Sharp Lines - Behind the Scenes

Foldability created a series of paper set design pieces for a test shoot in collaboration with photographer Matthew Pull. Below are some outtakes and behind the scenes images from the shoot which feature products from Ted Baker's AW16 collection. The shots were created using hand folded sheets of pre-perforated paper, some of which were painted by hand. To view the final images from the project please click here. If you are interested in commissioning some folded set design for a photo shoot or window display, please get in touch.

Story in Port Magazine

Founder of Foldability, Kyla McCallum, was recently interviewed by Port Magazine about how her business began.

"Founded in 2013, Foldability is the product of a competition. It was the kind of entrepreneurial challenge you see advertised all over east London – ‘pitch a brilliant business plan to win £10,000’. Although Scottish designer Kyla McCallum didn’t win the funding, the award gave her the impetus to set up Foldability – a design studio that creates geometric, origami-inspired products. Since then, the designer has worked for Burberry, been commissioned by ELLE Decoration for an origami-inspired cover, and created over 2000 hand-folded flowers for H&M’s flagship store. Here, we chat to London’s ‘Queen of Origami’ about her age-old craft."

To read the full interview please click here. To learn more about Foldability, please visit our about page.

Origami Installation for Plinth

Foldability is currently working on ‘Refraction,' an immersive origami installation for Plinth, made using over 200 folded paper panels. In total, the space will include over 52,000 hand folded lines. Visitors will be encouraged to view the space through kaleidoscopes, discovering new shapes and combinations of geometric lines, shapes and shadows. Layer upon layer of origami will be growing up the walls and slinking across the ceiling, creating an array of detailed patterns. ‘Refraction' aims to take the viewer on a playful geometric journey, emerging from the space with a smile. Please see below a sneak preview of work in progress. Also on display will be works from Raw Edges, Jacques Nimki and Fishbar collective.

Plinth, 10a Thurloe Place (opposite the V&A), South Kensington, London SW7 2RZ

16th September - 23rd October 2016

Origami Window Display for Desso

Foldability has been commissioned to design an installation for the Desso showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week 2016 to celebrate their award winning Transitions Collection. The installation illustrates the story of the pleating process and how fabric transitions into a 3D structure using a paper pattern. There will be a number of events in the showroom throughout Clerkenwell Design Week, including an origami workshop from 2 - 3pm on Thursday 26th May. Please come along to see the space from the 24 - 26 May at Desso, 23 - 25 Great Sutton Street, London, EC1V 0DN. For a full press release, please get in touch here.

Photography by Ross Fraser McLean.

Plinth Pop-up Gallery

Foldability is taking part in a new pop-up gallery run by Plinth in collaboration with Ikon gallery. The space will display a carefully curated selection of products and limited editions by leading contemporary artists. Pieces by David Shrigley, Cornelia Parker, Beatriz Milhazes, Richard Deacon, Richard Wilson and Ding Yi will feature, and proceeds from the sale of these limited editions will support Ikon’s 50th Anniversary Investment Fund.

Plinth have transformed a listed Georgian house which dates back to 1710, situated directly across the road from the British Museum. The building spans over four floors and has lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore. In the court yard gallery there will be talks by leading artists and the space features a collection of Foldability Leah pendant lights.

The Plinth pop-up gallery opens this Friday 12th February until 19th March, Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm at 44 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3PA.

Images of the space can be seen below and you can find out more about Plinth here: http://plinth.uk.com

Set Design for ELLE Decoration

Foldability collaborated with ELLE Decoration to create the set design for the cover of their December issue. Two variations of the design were made, one in lighter tones and one with a darker theme and interior setting. In total, 70 snowflakes were made and each one was folded by hand using a luxurious pearlescent paper from Fedrigoni. The ELLE logo was also made entirely from paper and laid out very precisely by hand. Please find below some behind the scenes images from the shoot along with videos of the cover being made. Art Direction by Tony Peters and photography by Nick Rochowski. The snowflake designs are now available to buy as Christmas Decorations from our shop.

Makers of East London

Foldability has been featured in a new book by Hoxton Mini Press called 'Makers of East London,' written by Katie Treggiden. The book will be launching this Wednesday 16th September from 6 - 8.30pm at the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch, London. A selection of the makers work will also be available to view and purchase at the Geffrye Museum until the 4th October. To RSVP for the launch party please click here.

" Bike builders, violin makers, ceramicists… East London is the creative hub of one of the world’s most dynamic cities and is now seeing a resurgence of craftspeople breathing life back into traditional disciplines. This book takes a tour of their studios and practices to see what it takes to be a maker in a world of mass production. " - Hoxton Mini Press

Hoxton Mini Press will also be presenting the book at Tent London from the 24th - 27th September during the London Design Festival and will be featuring some Foldability lighting designs at stand L15. Some more images from the book by Charlotte Schreiber can be seen below. The book is available to buy online from Hoxton Mini Press here.

How to Pleat Fabric

In this post I'm going to tell you a little bit about a manufacturing process called pleating which is used to fold fabric. Pleating is a heat setting technique where fabric is placed between a two part mould and put inside a steaming machine. Pleating has been used for hundreds of years but unfortunately it is now a dying trade in the UK. I work with a team of specialist pleaters who are one of the last left in the UK and are experts in the pleating process.

So, I'm going to give you a run through of how to pleat fabric. First, a two piece paper mould is made by marking out the folding pattern on to a special card by hand, using a pencil. The card is coated with a resin to protect it from heat and moisture for when it goes in the steaming machine. Once the pencil marks are in place the pattern is scored using a small tool with a wooden handle and a blunt metal tip. A pattern making awl with a blunt end is perfect for this. Then the two patterns are folded into the desired 3D shape by hand. This process can take anything from 4 or 5 hours up to one month or even more, depending on the complexity of the pattern. Some complex patterns can be pre-scored with a machine which really speeds up the process.

Once the pattern is ready, the fabric is placed in between the two layers of card and weights are placed on top to keep the fabric from moving. It is then folded together by hand and strapped together very tightly with strips of fabric so that it can't unfold. The pleating pattern is then placed inside a steaming machine for 25 - 30 minutes to set the folded shape in the fabric. After it has cooled, the pattern is opened up and the folded fabric is removed. Patterns can be used hundreds of times, due to the resilience of the card that is used. For more information on how to pleat fabric , follow the link below to see examples of our pleating projects.

Origami Textile Design

Foldability was recently invited to Germany by a company who manufacture textiles globally for the automotive industry. I was asked to present research and exploration into folding and examples of how it can be applied within textile design. Behind the scenes I've been working a lot on folding experiments, researching and testing different materials and production techniques. See below some images I took of folded fabric at the pleating factory. If you are interested in using geometry or folding within a project and would like to find out more about Foldability's design consultancy service, please get in touch.

Foldability Launches in the USA

I am delighted to be working with Ameico, a US distributor who are launching the Petra and Maya Pendant at NY Now in New York. They represent some great design brands including &Tradition, Santa & Cole and Punkt. If you're based in the US and interested in stocking these products please get in touch with Ameico or visit them at NY Now at Accent on Design, booth #4020. The products will also be on show in May at ICFF in New York.

Peek Inside the Foldability Studio

Foldability was recently featured in a video about the New Creative Markets Programme, an organisation who offer advice and support to London based artists and designers. Every 6 months they take in a new group of people who are offered workshops and 1-2-1 mentoring sessions with industry professionals and advisors. They've recently brought out a video to promote what they do which includes a little peek inside my studio. The film can be seen here.

Grand Designs Live Australia

The Sonobe Collection is being showcased in Australia! The origami lighting designs will be featured in the Tech Box space at Grand Designs Live Melbourne from the 17 - 19 October and in Sydney from the 24 - 26 October. The Petra pendant has also been selected by Kevin McCloud to be featured in the Green Heroes space at Grand Designs Live at the NEC in Birmingham from the 9 - 12 October 2014. Below is a little paragraph that Kevin wrote about the products and some pictures from the show.

John Lewis Campaign

The Chloe pendant that I designed for the the 150th anniversary of John Lewis is up on the London underground! The design has featured in a nationwide campaign called 'The Edit' which is very exciting. Very surreal to pull up to a tube stop and see my design on a billboard! To see more about this design take a look at the project for John Lewis here.

Foldability on Domus

The new Equi Collection has been featured online by Domus. The article tells a little bit about the thought process behind the new collection, the metallic fabrics used and my collaboration with the pleating manufacturer. The article can be read here.

Perforated Paper Experiments

This month, Foldability has been working with Protopaper to develop concepts and folding ideas. Currently, it is only available in white but they have kindly let me test a range of colours using paper from Fedrigoni. It's a very exciting method as it allows me to fold things very quickly and precisely. Some images of my ongoing experiments can be found below.

John Lewis Glasgow

Foldability is en route to Glasgow! Tomorrow I will be at John Lewis on Buchanan Street, from 12 - 5pm, doing a demonstration of how the Chloe Pendant is made. The design is one of a range of products made exclusively for the 150th anniversary of John Lewis and was launched alongside a range of products from iconic brands and designers such as Vitra, Ercol, Anglepoise and Ciara O'Neill.

If you are based in Glasgow and would like to learn a bit more about how my designs are made, or would just like to say hello, please pop by the store tomorrow.

John Lewis
Buchanan Street
Glasgow, G1 2GF

31 May 2014 12 - 5pm