Thilo Fuente had no shortage of ambition when he took on the design icon the Swiss Army knife. ‘I wanted to pay tribute to the original and yet innovate in a way other than simply by adding a 7,000th blade between the handles.’ Working with Swiss Army knife maker Wenger, he came up with six new knives. In one model, simply by bending the handle of the knife, it becomes more ergonimic as the more exposed blade is easier to release without risk of breaking a fingernail. With another model, the blade is kept static and has two moveable handles that create new functions. In the most radical design, the handle is removed and replaced with a piece of string. ‘The danger with an icon like the Swiss Army knife is that the iconic design is drowned by the addition of MP3 players or yellow handles. It needed conservatism and innovation.'
Most inspired by:
‘New York graffiti artist Dondi White for his power and positive messages and Buckminster Fuller for his vision.’
INFORMATION
INTERIORS
School
ECAL, Lausanne
Graduated
2009
