takt project traces the poetical journey of feathers in exhibition for allied feather & down

ROUTE TO ROOT – RETRACING THE STORY OF DOWN BY TAKT PROJECT

takt project (read our interview here) has designed an installation introducing ALLIED FEATHER & DOWN, the world’s leading down feather supplier. titled route to root – retracing the story of down, the exhibition presents the poetical journey of a feather, from the goose all the way to the down jacket. 

‘down jackets are filled with the blessings of nature,’ explained takt project. ‘people who wear those blessings are connected to beautiful nature even in the coldest fields. manufacturing down feathers respects nature and continues to be involved with nature.’

images by daisuke oki, courtesy of takt project

THE POETIC JOURNEY OF THE FEATHER – FROM THE GOOSE TO THE DOWN JACKET

founded in california in 1987, ALLIED FEATHER & DOWN is one of the world’s leading down feather suppliers. lightweight, soft and bulky, their products are all manufactured under sustainable conditions and can be found in fashion, outdoor wear and bedding brands around the world.

hosted at tokyo’s ‘the module’, the exhibition designed by takt project expresses the company’s philosophy of respecting the material and passing on limited resources to the next generations. it showcases how the products connect humans with nature — from the goose to the down jacket. the storytelling is guided by the down ball, the layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers that lack the interlocking barbules, making them very soft and fluffy.

‘as a by-product of the food industry, the value of the down only accounts for about 2-8% of the total value of the bird,’ said ALLIED FEATHER & DOWN. ‘this makes it very difficult for an industry of relatively low value to have any access or visibility making it difficult to fully understand where your down came from. ALLIED has changed that over the last several decades by establishing strong relationships and working closely with farmers and collectors in order to source direct so we could ensure leading animal welfare practices as well as have complete traceability for every cluster of down that passes through our doors.’

set within a dark room, the exhibition guides visitors through a suspended line of down which illuminates the path of the feathers — from the goose all the way to the jackets. the show answers questions like ‘what is the down you wear?’, ‘where is it coming from’, and ‘where are you going with it’. overall, the installation retraces the roots of the history of down, and highlights the connection this product forms with nature once it is worn.

the down jackets

connecting humans with nature

down

project info:

name: route to root exhibition for allied feather & down

installation design: takt project
technical direction: yutaka endo (luftzug)
graphic design: takuma hayashi
video shooting: ryo inoue
photograph / video shooting: daisuke oki
construction: hakuten
planning / pr: ren takahashi, yukitomo hamasaki (noie.cc) / masumi yamamoto
sponsor: double eye international.co., ltd
cooperation: realgate co. , ltd. , hakuten, cultural synthesis
venue cooperation: the module roppongi