Speaking of bananas, it's really not just a fruit, you can think of "anxiety" from "banana green", so there is a violent banana green, throw away the banana green, do not use the banana green... You can also derive many interesting designs from the straight and crooked appearance of bananas and the way they are eaten with peeling.
▲ The "No Banana Green" pop-up space promotional video during the 2022 National Day
There are so many things that bananas bring to mind.
But "sky-high bananas", we also think of artist Cattelan's "Comedian" - obviously a banana taped to the wall with silver tape, but sold for a sky-high price of $120,000 at Art Basel in December 2019, comparable to Duchamp's toilet bowl and Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup can.
▲ Cattelan's "The Comedian". Image courtesy of ART
The certificate of authenticity of the "sky-high banana" also includes an installation guide, the banana needs to be placed 175 cm above the ground and replaced with fresh bananas every 7 to 10 days.
▲ Art Basel Miami Beach. Image courtesy of Forbes
The shocking spectacle of 2019 took place with a follow-up this year – Cattelan's "sky-high banana" was accused of plagiarism. It turned out that back in 2000, Miami artist Maurizio Cattelan also taped bananas and oranges to the wall, and also registered the work called "Bananas and Oranges" with the US Copyright Office.
▲ Court documents (pictured left, Maurizio Cattelan's "Banana and Orange"). Image courtesy of artnet
If Maurizio wins the case, the banana could have earned him more than $390,000 in damages — the total price of Cattelan's three "sky-high banana" creations, plus Maurizio's legal costs and meal expenses.
In addition to getting into lawsuits, bananas have recently added a new label - "new favorite of environmental protection". Why is the potential and connotation of bananas so endless?
▲ Poster designed by Canadian design studio Paprika for the festival Art Souterrain. Photo courtesy of It's Nice That
Banana waste can also be worn
With a smiling face and a doll collar as the logo of Nordic girly style, Danish brand Ganni has become popular around the world in recent years, and it is also familiar in domestic designer boutiques.
▲ Ganni's new store in Paris' Marais district, with a window sign that reads "From Copenhagen with love". Image courtesy of Instagram @ganni
Ina Maribo Jensen, a model wearing Ganni. Image courtesy of Instagram @ganni
Where did you think that Ganni, who has raised a large number of girl fans, recently spent a lot of money to make three gray sportswear, which are a square-necked crop top, a long-sleeved hooded jacket and a pair of sweatpants, which is simply a basic model with a green brand logo that can be regarded as a design point.
Image courtesy of Input
Don't look at the basic style, the fabric used is not basic at all.
This is PYRATEX® element 2, a new material made by the Spanish materials research company Pyratex from banana waste mixed with organic cotton, and the price is very high, 8 times that of ordinary high-quality organic cotton.
▲ PYRATEX® element 2. Image courtesy of Input
In September, Ganni became the highest-scoring fashion brand to date with a B Corp certification with a score of 90.6. B Corp is a certification established by the non-profit organization B Lab, known for its most stringent requirements, based on the company's social and environmental impact, and closely linked to sustainable environmental protection.
Ganni also ordered a pink cake for this certification, with a big B spelled out from green grapes.
Without B, you can't spell the word responsibility.
——Ganni
On the celebration page of the official website, the first B stands for banana. Ganni has long loved bananas, and has designed banana-print clothing styles before, but this time he finally uses bananas themselves to make clothes that can be worn every day.
Image courtesy of Ganni
▲ Ganni's banana print style. Image courtesy of Instagram @ganni
Coincidentally, a few weeks ago, Dutch brand Scotch & Soda also used PYRATEX® element 2, a fabric recycled from banana waste.
The latest blockbuster season of Scotch & Soda. Image courtesy of Scotch & Soda
As early as 2019, the Swiss-based backpack brand QWSTION, with the banana plant fiber fabric Bananatex® developed for three years, won the 2019 Swiss Design Award, but unfortunately it was only used to design some backpacks, and did not attract much social attention.
▲ Bananatex® logo. Image courtesy of Instagram @qwstion_official
▲ Backpack made of Bananatex®. Image courtesy of QWSTION
But this year, banana fiber was enabled by influential fashion brands and entered the commercial-scale production series, which really verified the importance of bananas as environmentally friendly materials.
Waste is inevitable in the process of plant growth and harvesting, how can bananas be recycled from their own waste and become a new favorite of environmental protection?
▲ PYRATEX® element 2 and its raw materials. Image courtesy of DesignTaxi
Because bananas produce so much waste, accounting for 60%, not including the peels on bananas. After picking bananas, banana trees are in danger of dying, but as long as the excess waste is removed, the banana trees can enter a new growth cycle.
This waste consists mainly of trunks, branches and leaves, which generate around 115 million tons per year worldwide. Bananas are the second largest fruit in the world, accounting for about 16% of the total production, and there are more than 130 growing countries, of which India ranks first.
▲ Banana trees in the Philippines. Image courtesy of QWSTION
The way waste is burned is currently the main way to dispose of waste, which contributes to a significant amount of carbon emissions. But if the waste materials are not disposed of in time, they can rot and cause soil pollution problems.
By remanufacturing clothing fabrics, these banana wastes, which were originally defined as useless waste, have a chance to be reborn, while also providing a new source of income for banana farmers.
▲ Bananatex® production process. Image courtesy of QWSTION
100% banana fiber yarn is still not possible with current technology, because bananas are staple fibers, and the yarn made is fragile and cannot be woven into durable fabrics. The complex process from fiber extraction to cotton yarn blending keeps banana waste remanufactured at a high cost. Only when usage gradually scales will costs fall.
Maybe brands like us (Ganni) are willing to bear the high cost of it, but we need brands around the world, such as H&M, to use such fabrics to have a greater degree of environmental impact.
—Nicolaj Reffstrup (founder and CEO of Ganni)
The best support for environmentally friendly materials is to use them more, so that they may have the opportunity to continue to develop and progress.
▲ Backtracking the process of Bananatex® from the final product. Image courtesy of QWSTION
"Banana garbage" re-listed
In addition to being used as a clothing material, banana waste can also be used to make Japanese paper lamps.
Image from Instagram @alexisdornier
German architect Alexis Dornier visited a Japanese paper mill and found banana paper remade from banana waste fiber, which was fascinated by the material itself and the production process, which stimulated his creative desire.
▲ The production process of banana paper. Image courtesy of Design Anthology
The lamp named "Tamashi Jiwa – The Soul of Space" was born. This is a series of handmade Japanese paper lamps in a variety of styles including table lamps, chandeliers and floor lamps.
▲ IMAGE COURTESY OF ESCALIER
Although he makes lamps, or luminous sculptures, Alexis designed with a down jacket in mind. The three-dimensional structure is filled with translucent polyurethane wool made of recycled plastic, which gives the entire lampshade an air-filled shape.
▲ Handmade process of lamps. Image courtesy of Design Anthology
On August 12, the series of lamps was launched at the ESCALIER brand collection store in Bali, and Alexis came to the scene to take a photo with his design.
▲ ESCALIER brand collection store. Image courtesy of Instagram @escalierstore
▲ Architect Alexis Dornier. Image courtesy of Instagram @escalierstore
The waste that bananas have throughout their lives includes not only waste from the production process, but also banana peels that are discarded after eating. After eating 2/3 of the pulp of bananas, the remaining 1/3 of the peel can also be turned into eco-friendly materials to make more useful objects.
▲ KUORI project promotional video. Image courtesy of Instagram @sarah.harbarth
Bananas are also one of the most popular fruits in the world, eating more than 100 billion bananas worldwide each year. According to WWF, German supermarkets alone throw away 288 kilograms of banana peels every minute.
▲ Banana peels used in the KUORI project. Image courtesy of Instagram @sarah.harbarth
Sarah Harbarth, the designer who saw all this, created a project called KUORI - to recycle banana peels into biodegradable and environmentally friendly leather, and make them into eye holders, soles, straps, and can also be directly used as 3D printing materials for printing into any desired object.
▲ Objects made of banana peel material. Image courtesy of Mother Project
As a product designer, creating sustainable design is especially important to me because this responsibility must already be integrated into the design idea, and current technologies and methods allow us to solve many upcoming environmental problems, so what are we waiting for?
——Sarah Harbarth
▲ Designer Sarah Harbarth. Image courtesy of Punctuate
The ever-changing king of the fashion accessories scene
What is the most delicious thing about bananas? Bag in the shape of a banana.
▲ Serpui's banana straw clutch. Image courtesy of Farfetch
This year can be said to be the year of the banana bag conference, cute, elegant, simple banana bags are on the new.
The banana bag is obviously very iconic in its banana shape, and it looks like it will soon become obsolete. However, brands that have sold banana bags have found that this "real fragrance" can be changed in color, material and size for two or three years and continue to be on the shelves of "new models".
The most banana-like is German designer Melitta Baumeister, which launched the first black banana bag as early as May 2, 2019, with proportions, shapes and details that come out of a mold like a real banana.
This banana bag came out half a year earlier than Cattelan's "Comedian" made of tape and bananas, so when the "sky-high banana" caused a heated discussion on the Internet, Melitta Baumeister immediately made a "same" with his own banana key bag, and the location was also marked with the location of the "sky-high banana" Miami Beach.
Since 2020, banana buns have been a regular on Melitta Baumeister's quarterly Lookbook. Even the logo icon on the brand's official website has been replaced with a banana painted black.
For the Fall/Winter 2020 collection, the black banana bag began to have a silver sister version, as well as a slightly larger banana style.
For the spring/summer 2021 collection, the banana bag not only has a twined version, but also a new red version.
For the Fall/Winter 2021 collection, the banana bag has a bold change, with half of the banana hidden in the feathers. I can't help but ask, is this inspiration still bananas?
In the past spring/summer 2022 collection, Melitta Baumeister's banana bags have become cute and playful - made with fluorescent green and light purple velvet, and the banana shape is no longer realistic, more cartoonish.
London-based brand Rejina Pyo is also a "veteran" who has been designing banana bags for many years. Yellow, brown, white, and even zebra and snake patterns can be made into banana bags, which have been released after 2021.
New York brand The Row, which holds up the minimalist ceiling, and the banana-inspired Slouchy Banana bag is also a famous hit, and Kendou (Kendall Jenner) has been photographed carrying it on the street many times, so it has also been added with the conspicuous label "Kendou same style".
Also taking the minimalist route is Bottega Veneta's one-shoulder banana bag. First launched in 2020, this banana bag was conceived by Daniel Lee, BV's former design director and new director of Burberry Burberry, and uses the brand's signature handmade leather weaving process, and has also taken all major social platforms by storm.
The new banana bags, launched in June this year, look set to cause another rush of sales.
Image courtesy of Harpers Bazaar
Jellycat also launched a banana underarm bag this year, and looking at the cute and smiling face, the worries seem to have disappeared.
▲ Image from: Jellycat official website
Gladee, a Japanese brand that has made a name for itself as a banana peripheral, has expanded the variety of banana bags into a large family, including key bags, shoulder bags, cutlery boxes and so on.
Image from: Instagram @gladlygladee
The miniature banana bag used to hold AirPods was sold out for a while, and this promotional poster was put on the shelves when it was replenished - Banana hugged AirPods and said, "Baby, I'll protect you!"
Bananas look like everyday food, but they have taken on a very different look under the ingenuity of different designers - it can be a banana skin lamp, a warning sign to be careful of slipping, or a gamepad in Sony's patent application.
▲ Banana light designed by Studio Job. Image courtesy of Dezeen
▲ Banana peel style warning board. Image courtesy of Popsugar
▲ Rendering made according to Sony's 2021 patent application. Image from: GQ
Play with a banana, it is an expert
The only banana you should buy.
This is the brand tagline of Canadian banana importer Equifruit. It sounds very arrogant, but behind it is the goodwill of wanting to help banana farmers.
▲ Equifruit's brand tagline. Image courtesy of TUX
Equifruit never denies that the bananas it sells are expensive, but it ensures that banana growers are paid fairly.
On the contrary, the mainstream practice in the market - agricultural buyers will buy low-priced bananas from some traditional brands, even in the bad environment of inflation, the price of bananas will only fall, and in the end only those farmers who have worked hard.
It sounds reasonable, but Equifruit, founded in 2006, has long been a fair trade certified, but it has always been unattractive and unconvincing among consumers. This is also very related to the brand's previous image.
▲ Equifruit poster in 2018. Image courtesy of OPN
It wasn't until Equifruit approached creative agency TUX, rebranded it with a banana as inspiration, and launched in January 2021. It was a very successful visual idea, as Equifruit saw a 63% increase in sales that year and a 13% increase in brand awareness in the retail world.
Equifruit also pays back to banana growers, who worked with Equifruit in return over $400,000 in 2021.
▲ The new packaging of Equifruit bananas says "the only banana that can fight aging". Image courtesy of TUX
How does this banana that can attract wealth and "anti-aging" grow?
It is clear that the banana is full of curved outlines, but TUX seems to have hired a child to draw bananas, using 10 black straight lines to outline the shape of the banana, and then filling the warm yellow of the banana with a paint bucket, and in 1 minute is not enough, this valuable banana is completed.
With bananas, let's have another supporting character, Orange, just in time for a one-on-one conversation. The design of the orange is simpler, and an orange circle with a black stroke immediately stands next to the banana with the same "rough" design - it is quite suitable!
This "rough" style is the key to banana's success. It broke the overly refined visual style of Equifruit and competitors in the past, using the Lo-Fi low-fidelity aesthetic style that young people are familiar with and liked, and humorously called themselves "banana villains", which quickly narrowed the distance with young people and even the public.
This banana was used in all of Equifruit's material designs, as well as clothing, accessories, household items and other peripheral products.
But the most powerful use of this banana is "playing with stems".
On Equifruit's Instagram and Twitter, banana-themed memes are overwhelming, and this recognizable banana uses p-map technology to take photos with various famous scenes.
▲ Banana appeared in the famous scene of "Titanic". Image courtesy of Instagram @equifruit
▲ Banana and Godzilla. Image courtesy of Instagram @equifruit
Although they are all serious subjects to protect the interests of banana farmers, funny images always attract our attention.
Equifruit bananas protect banana growers, and of course Tesla.
A pixel cat NFT artwork can fetch $600,000, but are you willing to pay an extra 20 cents on your budget for a banana that will pay farmers a fair fee?
Bananas have replaced rockets and are going to fly into space!
Banana walked the red carpet, not losing to the stars in gorgeous dresses.
What bananas can do, I'm afraid no matter how long a paper can be finished.
Socialite and costume designer Daphne Guinness once said, "Life is full of banana peels." You'll slip and fall, but you'll keep walking." The biggest significance of bananas for daily life is that it has a positive, sunny and humorous and bad impression, allowing us to have fun in daily life, both to fill the stomach with sweetness and to mentally fill the stomach.