Knit!

If I Had Wings

Zaven

If I Had Wings

A squirrel gliding from tree to tree; airplanes vaulting through the sky; an astronaut suspended against the vastness of space. In their contribution to Knit!, the Venice-based design practice Zaven drew on imagery that captures the allure of flight.

If I Had Wings is a series of utopian flight suits that take advantage of the dynamic stretching properties offered by knitted textiles, as well as their versatility in easily adapting to different bodies and interaction.

Formed from a panoply of Kvadrat Febrik’s Uniform Melange, Drop, Triangle, Plecto, Sprinkles, Mosaic 2 and Razzle Dazzle textiles, Zaven’s project explores an imagined role for knits in mediating interactions between the body and gravity.

If I Had Wings draw on influences from sports and safety equipment, construction materials, and more traditional upholstery techniques. Each suit includes individual accessories and details, creating a series of brilliantly coloured flying overalls with hooks, patches, zippers and cushions — a glimpse into a possible sci-fi utopia for the intended wearer.

We have these three elements – body, space and object and how you can build a story around it.

- Zaven

Zaven

Zaven is a Venice-based design studio operating at the crossroads of product design, graphic design, interior design and art direction. Founded in 2006 by Enrica Cavarzan and Marco Zavagno, it builds its projects around extensive research and always aims for formal clarity. The studio has initiated numerous collaborations with creatives from different contexts, and runs classes and workshops in universities, academies and design schools across the world.