How do you spend your day? Is it picking up your breakfast from a convenience store in 2 minutes? Or is it using 5 minutes of your lunch break to make an online purchase of some clothing? Fast fashion has creeped to all kinds of industries. However, those products and cultures always have a lifespan that is too short to be remembered. Therefore, scholars and designers have brought out the culture and lifestyle of slowing down. To look at the world from a different perspective.
Slowing down by Moving Away from Your Fast-paced Lifestyle.
During recent years, fast fashion has influenced a variety of industries around us. We have unconsciously entered the generation of ” iwwiwwiwi” （I want what I want when I want it.）Most industries has been focusing on shortening lead times and improving productivity to increase revenue and create larger demand. However, more sales mean more resources consumed. Fast fashion has come with various side-effects. Therefore, people has brought up with the idea of slow fashion, to counter the impacts caused by fast fashion. When it comes to fast fashion, we must talk about its origin. The concept of slow fashion has been created in 1986 in Spain. At that time, a fast food restaurant opened next to Piazza di Spagna. People started to rely on the convenience of the restaurant while gradually forgetting the importance of the quality of meals. Hence, ideologists in Rome came up with the concept of slowing down the city to prevent the city culture from deteriorating. They encourage people to slow down their lifestyles, enjoy their coffees slowly, and patiently enjoy their meals. Slowing down is the right attitude to enjoy living.
The Floor Planers by Gustave Caillebotte from the 19th century.
Buy Less, Choose Well, Make it Last.
In 2008, the concept of “Slow Fashion” has been brought out officially by English designer Kate Fletcher. Aiming to rethink about sustainable design, manufacturing, purchasing, using, and reusing based on a slower lifestyle. Not only to rebuild the relationship between consumers and products, but also to promote the concept of “Buy less, choose well, and make it last” to consumers.
The myth of fast fashion also exists in the building material industry. Some businesses have been constantly launching products with new finishes, materials, and low price tags to attract consumers. However, to achieve a low price tag, the demand of product quality has usually been sacrificed to decrease the production costs. We have seen manufacturers using eco-friendly materials as excuses for making fragile products, which sacrifices the users’ rights of deserving a decent product. The design concept behind KD Hand-scraped Wood Flooring is to create a classic, durable, and unique luxury building material. We believe that consumers should make a rational purchase decision based on the product quality instead of a cheap price that usually leads to fragile products.
The craftsman scrapes each mark by hand, only 5 pings of flooring can be finished each day.
Slow Fashioned Craftsmanship，Recreating the Vitality of Natural Wood.
Mr. Huang, director of KD’s production department, said that the persistence of crafting certain processes by hand is key to produce exceptional wood floorings. Only outstanding craftsmanship could create a vivid and unique appearance of wood floorings. KD Hand-scraped Wood Flooring is inspired by the spirit of slow fashion. Practicing the philosophy of quality over quantity by precisely and patiently carving, staining, and distressing the surface to create a unique appearance that no machine can mimic. We rely on experienced craftsmen to craft every plank of wood flooring. Therefore, only 5 pings of wood flooring can be produced each day.
Hand-rubbed coloring involves slowly working pigment into the wood.
Hand Stained, Natural Colors Created by Time and Craftsmanship.
The unique hand-stained finish of KD Hand-scraped Wood Flooring is created by slowly rubbing the wood stain into the wood, and leaving it to naturally dry for a week. The process is extremely time consuming, but it is also the best way to create a natural-looking finish. Since each plank of wood have its own unique properties due to different growing environments, we leveraged the uniqueness to create a special series of color matching wood floorings. The crisscrossing planks of different colors could enhance the naturalness and pureness of your space.
Hand-scraped Wood Flooring showcases timeless elegance.
A Retro Treatment that Immortalizes a Classic Finish.
Retro wood floorings have become a trend A few decades ago in Western countries. The retro finish that mimics the wear and tear over time beautifully demonstrates culture and spirit. Thus, customers can project their personal taste and style through the beauty of their hand-scraped wood flooring. The retro finish of KD Hand-scraped Wood Floorings are made very different from mass produced products. Every piece of flooring is crafted and scraped by hand, which creates a vivid and unique look that comes with an irreplaceable value.
