Levels of Form - CDC Experience, Mumbai, 2025
Most retail displays are designed to disappear. They hold garments quietly, doing their job without asking to be noticed.
Levels of Form are approached differently.
Presented at CDC Experience, Mumbai, in 2025, the installation marked a continued exploration of spatial design by Warping Theories. Rather than relying on conventional racks, the structure reinterpreted garment display through an architectural lens, using principles of layering, levels, and balance to guide both form and function.
Constructed from a blend of wood and metal, the installation introduced a deliberate contrast of materials. Warm surfaces met industrial precision, creating tension between softness and rigidity. This interplay gave the structure a grounded presence, while its elevated proportions and intersecting planes drew the eye upward without overwhelming the space.
The verticality of the installation encouraged viewers to engage differently. Garments were arranged across multiple levels, requiring movement and attention rather than passive scanning. Each plane offered a distinct vantage point, shifting the act of viewing from routine to intentional.
Importantly, Levels of Form did not function as a static fixture. It operated as a framework. A system designed to hold garments within a state of equilibrium, where structure and fluidity coexist. Clothing became part of a larger composition, responding to the architecture that supported it.
This approach reflected Warping Theories’ ongoing interest in systems over objects. By treating display as an extension of design thinking, the installation reinforced the idea that garments do not exist in isolation. They are shaped by context, structure, and the spaces they inhabit.
Levels of Form did not demand attention through scale or spectacle. It relied on balance. And in doing so, it transformed the simple act of looking into a considered experience—one grounded in proportion, materiality, and intent.
