Lately, I had the chance to revisit Kenya Hara’s Designing Design. One passage stayed with me.
For his Haptic Exhibition, Hara collaborated with architect Toyo Ito and asked him a deceptively simple question:
“What do you think about the physical aspect of human beings?”
Ito’s answer was simple:
“We cannot abstract from living flesh.”
There is something deeply relevant to design in that sentence.
We can imagine almost anything. We can create forms that exist purely as visual objects, push materials to their limits, and pursue ideas that have no obvious relationship to practicality.
But the moment an object meets the human body, another measure becomes unavoidable.
How does it feel?
This became particularly important during the development of ARISE.
Our first version was more aggressive. The basket-knit construction was thicker and more pronounced, creating a sharper, more sculptural surface. Visually, it had a stronger presence. As a design object, it was arguably more interesting. But the body disagreed.
Against the skin, the density and depth of the construction created an uncomfortable sensation. The pattern looked right, but it didn’t feel right. And that forced us to reconsider what we were actually designing.
We could have protected the original idea because it looked more contemporary. Instead, we decided that the experience of wearing the sock had to come first.
So we changed the material.
And we changed the construction.
We introduced TENCEL™ Lyocell into the ARISE sock and flattened the basket-knit structure. The result was a softer, smoother surface with less pronounced contact against the skin.
The visual language became quieter. The physical experience became better. And for us, that was the more important design decision.
WHY TENCEL™ LYOCELL?
TENCEL™ Lyocell is a branded cellulosic fiber produced by Lenzing from wood pulp sourced from certified or controlled sources. It is manufactured through a closed-loop process in which more than 99.8% of the solvent is recovered and returned to the production cycle.
But the reason we chose it for ARISE isn’t simply its environmental story. It is what happens when the fiber meets the skin.
TENCEL™ Lyocell is naturally smooth and soft, while its fiber structure supports the absorption and release of moisture. In finished textiles, this helps create a drier microclimate against the skin.
For a sock, this matters.
Your feet are enclosed for much of the day. They generate heat, moisture, and friction. The material surrounding them has to manage all three. This is where the properties of Lyocell become particularly relevant.
MOISTURE MANAGEMENT
The body constantly releases moisture. A good sock shouldn’t simply trap it against the skin.
TENCEL™ Lyocell has a structure that allows it to absorb and release moisture efficiently. Lenzing describes this as moisture regulation that supports a drier microclimate on the skin.
For ARISE, this contributes to a more comfortable environment inside the shoe.
Less clammy. More breathable. More comfortable over time.
It isn’t about making the foot completely dry. It’s about managing moisture intelligently.
SOFTNESS THAT YOU CAN FEEL
This was the most immediate reason for changing the material.
The original ARISE construction had a strong visual texture. But texture isn’t automatically comfort.
TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers have a naturally smooth surface and are known for their soft handfeel and skin comfort.
Combined with the flatter basket-knit construction, this allowed us to retain the character of ARISE without allowing the pattern to dominate the physical experience.
The design still exists. You simply feel less of it. And sometimes, that is progress.
REDUCING THE CONDITIONS FOR ODOR
Foot odor is closely associated with moisture and the microorganisms that thrive in warm, damp environments.
TENCEL™ Lyocell’s moisture-management properties can reduce the amount of moisture remaining on the fiber surface. According to Lenzing, this creates a less favorable environment for odor-causing bacteria and can therefore contribute to reduced odor development.
We don’t see this as a reason to make exaggerated claims about being “odor-proof.”
Good design doesn’t need exaggeration. The material simply does what it is naturally good at: managing moisture. And better moisture management can mean a fresher-feeling sock.
STRENGTH WITHOUT LOSING SOFTNESS
Softness alone isn’t enough.
A sock has to stretch, recover, withstand friction, survive repeated washing, and maintain its construction over time.
TENCEL™ Lyocell has a high tenacity profile among cellulosic fibers, giving it a useful combination of softness and strength. But, as with any sock, performance doesn’t come from the fiber alone. It comes from the relationship between: fiber + yarn + knitting + construction.
That is why the ARISE development wasn’t simply a decision to “use TENCEL.” It was a decision to rethink the entire surface of the sock around the material.
FROM WOOD TO YARN
There is something particularly interesting about Lyocell. It begins with wood.
The cellulose is extracted from the pulp and dissolved using an organic solvent. The solution is then pushed through a spinneret to form continuous filaments, which are processed into fibers and ultimately spun into yarn. The process is designed as a closed loop.
More than 99.8% of the solvent is recovered and reused, dramatically reducing solvent loss within the production process.
The wood used for TENCEL™ Lyocell comes from certified or controlled sources, including FSC® and PEFC-certified sources depending on the specific fiber and supply chain.
So the material story begins long before the yarn reaches a knitting machine.
Forest.
Pulp.
Fiber.
Yarn.
Knit.
Skin.
Every stage affects the final object.
WHY NOT JUST COTTON?
Cotton is an excellent natural fiber. We use it extensively ourselves. But different materials solve different problems. For ARISE, the question wasn’t:
“Which fiber is better?”
It was:
“Which fiber makes this particular design work better?”
The original basket-knit construction created a surface with considerable texture and depth. We needed a material capable of making that construction feel softer and more refined against the skin.
TENCEL™ Lyocell gave us that opportunity.
Its smoothness and moisture-management properties allowed us to reduce the physical aggression of the knit without abandoning its visual identity.
That distinction is important. We didn’t choose TENCEL because it was fashionable. We chose it because the design demanded it.
DESIGN IS A NEGOTIATION
The ARISE process reminded us of something fundamental. Design is rarely about getting everything you want. It’s about understanding what matters most. There was a version of ARISE that looked sharper. There was another version that felt better. We chose the second. Not because aesthetics became less important, but because aesthetics without experience is incomplete.
The body became part of the design process. The skin became another material to consider. And comfort became another dimension of form. This is where Ito’s statement comes back to us:
“We cannot abstract from living flesh.”
A sock is not simply a graphic pattern wrapped around a foot. It is an object that moves, stretches, compresses, warms, breathes, and touches the skin for hours at a time.
The body is not the final destination of the design. The body is part of the design.
ARISE
ARISE began with a pattern. It became a study in material. Then a study in construction. And eventually, a study in restraint. We reduced the thickness of the basket knit. We introduced TENCEL™ Lyocell. We softened the surface. We allowed the body to influence the final form.
Because perhaps the most contemporary approach to design isn’t always to add more. Sometimes it is knowing what to remove. The sharper pattern was more obvious. The softer one is more considered. And that distinction is important to us at VOTED.
Because good design is something you see.
But great design is something your body understands.