This year the IIDA Fusion Committee was tasked with a BOLD request, to flip Fusion upside down and create a new and different event than what we’ve become accustomed to. As a result, Fusion + Captured was created.
FUSION- A Tradition
IIDA Northland’s annual social event, Fusion + Fashion, has regularly been all about fashion – transforming the materials we work with on a daily basis and reinventing them into inspired garments. This year, we’ll still gather to eat, drink, and be inspired, but the central theme for the competition will be changing.
FUSION + Captured
WHEN:
November 3rd
WHERE:
The Machine Shop
And most importantly…
WHY:
I was able to talk to a Fusion Co-Chair about this process and learned more about their “why” for this change and how they made this happen.
IIDA Northland has been hosting a Fashion themed event for the past 11 years. The event has grown into something great, but to keep the design community on their toes, IIDA Northland requested the committee try something a little different for a year.
A big push was made for an event that encourages creative thinking that goes beyond fashion- something totally different and innovative for 2017. The committee started with an idea:
“As an industry of design professionals, we are sensitive to the emotions that people experience within a built environment. While we know that a space must be functional, we are empathetic to the reaction of individuals within their habitat.”
WHAT:
What is this concept? What is the theme? What is the evening going to look like? What on EARTH am I going to wear???? (Maybe that’s just me).
If you, like me, have been a little puzzled as to what this new concept will look like in Novembers event, you’re not alone! “The biggest challenge has been explaining to people what this event actually is.” So we dug into the concept and themes driving this event, and I speak for many people when I say this is gonna be FANTASTIC.
“This event is about a multi-sensory experience – about emotions that people experience within a space – the noticing, feeling, and interacting in our environment.”
The event competition can be broken down to a few things; Music, Experience, and Interaction. The challenge for participants is to create a 3D environment, a maximum of 7’W x 7’D x 8’H, developed around a selected inspiration. That inspiration must be gathered from a selected song and artist, but whether it’s album artwork, song lyrics, or dance moves, teams are free to use their artistic expression to create and explore music in the dimensional space. Event attendees and competitors will be encouraged to interact, choose their favorites, and pause a minute to take a selfie.
“Come ready to experience through the whole event and evening.” The whole night is set up to interact and engage with the competitors. There will be announcements, live music, and awards throughout the evening; the event is rolling continuously with both the competitors and attendees able to walk around and explore (wear your comfy dancing shoes!).
And WAIT, there’s more-
This year’s event will include some new exciting highlights including a new venue, live entertainment, and a hashtag printer so attendees can take a piece of the evening home with them.
The Fusion Committee has also been working hard to involve more community outreach into this year’s event. Attendees will be encouraged to bring art supplies to the event to donate to Free Arts MN. For every art supply donated, attendees will receive a raffle ticket (maximum of 5 raffle tickets per attendee) to win great prizes, like an annual membership to the Walker, an Eames Molded Plastic Chair, gift cards, and more! See the Fusion website for more information about Free Arts MN and what to donate.
What will Fusion look like next year?
“Fashion is a lot of hard work, but it is an idea popular with many designers. So we decided 2017 would be the year to try something new, and then bring Fusion+Fashion back every other year.”
More information can be found at https://www.iida-northland.org/events/fusioncaptured/
Emily Degallier – Interior Designer
