Snarkitecture

We are proud to work with New York City-based design practice, @Snarkitecture. Continuing toward their motto of “investigating the boundaries of discipline,” Snarkitecture’s collection for Stance is inspired by the concept of print error and irregularity.

The “Misprint” casual sock style features a socks normal “toe” and “heel” area purposely knit off of the common area of where the consumer is used to it being, creating the feeling of an error in the design, but the functionality of the product is perfect. The aesthetic details of the custom box the socks are housed in also has its own misprinted accents, giving the entire project a feeling of irregularity. We interviewed the team at @Snarkitecture to ask them a few questions about the project.


For those who may not know what Snarkitecture is, can you please give an overview of what you guys do?

Sure, Snarkitecture is a collaborative design practice that was founded in 2008 with the goal of creating the unexpected within environments and spaces. The studio's work ranges from permanent interiors to site-specific installations to object and furniture design. Our collaborators include retail brands, cultural institutions, hospitality clients, private commissions, and specialty furniture and object producers. While the studio is based in New York, our work is international.

"We first encountered Stance through Kith when we first started working with them, and they were honestly some of the best socks we've worn."

What is it about Stance that made you guys want to work with us?

The socks! We first encountered Stance through Kith when we first started working with them, and they were honestly some of the best socks we've worn. We enjoy exploring different disciplines and materials, including fashion and apparel. When we think about collaborations, we try to partner with brands that place a lot of emphasis on materiality and technique. Working with Stance, the design process took us through a couple different concepts that played with the traditional sock form and sought to push it a bit beyond what we typically expect socks to look like. In collaboration with Stance we landed on the concept of a "misprint," which is really about warping what we think of as a standard pair of socks to a point where they appear to be a mistake at first glance.

Where does the Snarkitecture team get their inspiration from?

Our studio is often inspired by the concept of taking something that is familiar and transforming it into something extraordinary. We're interested in the ways we can reinterpret basic materials, structures, and programs to create new meaning--how a simple alteration can make something completely unfamiliar. Through this process, we want visitors or users to engage with our work in ways that are outside the everyday.


What is ahead for Snarkitecture?

It's been a busy summer. We have had three projects in Tokyo open this year, including a new concept store called 2G (in Shibuya), the first flagship branch of Kith Tokyo, and 3110NZ, a collaboration with Nanzuka Gallery and LDH, which is a contemporary art gallery by day, and a sushi restaurant by night. We have new retail projects opening later this year in Europe, a concept hospitality project in Washington DC, and some upcoming object collaborations.