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The lightweight Marathon lamp was one of a unique series of lighting designs showcased at Milan Design Week. Photo: Julien Deceroi.
Sometimes inspiration is found in a most unexpected place. For designer Victor Moynier, the spark of an idea for a lighting fixture came from sportswear. The Lausanne, Switzerland-based industrial designer looked at running jackets and saw the possibility to produce a lamp using ripstop nylon.
His Marathon lamp was one of nine lighting fixtures created in a collaboration between Swiss University ÉCAL and Foscarini, an Italian producer of modern and elegant lighting. The goal was to create unique and portable designs. Moynier, whose interest in innovation is based on an understanding of manufacturing processes and new ways to use materials, wanted to experiment with technical fabric for the challenge. He created something useful and stylish, yet whimsical.
The lightweight lamp is 98 percent ripstop nylon on an aluminum frame. A handle makes it easy to move and carry. Taking advantage of modern manufacturing processes in the apparel industry, Marathon someday could be efficiently produced at an accessible cost. For more information, visit www.victormoynier.com.