HASSELL director Kirsti Simpson launched the result of collaboration between fashion designer Akira Isogawa and emerging furniture designer Fukutoshi Ueno at the Living Edge showroom in Brisbane on 17 December 2008. The outcome of the collaboration is an everyday art object – at once a stool, table and object of curiosity. Both its form and surface speak of the cross-cultural approach pursued by the two Japanese-Australian designers. In Dress Code, Isogawa’s kimono-inspired pattern designs are fused with the crisp form of Ueno’s Code. Dress Code was launched at 100% Design Tokyo in November and has been included in a new exhibition launched at The Art Gallery of NSW on 12 December 2008, Genji – The World of the Shining Prince. In her launch speech Kirsti also spoke about the way collaboration contributes to the success of design practice and the well-deserved critical acclaim Queensland design is receiving.