"I aim to capture a pure and essential impression of transformation through the ever-changing environment."

—— Christoph John

Chief Designer of "Off the Beaten Path"

For MULI, PINWU established "Off the Beaten Path" as the design theme for 2021. Based on material research involving glass and fabrics, the results were unveiled at the West Bund Art & Design Fair. Additionally, window display designs and art installations centered around this theme were showcased at MULI's flagship store in Dalian and during the 2021 Guangzhou Design Week.

"Off the Beaten Path" originally refers to unexplored lands. We use this as a metaphor for humanity's adventurous spirit and courage in conquering the unknown. In reality, we represent "Off the Beaten Path" through a desert city.

Top Note: From a distance, the city buildings emerge from the desert, with sandy hues and rough textures, quietly nestled within the vast landscape.

Middle Note: As night falls, the desert turns a deep blue, with the city's gates painted in the same hue, concealing unknown mysteries.

Base Note: Once the gates are opened, the vibrant colors beloved by desert peoples burst forth, offering surprise and delight.

This gradual progression of experiences— from afar to up close— inspired the designer's top, middle, and base notes.

Annual Theme and Material Design Release.

At the West Bund Art & Design Fair, held from November 11-14, 2021, PINWU unveiled the annual theme "Off the Beaten Path" for MULI. The exhibition showcased the research materials for 2020-2021, focusing on glass and fabrics, presenting a traditional craftsmanship map and the various states of the materials at different stages of the process.

At the same time, the designers experimented with the intersection of fabric and glass: imitating fabric patterns and textures with glass, leaving fabric imprints on the glass, and even melting fabric into the glass. After finding the optimal state, they redesigned some processes using industrial glass and fabric manufacturing techniques. These were then transformed into window displays for MULI's Dalian store and installation artworks for MULI's exhibition at Guangzhou Design Week.

Art Installation

Continuing with the annual design theme "Off the Beaten Path", PINWU designed and created a three-chapter art installation for MULI's exhibition at Guangzhou Design Week in 2021. This installation constructed background scenes for different spaces within the exhibition hall.

Starting from the desert, the installation depicts a journey across the ocean to encounter the aurora. Birds undergo their own transformation while in flight. A flock of brave birds takes off from the boundless desert, flying through an infinite blue ocean where the wind, waves, and horizon merge. Only two birds ultimately conquer the ocean, their feathers beginning to display a spectrum of colors influenced by their environment. One bird overcomes all obstacles, reaching the remote edge of the world, where it witnesses the majestic aurora. This bird, bathed in the aurora, is reborn as an extraordinarily beautiful bird with feathers of aurora-like rainbow colors.

We enhanced the contrast between the flying birds and the three environments using two different materials—acrylic and mesh fabric. The flying birds are crafted from glossy acrylic covered in various colors. Similar to the Dalian window display, the birds' bodies are stitched together with metal wire.

In contrast to the birds' shiny materials and organic stitching, the environments are made of matte, semi-transparent synthetic mesh fabric, layered and sewn onto a delicate metal frame. Under the interplay of light and shadow, the semi-transparent woven strips create an ethereal, misty effect. The colors and patterns evolve from the subtle tones of the desert world to the intense hues of the ocean, culminating in the vibrant brilliance of the aurora.

In the final scene, the bird is not fully visible; only its enormous wings rising from the ground are seen. This missing part invites curiosity about how the journey and the ideal destination influence and shape us.

The design narrates the journey of a bird from the desert, across the ocean, to the aurora. This is not just a geographical journey but a transformation of the traveler. Born in the desert world, the bird starts as small, with pure colors and patterns. As it crosses the ocean, its body begins to evolve, becoming more beautiful and complex. Immersed in the power of the ocean, it develops new patterns and colors.

Ultimately, the bird encounters the aurora, gracefully immersing itself in its vibrant hues and rich textures. This journey of the bird reflects the essence of our own lives as we traverse the world. Regardless of the pace, every environment we experience leaves a mark on our spirit and body, shaping us in ways both large and small. We are unconsciously molded by our natural surroundings and living environments, hoping to ultimately find meaning and purpose in life.

The window display is entirely made of acrylic, featuring layers of rich colors and patterns. The flying birds and surrounding landscape are purely abstract, with no extra details to distract from the main narrative, creating a pure yet immersive experience for the audience. The assembly of the components and the individual forms contrast with the simplicity of the environment. All feathers and other body parts are stitched together with fine metal wire. The handcrafted stitching harmoniously coexists with the machine-cut and printed acrylic parts, creating a striking contrast. The surrounding environment is composed of numerous acrylic strips arranged in various directions to capture the essence of the desert, ocean, and aurora.