Leather and Footwear Journal

Volume 24, no 3

Contents
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EMPOWERING ETHNIC FOOTWEAR ARTISANS THROUGH CO-DESIGN: A CASE STUDY ON TRADITIONAL QIANG FOOTWEAR
- Pages 181-196
  Luming YANG¹, Jia XU², Yong LIAO^2*
  - ¹National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, P. R. China, ylmll1982@126.com
  - ²College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, P. R. China, jjjxjjj0906@gmail.com, leooly@163.com
  ABSTRACT. Co-design is one of the effective ways to support the innovation of ethnic footwear artisans. Taking the design of traditional shoes and boots of Qiang ethnic group as an example, this study collected field data through observation method and semi-structured interview method, explored the innovation dilemma of ethnic artisans by thematic analysis method. The research reveals a triple dilemma in the innovation of ethnic footwear artisans characterized by suppressed aesthetic self-determination, frozen cultural consciousness, and constrained technological autonomy. To address these challenges, three co-design principles are proposed in this study with ethnic footwear artisans—“Aesthetic Equity”, “Cultural Liberation”, “Technological Replenishment” and six related action steps to guide designers, ethnic footwear artisans, and other stakeholders towards a clear direction in co-design.
  
  KEY WORDS: electromagnetic shielding, X-band, microwave shielding, leather materials, polypyrrole treatmKEY WORDS: ethnic footwear artisans; co-design innovation dilemmas; co-design principles; traditional Qiang footwear
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VALORIZATION OF COLLAGEN AND KERATIN BY-PRODUCTS FROM LEATHER INDUSTRY TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTION FROM A CHERRY ORCHARD
- Pages 197-204
  Mihaela-Doina NICULESCU^1*, Maria STANCA¹, Mirela CĂLINESCU², Brîndușa Georgiana DUMITRIU³, Stelica CRISTEA⁴, Daniela BĂLAN⁴
  - ¹INCDTP - Leather and Footwear Research Institute Division, Bucharest, Romania, mihaelaniculescu59@yahoo.com
  - ²Research and Development Institute for Fruit Growing, Mărăcineni, Pitești, Romania
  - ³SC BIOTEHNOS SA, Bucharest, Romania
  - ⁴University of Agronomic Science and Veterinary Medicine, Bucharest, Romania
  ABSTRACT. This paper presents the results of valorization of the protein by-products recovered from the leather processing industry in the horticultural field. Collagen and keratin extracts were the starting point for protein combinations containing nanometric particles that indicate the presence of amino acids and oligopeptides, recognized for the effects of biostimulation, nutrition and systemic protection of plants. The protein extracts associated with plant extracts for the development of a biofungicidal product, with the double action of antifungal protection of plants and stimulation of agricultural production, were tested in a cherry orchard. The test results of two of the variants of the biofungicidal product show better fruit quality indicators and increased production, both compared to a standard treatment and compared to a variant to which no specific treatment was applied.
  
  KEY WORDS: byproducts, collagen, keratin, orchard production
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COMPOSITIONAL SOLUTIONS AND ASSIMILATION OF NEW TECHNICAL ELEMENTS WITH APPLICATIONS OF DESIGN IN FOOTWEAR MANUFACTURING
- Pages 205-214
  Mirela PANTAZI-BĂJENARU^*, Traian FOIAȘI, Dana GURĂU
  - INCDTP - Division Leather and Footwear Research Institute, 93 Ion Minulescu St., sector 3, Bucharest, pantazimirela@yahoo.com
  ABSTRACT. Creativity and performance, as well as esthetical, artistic, psychological and marketing knowledge define the world of high-class design in the footwear industry. Beauty captured in the design of footwear and leather goods, personal design or computerized graphics are defining elements that bring high quality modernism through balance, harmony, clarity and order. In recent years, the leather industry has changed a lot, from low-cost mass production to serving customers consisting of small retail chains, where orders are small and models are varied. In order to cope with these changes, the footwear industry started investing in technological solutions. However, even today, due to the limited capacity of design software, designers frequently resort to traditional methods and techniques, often making use of their manual craftsmanship to design and make footwear components. The new technologies and the increasing involvement of the “fashion customer” lead to the emergence of new architectures in the esthetic and emotional expression of the wearer. Therefore, the article studies and analyzes the design-technology-image relationship as a scientific tool for generating ideas that define the personality of a high-class product.
  
  KEY WORDS: footwear, fashion, innovative technologies
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EXTRACTION OF PERCEPTUAL FACTORS OF SHU EMBROIDERY PATTERNS AND INNOVATIVE APPLICATION IN WOMEN’S SHOES DESIGN
- Pages 215-230
  Luming YANG^{1, 2}, Wantong ZHAO², Duanyi CAI^3*
  - ¹National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P.R.China, ylmll1982@126.com
  - ²Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P.R.China, ylmll1982@126.com
  - ³College of Arts, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610207, P.R.China, caiduanyi@scu.edu.cn
  ABSTRACT. Shu embroidery, an important intangible cultural heritage of China, boasts a long history and exquisite needlework techniques. As the times have progressed, consumers’ demand for personalization of women’s shoes has increased, and women’s shoe design has shown shortcomings such as insufficient innovation and lack of traditional Chinese cultural characteristics. As the core carrier of embroidery to express the theme and aesthetics, Shu embroidery pattern reflects the deep heritage of traditional Chinese culture, and its innovative fusion with women’s shoe design gives women’s shoe products a unique style and charm. This paper proposes a design process based on the principles of Kansei Engineering and Shape Grammar to explore the perceptual cognitive expressiveness of Shu embroidery patterns, by selecting representative patterns favored by consumers, deconstruct and reorganize them in combination with shape grammar, and innovatively apply them to the design of women’s leather shoes. The study indicates that: using Kansei Engineering principles to quantify consumers’ perceptual evaluation of Shu embroidery patterns can provide scientific theoretical and data support for the extraction of the perceptual factors; the innovative application of Shu embroidery patterns in women’s leather shoes design can improve the personalization level of products, enhance market competitiveness and provide a paradigm for the women’s shoe brands and designers to apply.
  
  KEY WORDS: Shu embroidery; pattern; perceptual engineering; shape grammar; women’s leather shoes
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