We’re seeing more and more crossovers in design, particularly in the way a material is used in various objects. This is a great example: an origami-like principle that is used to make fabrics look different and act in new ways.

The creation is by German fashion designer Jule Waibel. Her folding and collapsible designs respond to the materials used and to the user’s sense of material. They’re also combined with a wonderful range of colours that make them stand out from the collapsible crowd.

Folding is an integral part of Jule’s design process, as the pictured works show. The dynamics of the fold allow her material designs to change shape, size and even colour. This last aspect is a result of the shifting hues and overlays that occur when layers of fabric are nested,l combined and moved apart.

The designer uses Tyvek, a material we’ve recently seen in this unfolding lamp, and which is of particular use because it is lightweight, tough and weather-resistant.

The material is tear-proof too, meaning it works well as a durable folding material in the designer’s dresses, lampshades, umbrellas and so on.

An interesting collection is her development of 25 dresses for 25 cities. The variations take a look at how subtle shading, patterns and shaping of the clothes make a dress fit with a particular city.

Jule also plays around with different colours and patterns. In more western style dresses, she uses patterns with a distinctly Asian feel to them, and vice versa. This adds further excitement to a range of designs that already have a very special feel to them.

This idea is expanded, literally, in her collection of changing wearables. They include a bag that expands as you stuff it and a dress that changes shape as your body moves inside it.

Jule’s work is on show in Milan at the Design Week this month.

Take a look at a fantastic hi-speed video of the designer making a dress.

Images via Jule Waibel’s website.