Fractal Geometry & Menswear

“Oh, no! Not geometry,” you say! But hang on, this fractal stuff can really be fun!

I saw a fascinating documentary on TV last night, so I thought to share the highlights with you.

We owe the term fractal to Benoît Mandelbrot—a Jewish Lithuanian who was born in Warsaw but fled from the Nazis to France with his family in 1936.

Although the concept of fractals dates back to the 17th-century German mathematician, Gottfried Leibniz, there was no visual way to explore them in depth until the computer and, of course, Benoît's ingenuity.

Fractals are shapes outside the regular circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares of traditional geometry, encompassing those like clouds, mountains, lightening, broccoli, coastlines, and veins, all of which can be produced through recursive algorithms.

The photos posted in this article have emerged out of the equation zn+1 = zn2 + c (the Mandelbrot set). The photo to the left is a closeup of the photo at top right.

Born 1954 in Maryland, USA, and educated at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Jhane Barnes has diverged from tradition of artistic drawing by incorporating fractals and computer algorithms into her menswear since 1978.

Wrongly labeled a fashion “geek,” this fashion “genius” has produced limited editions of designs that never repeat twice.

The Jhane Barnes 2009 a/w collection brilliantly features a revolutionary new line of engineered, digital prints with fancy woven techniques and an unlimited color palette, which uses less water—hence making the collection environmentally sensitive.

So, if you bombed out of high school geometry or you just made it through by the skin of your teeth, now you have a second chance! And you can wear it too!



Photo top right Mandelbrot Set by Wolfgangbeyer, Copyleft at Wikipedia.
Photo middle left closeup of Mandelbrot Set by Wolfgangbeyer, Copyleft at Wikipedia.
Slideshow Copyright Jhane Barnes.

Kornerd Presents "Axioms in Alchemy"

Based in Sydney, Australia, Marcus Kersch launched his label Kornerd in 2004. Now, in addition to his line of high quality menswear, Marcus has created a new line of silver jewelry.

Marcus, it is a privilege to know you! Where are you from originally?

Well I grew up and live in Manly, in Sydney's Northern Beaches.

In a nutshell, how would you describe yourself?

I am a surfer, graphic designer and artist, who dropped out of a degree in Architecture to pursue a career with my label Kornerd.

What made you change direction?

I simply found that, through this, I can better express myself, whether it be graphically through t-shirt prints, through garment or jewellery design, or in photography when creating a look or mood for different collections.

Are there any influences at work in your designs?

My work is influenced by history both ancient and modern, the world of alchemy, science, nature and the way in which these relate to one another.

I found your new line of jewelry attractively unique. What inspired you?

The pieces are inspired by "Elements," the books written by Euclid, the Greek mathematician and so-called Father of Geometry, circa 300BC. The principles he presented remain the basis of mathematics to this day, 23 centuries later. "Axioms in Alchemy" is my first collection of metal (silver) accessories.

Why silver?

I chose to use silver as it is a pure element, and the designs stem from certain "logical proofs" Euclid devised.

Where can the readers find your new line of jewelry?
With selected stockists in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, Kornerd is currently not stocked in the United States.

Thank you, Marcus, and all the best to you!

Photos 2009 a/w collection Copyright Kornerd.

Slide show Axioms in Alchemy Copyright Kornerd.