Did you know that knitting machines were the first computers? It is simple - the knitting
machine translates a picture into pixels and turns them into knitted loops. The challenge,
however, is how to bring two totally different kinds of people (and industries) together. The
Portuguese-based company OFundamentO (FNDMT - Portuguese for TheFUNDAMENT)
found a way to make it happen, bringing together technologists and designers to work on the
creation of new products.
PORTO, PORTUGAL
Nowadays, there are two main topics on our minds: digitization and sustainability. The new
awareness of sustainability has made us think and we simply don’t know how things get made
anymore.
The question is - how can we combine those two together? There is an answer coming straight
from the traditional manufacturing industry in Portugal: let’s go back to the machines!
What else makes more sense than to go back to traditional craftsmanship and by simply
adding a new component: digital software updates - unleash a world of new possibilities?
Textile manufacturing machines have been the source of computing since several hundreds
years ago: a European-based company is simply bringing this knowledge back to the surface
- with a modern digital update!
“I want to show, how beautiful technology can be” - says Lisa Lang, the Founder of FNDMT.
Lisa Lang is an innovation powerhouse - not only is she one of FORBES Top 50 Women in
Tech, she also sits on advisory boards for creative industries and AI at the European
Commission.
Walking the talk, Lisa Lang and her team have now created a wearable art capsule collection
- hacked on industrial machines, knitted with the most high-end knitting knowledge - fully
sustainable, high quality and perfect for everyone.
For this to be possible, Lang invited two European designers to access her hacked knitting
machines and turn their designs into wearable art: multisex, in different colors and shapes -
for your home, for your friends and family.
THE ARTISTS AND THEIR INSPIRATION
“The Knitting Project” invited two amazing artists, Anna Niestroj, a digital pattern designer
based in Berlin, and Graça Paz, a painter from Porto, to develop this textile experiment with
us. We are all united by the spirit of the women of Bauhaus, honoring their vanguard work in
design. 100 years later, here we are again: female artists hacking the machines, bringing art
and technology together and creating high-quality products proudly made in Europe.
Anna and Graça have created three exclusive patterns each, now turned into beautiful
jacquard knits in the shades of neon, pastel, and B&W. You can have knitted ponchos, scarfs,
cushions and throw blankets with these wonderful designs in the spirit of the Bauhaus.
Even though originally from Germany, Lang always wanted to make this wish come true in
Portugal: “everyone in the European and international textile industry knows: Portugal is the
best. The manufacturing industry is very-well known for its level of quality, reliability and deep
knowledge. Naturally, that’s where I moved - I always work with the best.”
A KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN TO KICK-OFF THE PROJECT
To take this project further, Lisa Lang decided to launch a KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN. This
campaign will be the first opportunity to highlight the vision of the company, building
momentum around the project while offering the World the chance of having wearable art in
first hand.
However, the “Knitting Project” is only the first of many projects that “oFundamento”, Lang’s
newly created Portuguese company, will hold. “At OFundamentO we believe in an
interdisciplinary approach to solving the issues of modern manufacturing, such as stock waste,
digitizing the back-end, education manufacturing workers on new technologies. We are
proving that is possible to create certified and sustainable products that are also beautiful and
unique by joining traditional craftsmanship together with high-end technology. The “Knitting
Project” is just the beginning”.
About OFundamentO: The New Age of Manufacturing
OFundamentO (FNDMT) was born to build, bringing together traditional craftsmanship with
high-end technology, we’re creating new smart and electronic enhanced textiles for B2B
customers. We’re making your ideas real - made in Europe, certified, sustainable and high
quality.
About Lisa Lang
Lisa Lang is a European entrepreneur, technologist and international keynote speaker. She
has gained recognition as one of Forbes Europe’s Top 50 Women in Tech, top 100 most
influential people in wearable tech worldwide, one of 25 leaders in fashion and technology
worldwide, and has been listed as one of the 50 most important women for innovation &
startups in the EU. Lisa Lang is a direct adviser for fashion, technology and entrepreneurship
for the European Commission. Since 2019 she’s the lead mentor for the new course of digital
fashion at Polimoda Florence.
Kickstarter 针织可穿戴设备-将像素变成循环
你知道编织机是第一台计算机吗？ 很简单-编织机器将图片转换为像素，然后将其转换为编织循环。
但是，真正的挑战是如何将两种截然不同的人（和行业）聚集在一起。葡萄牙公司 OFundamentO
（FNDMT-TheFUNDAMENT 的葡萄牙语）找到了实现这一目标的方法，将技术人员和设计师召集在一起，
共同致力于创造新产品。
如今，我们的思想主要有两个主题：数字化和可持续性。新的对可持续性的意识使我们思考，而我们根本
不知道事情是如何产生。问题是-我们如何将两者结合在一起？
来自葡萄牙的传统制造业的答案直截了当：让我们回到机器上吧！
还有什么比回到传统手工艺并添加新组件来释放新的可能性更有意义的呢？几百年来，纺织制造机器一直
是计算的来源，这家欧洲公司只是将这些知识重新浮出水面-并具有现代化的数字更新！