Design Reinvented & Recycled

13May06

To most of us, recycling is about cans, bottles and paper. But does recycling have anything to do with good design? Absolutely. Many indie designers are taking everyday cast-offs and transforming them into beautiful, new pieces: apparel, jewelry, home furnishings, and more (if I had a garage, I’d jump in myself. If anyone knows of an affordable bungalow for sale in LA let me know). Giving a richer meaning to the notion of good design. So if you have an interest in guilt-free retail therapy like me, you may want to check out some of these hot designers and products:

Kayce Armstrong, fashion designer reinvents couture using recycled materials and antique textiles to create gorgeous couture and ready-to-wear gowns. Her collection Art of Shade, is sumptuous.The website seems to have been taken down this week, perhaps indicating that she’s been plucked as a finalist for Bravo’s Project Runway 3 and is in New York shooting the new season. If so, check her out when PR3 goes on air in July.

This bench by Scrappile emerged from the scraps of woodshops and turned into stunning modernist furniture. The Brooklyn design duo Carlos Salgado and Burt Bettencourt’s innovative approach yields a growing line of fabulous furniture–each piece ultimately is one of a kind.

This underlit bar made from recycled shampoo and detergent bottles turned jazz colored plastic sheets was designed by Mark Lincott Design. A full range of sheet colors and thicknesses are available through British Company Smile Plastics who also love to play around with crushed CDs, bounced banknotes, tossed toothbrushes — even obsolete cell phones. Material samples cost 10 British pounds each or you can get one in trade by sending them an equivalent value of your castoff CDs. How cool is that!

Filed under: Eco Glam, Fashion - Women, Furniture, Handmade, Indie, Materials+Finishes, Refashion+Refurb, Vintage   |  1 Comment
Tags: Eco-friendly, Handmade, Indie