponsor but to feel the atmosphere for next year and to introduce Shicon and Refashinoso to the creative side of London.

We’re growing, creating and buzzing every day.

Join our community, share your talent and your point of you.

See you around.