{"id":2099798,"date":"2026-08-18T21:20:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T18:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2099798"},"modified":"2026-08-18T21:20:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T18:20:19","slug":"project-extraordinary-rewrites-the-rules-of-the-material-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2099798","title":{"rendered":"project. extraordinary Rewrites the Rules of The Material World"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

Courtesy of Javier Cast\u00e1n<\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\n

Fashion<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

project. extraordinary <\/em>Rewrites the Rules of The Material World<\/h1>\n
\n

Forget cashmere! Lose the leather! The future is in the eye of the re-beholder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
by Sam Tracy<\/a><\/address>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n

In the world of fashion, fine fabrics and their associated craftsmanship are often prized according to their rarity, provenance, and texture, lest they be deemed too ordinary: mulberry silk, vicu\u00f1a wool, and baby cashmere sit near the top, beloved for their softness and scarcity. Velvet, lace, and leather follow with their own rich histories and cultural associations. But what happens when the material doesn’t come with that mythology built in? project. extraordinary<\/em>, the new multidisciplinary photography project curated by New York-based art director Shibo Chen<\/a>, is interested in finding out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe we can find beauty in everything,\u201d says Chen. \u201cproject. extraordinary<\/em> centers on transformation, on the act of re-seeing.\u201d For its first chapter, Chen brought together 13 creative teams from around the world, each with their own visual language, and gave them a deliberately open brief: take an conventional object and transform it into something unexpectedly new and expressive. From there, the everyday takes on new life: a collection of discarded MetroCards becomes a two-piece set (plus matching clutch and earrings), candles are molded into a crown, bra, and skirt, and paper is dramatically wrapped as a floor-length frock. Including renowned photographers, stylists, and image-makers like Richie Talboy<\/a>, Nico Daniels<\/a>, Ryan Wohlgemut<\/a>, Javier Cast\u00e1n<\/a>, and more, the collective of burgeoning industry tastemakers turns the often unnoticed into something worth a second look.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
Courtesy of Niklas Haze<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

For lensman, Nico Daniels<\/a>, mannequins felt, well, like a familiar model. Having become accustomed to working with human figures in his work, building a fashion story around their more literal, uncanny counterparts was a natural next step. Coupled with a long-held fascination by their dual role in fashion \u2014 part display tool, part surrealist figure \u2014 Daniels plays with shadows and lighting that make you question who’s human and who’s not. \u201cLooking in the reflection of the mirror and seeing the mannequins and models interacting with each other in silhouette was the point in which they started to come alive for me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>
Courtesy of Nico Daniels<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>
Courtesy of Nico Daniels<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n