It would be absolutely normal for you to think of the Flock as a bunch of haphazardly dangling wires if you saw it switched off. However, that impression is completely flipped when the Flock is switched on. Designed as a lighting fixture for 3M’s Optic Fiber Light String, the Flock creates beauty in haphazardness. What looks like an untidy mess of wires is instantly transformed into strips of light bouncing from one place to another.

The Flock is a singular piece made using multiple bulb fixtures connected to each other with optical fiber cables. It doesn’t have a shape of its own, but rather develops its form based on how and where you fix each bulb fixture. The gravity and tension allow the cables to form their own curves, creating lighting that’s unique to your space. Because of its characteristics as an optical fiber (primarily used in automobiles or as light fixtures during construction), Flock enables ordinary customers to cut and join the product easily, determining the length of the optical fiber cable. When finally plugged in, the cables self-illuminate, thanks to their high internal reflective properties. Combine that with the Flock’s flexibility and you can have lighting that not only accounts for high and low ceilings but even chandelier designs that can work around corners, creating a single light-piece that covers one end of a hallway to another!

Designers: SWNA & 3M