"Project Runway and GM's Designer's Word On Auto Design" Edmunds Daily

Project Runway and GM's Designer's Word On Auto Design

Last week I was offered a ticket to Project Runway's Final Collection (Season 5) at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Project Runway is a competition reality show for fashion designers.

I was kind of low energy about going until a couple of colleagues heard me mention the show. They were all over me! Where did you get that and HOW? Can you get me one? And so on...

All I can say is that all that attention convinced me. This show was a DO NOT MISS.
And besides all the popularity points, I was also going to attend with two top GM designers; Christopher Webb, Lead Creative Designer/ Color and Trend and David Lyon, Director of North America Interior Design.

yes 6.jpg All you need to know about the GM connection is that Project Runway is sponsored by Saturn. Chris Webb had his star moment as a guest on this season's Episode 7. His gig was to present the designers with the unlikely task of taking Saturn car parts and "recycling them" into fashion.

The morning I attended, the show started with host and uber model Heidi Klum. She made her entrance in a form-fitting gray/green mid-calf dress with an exposed zipper that ran up her back and a slit that ran half way up her looong perfect legs. Heidi Klum could inspire anyone. After checking her out I decided to drop a few pounds, exercise like a maniac and dress in couture. (Well, vintage couture.)

But enough about me. The final six contestants showed wicked, whacky and witty collections that ranged from leather and denim to glitter and gold, whimsical head dresses to feather wedding dresses.

Yet, the three of us agreed on the last two collections in the final analysis. We were all about Korto and Leanne (who, by the way, won Chris' Saturn challenge).

Korto showed a mix of colorful fabrics, large ruffles, jewels and flounce. Leanne's work featured soft petal skirts that danced around the models legs like flowers and was produced in a serene palette of white, camel and turquoise.

So, I queried; How about turquoise? When can we see it again?

Chris: That was back when Cadillac had its 'hay day'. Black, brown and gray still seem to be favorite colors for the interiors. But, we're moving into browns, oranges and burnt umbers.

Holly: Is color that important to the consumer?

David: According to the last Dupont study 39% of customers will go to a totally different brand if they don't get the color they want. That's great for us because color is the quickest and the least costly thing to change.

H: Are you guys gearheads?

D: 99% of automotive designers come from a fashion or textile background. We came to the automotive world as designers, not techies.

H: What's the deal on green materials?
C: Materials like soy are currently used in manufacturing and we are going green with glass flake and volcanic rock in exterior paint. We're always looking at putting materials like soy or recycled fibers on the outside. We also see that the less processed something is, the better it looks. For example, concerning leather palettes- the less enhanced color is richer looking, However, there is a slight disconnect between wanting green and paying for it. Raw materials are simply more expensive.

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H: What did you think of the trend towards exposed zippers (as in Heidi Klum's fab dress)?
D: There's this thing about perceived quality in the automotive world. We're always trying to hide things. If it's something like multi-dimensional high-end wheels with rivets that's fine. Lots of exposed "jewelry" is another thing. Moving forward, we have to ignite the engineers to the idea that "jewelry has a purpose."

H: Any thought on using fun patterns in the interior?
C: The designs that had one color on one side, another on the other, were a surprise. Hmmm...makes me think about using color or patterns on flip-ups (like mirrors or sunglass holders).

H: What's up for the future in auto interiors?
C: We are designing for 2012 so we have to look at what is going to have some legs. One of the things we've been seeing in fashion for a while is the use of different forms of translucency. For example, in the new Camaro, we are using channels of lights.

H: What will you bring back from the show?
D: I can't wait to into my office and tear it up (with sketches)!

H: And that controversial car, the Chevy Volt ?
D: When we were designing the Volt we got into some really inspiring arguments. Like, do we want a 'Birkenstock on wheels' or something with more bells and whistles. The funny thing is, we wanted lots of ambient light in the Volt. However the more light we created, the less battery power we had for the car. It kind of destroyed the whole idea.

H: So what did you decide?
C: It's the most futuristic car you'll ever see. Come to the Paris show and sit inside it. It'll blow you away.

So you may ask my take on this? I absolutely NEED more colorful interiors. Bring back that Cadillac turquoise. Now, as for transparency? Yes indeed. Show me some of what goes on behind those panels. I like the idea of exposed nuts and bolts.

So readers, what do you want to see in car interiors? Blog on...