In August 2024, Otto Resource and Copenhagen-based concept store Grocery unveil their first-ever collaborative exhibition. Taking place in Grocery’s new activation space in Nørrebro, the exhibition will focus on the possibilities (and necessity) of improved research, accessible tools, and community infrastructure across todays’s fashion landscape.

Among others, the exhibition references the work and philosophies of Austrian-born American designer and educator Victor Papanek. A proud advocate for the socially and ecologically responsible design of products, tools, and infrastructures, Papanek was also the originator of “Function Complex;” the theory from which the exhibition takes its name. Papanek argues that design is the conscious and intuitive effort to impose meaningful order and the “Function Complex” is a way to attain it. The system considers six functional requirements, visualised in a graph system: Method, Association, Aesthetics, Need, Telesis, and Use.

Given the continued relevancy of Papanek’s theory, Otto Resource and Grocery wanted to define a case that would see it applied to the sociological and ecological problems plaguing contemporary fashion. With its output having become increasingly definable in recent years, the exhibition aims to push beyond such assessments to revel in (and reveal) the beauty of process and deeper consideration.

Victor Papanek’s reflection on the identifiable aspects of meaningful design was clearly ahead of its time. The requirement of Telesis, for example, was and still remains a largely unconsidered aspect in design. It describes the necessity of paying attention to the cultural zeitgeist and socioeconomic order one is operating in. As Papanek notes, economic pressures result in environmentally undesirable design outcomes; something that has plagued the industry for years and has only increased to an extent beyond ridiculousness. Because of that undesirable trend, Otto Resource stresses the value of research and an intentional, informed, and systematic approach to product design. An antidote to mindless desires for disingenuous beauty through the embracing and prioritisation of design research and creative processes.

Otto Resource is a digital product archive, research facility, and integrated ecosystem for future-proof design discovery. It analyzes fashion products from the last half-century, with each study providing unparalleled technical insight, a clarification of their socio-cultural impact, and offering learnings for designers and producers of all levels to reapply across the contemporary fashion landscape.

One of Otto Resource’s core missions is to raise the baseline of accessible product knowledge by providing its readership with the tools needed to closely engage with fashion design and see more than what is immediately obvious. True to its name, Otto offers a “Resource” with which individuals can conceive their physical productions, all while developing their own unique set of assumptions, juxtapositions, findings, experimental possibilities, and associations.

Unless a company or brand has developed proprietary techniques, the chances are high that its “internal knowledge” is a patchwork of publicly accessible information. On the other side of this debate, however, the industry’s incessant, fevered rush towards the bottom line makes it difficult to find time for research and due diligence. To illustrate how much of this problem can be mitigated with better access to information, Otto Resource and Grocery conceived the “Function Complex” exhibition format.

With “Function Complex”, Victor Papanek created something of value that is not being used anymore because it's old. Otto Resource has set out to create a contemporary design system, guided by values fundamentally set by Papanek, the “Otto Complex”. The Otto Complex consists of eight points: Innovation, Association, Values, Method, Foundation, Use, Needs and Aesthetics.

These points are there to conserve the value of Papanek’s work while making them functional and applicable for contemporary needs. By considering each point in the complex, designers receive the needed conceptual support to make informed and meaningful decisions. In the contemporary industry climate, short-term thinking wildly governs but offers little long term benefit. Working with an intelligent system supports the needed reflection on product design to eventually build consumer-connection and represent brand identity in a more effective, exponential way.

Conceived to be accessible and usable to anyone, the advanced system and methodology is a tool for prompting arguments on a product's original intent and corresponding outcome. Applying the eight points to a grid allows a direct graphical representation of what aspects of the complex are particularly tangible when scrutinising a product. In the following display, each variation of the OR-PL04.24 Research Series Jacket is mapped out on the Otto Complex.

Grocery is an independent retail and concept space located on Elmegade in Nørrebro, Copenhagen. In a bid to capture the diversity and creativity of its surroundings, it is developing a distinct curatorial expression at the intersection of work, formal, and functional clothing. By offering its customers a platform to discover new local talent and international designers, Grocery aims to highlight design’s role beyond aesthetics and efficiency.

Grocery recently expanded its physical footprint to include an activation space on the same corner as its store. Conceived as a means of creating more meaningful connections with its followers, the new space encourages discovery and celebrates the multiplicity of (sub)culture. When describing Grocery’s view on design, creative director Nicolai Vig Clausen states, “It is important to always learn and be open to change, even if the information published contradicts your own beliefs or approach to work.”

To inaugurate its new activation space, Grocery worked in close collaboration with Otto Resource to shape a decisive physical presence. Built on the inclusive and transparent values at the heart of Grocery, the space’s design signals a new beginning for the concept as a whole. Revealed as part of the “Function Complex” exhibition, the space underscores Grocery’s focus on due diligence while serving as a roadmap for the design and products it intends to present moving forward.

The new activation space has been outfitted with POS, podium displays, and a full-length lighting system designed by Archival Studies in collaboration with Adam Barnard and Nicolai Vig Clausen. The stainless steel POS in particular was designed to function like a moveable display cabinet for the brooches, T-shirt, spatial scent, and stickers available at the exhibition, representing an adaptable contribution that will continue to be used after the exhibition has ended.

In addition to these components, Adam Barnard worked together with architect Ottavio Paponetti to design a 270° stainless steel hanging system inspired by the approach of artists such as Lilly Reich. Designed to allow visitors to actively “step in” and journey through the exhibition’s focal point, the hanging system ensures direct and efficient engagement with each variation of the OR-PL04.24 Research Series Jacket. This particular addition to the exhibition’s spatial identity was also aimed at symbolizing a relatively niche, yet accessible system.

In 2023, Otto Resource approached designer Francesco Moggi (FM) with the idea to channel the information of its digital archive through a single, archetypal piece of clothing. Shortly afterwards, the duo set out to design a staple that embodied the aesthetic, functional, and diverse (sub)cultural interests of Otto Resource, while also creating a wearable “canvas” that could be endlessly adapted. The resulting OR-PL04.24 Research Series Jacket — comprised of a functional shell and a detachable, utilitarian liner — reaffirms the importance of research in design, as well as Otto Resource’s underlying mission.

When first discussing the project, FM noticed that his approach to research and general curiosity was shared (and facilitated) by Otto Resource, going on to say, “A mutual dedication to innovation drove us to explore new methodologies and embrace unconventional techniques.” The project was later discovered by Grocery’s creative director Nicolai Vig Clausen, who saw it as a means of communicating the store’s own values, interests, and references; it was here that the earliest concept for a wholly democratic exhibition format was put into action.

Inspired by the heyday of Italian sportswear, the OR-PL04.24 Research Series Jacket nods towards the decontextualization of utilitarian design that was pioneered by the likes of Giorgio Armani and Massimo Osti throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Through the observation of inner-city demands, such designers discovered, explored, and stressed the aesthetic capabilities of functional materials and designs. And since (sub)cultures continued to rebel against elitist dress codes, prompting the (luxury) fashion market to turn towards new concepts, references, and audiences, the eventual success and future impact of their visions were a logical conclusion.

Considering the necessity of such initiatives, FM comments, “We must support the general public in understanding a product’s value by presenting designs that require close observation, tactile engagement, and practical trial.” He continues, “Despite having been conditioned to consume products quickly and superficially, it is essential to show the importance of research and development; there are fundamental steps that need to be followed before a product can be considered meaningful or even final.”

Otto Resource and Grocery are proud to be launching an exclusive collaboration with Diemme as part of the “Function Complex” exhibition. Marking the fifth physical production for Otto Resource Purple Label, the capsule collection features three unique colorways of the brand’s Movida silhouette. Forming part of Diemme’s Recupero line, the collaboration seeks to advance the line’s mandate through an inspired reapplication of deadstock materials. As with the exhibition itself, the collaboration is a testament to the importance of research in contemporary design and illustrates a more dynamic (and aspirational) use for short-run sample productions. Utilizing the “Otto Complex” system to demonstrate the framework’s application, the three iterations explore unconventional texture and color compositions that result from setting up limitations in material access.

Diemme is an Italian footwear brand and factory founded in 1992 by brothers Dennis and Maico Signor near Asolo, Italy. Since 2010, the Oslo-based showroom Blender has co-developed the Diemme brand and company, filtering its competencies through an undeniably contemporary lens. “Our products rely on our production facility and the traditional bootmaking know-how that made the Montebelluna commune a dominating force in early ski and mountaineering footwear,” says brand director Mats Alver, continuing to emphasize that Diemme “always starts with a respect for the craft, understanding that this will bring a well-made and long-lasting product to fruition.”

When talking to Mats about the importance of initiatives like "Function Complex," he states, "In today's accelerated world of fashion, it is great to have initiatives that focus as much on process as they do on outcome,” echoing Otto’s belief that only through due process a qualitative outcome can be created. Mats goes on to say: “many brands and designers hide their process, research, and exploration, whereas projects like this celebrate transparency. This is something we appreciate, even if we don't have enough time to dive into such topics ourselves." Otto Resource, and subsequently Purple Label, functions as a service that can allow brands to engage with their products and audience in transparent and intelligent ways and develop contemporary products that communicate the brand’s values in a lasting and meaningful way.

As part of the “Function Complex” exhibition, Otto Resource and Grocery are thrilled to have brought together Danish jewelry designer wette mille and contemporary artist Huey Ruckus, an alias of Alex Anyaegbunam. wette mille — an anagram of the founder’s name, Mette Wille — was conceived in 2022 as a creative vent, a “form of expression and distraction from what was going on in [her] head at the time.” Admittedly unplanned and sporadic in her approach, Mette found familiarity in Alex’s paintings, which “focus on working super quick, but cautiously;” he remarks, “I love what people’s minds are capable of conjugating.” Well-aligned with the broader concept and thinking of “Function Complex”, both wette mille and Huey Ruckus revel in (and trust) the process of their respective crafts.

When talking to Mette about her process, she says, “I don’t focus on what the final product ‘should’ look like, but try enjoy the process,” continuing to highlight that despite this unplanned approach, “craftsmanship will always be my first priority.” Mette’s connection to Grocery was also a decisive factor for this project, noting that “The store was my first retailer, which still makes me blush with excitement. For me, Grocery is a concept that wants to evolve, and so when they asked me to be a part of this project, later introducing me to Otto Resource, it seemed like the perfect match for us all.”

The OR-PL04.24 exhibition offered an ideal platform for them to collaborate through and create this physical expression of process and shared ideas and values. The sterling silver pins, embellished with gems, are directly inspired by Huey Ruckus’s paintings, a process in which wette mille channeled her view of his work through her craft.

Craftsmanship is a key element in every part of the exhibition. From the carefully supervised prototyping process of the jacket to Diemme’s long lasting tradition of craft and Mette’s dedication to it, none of the resulting products would fulfill their full potential without it. Mette's connection to Grocery was also a decisive factor for this project, noting that "Grocery was my first retailer, which still makes me blush with excitement.” For me, Grocery is a concept that wants to evolve, and so when they asked me to be a part of this project later introducing me to Otto Resource, it seemed like the perfect match” When discussing the collaboration's concept, Mette clarifies "Alex's paintings seem to be reaching for something past, present, and future," This deeply connects with Otto’s approach, continuously being mindful of the context of every project, what came before it, where it currently is and where it needs to go.

Jewelry was one of the very first ways humans expressed and embellished themselves, often a way to express oneself through symbolism, whether to signify belief, class or subculture. The pins reference subculture’s DIY instincts, functioning as transferable signifiers to embellish any garment. Purposefully designed to engage with a garment and not to be worn directly on the body, building a direct relationship between the wearer and garment through the pin, encouraging experimentation with different placements and ways of framing the broach, but also the garment it is placed on.

The “Function Complex” exhibition – perceived as a whole experience – is the most singular expression of the Otto Resource philosophy to date. By engaging with like-minded individuals, dedicated to thorough process and collaboration, the partnership of Otto Resource, Grocery, Diemme, Alex Anyaegbunam and Mette Wille portrays the power of openly sharing knowledge, resources and ideas. Symbolising the importance of value-based collaboration in the industry, the twelve variations of the OR-PL04.24 Research Series Jacket, alongside the pins and in-store installation, showcase the breadth of Otto Resource’s vision and capability in an open, intelligent and educational way. The open display of knowledge is seen as the best way to adapt to and assess the fast changing environmental and socio-economic factors that affect not just fashion, but every industry.

Having not only showcased a meaningful set of products and experiences, but also having encapsulated the conceptual bandwidth and benefit of the “Otto Complex” system, the exhibition  has demonstrated the agency’s most fundamental ideals on a variety of ideas, products and experiences. Harnessing genuine ideas and ideals through a system to lead to thoughtful, appropriate, and aspirational outcomes, we believe in sharing our process and values, to encourage a more collaborative and open environment in the future.

OR-PL04.24 proves the scope of operation that Otto Resource has, going beyond white papers to offer an organised and fruitful approach to building consumer connection. In the end, everything comes back to love for culture and expression. Otto strives to create, and serve, contemporary culture in all its facets; from reminiscing subcultural stories and expressions to crafts honed over centuries, it’s by being able to observe and assess the broader landscape of culture through time that one can start making meaningful additions, helping to expand the great cultural foundation from which we are all operating.