Turning old into new: design icons made from used Levi's jeans

Pia Seidel

27.12.2023

Translation: machine translated

The "Icons Re/Outfitted" exhibition in the Netherlands challenges our understanding of waste. It shows used Vitra chairs that have been upcycled with old Levi's jeans.

The team at The Visionary Lab has landed its next coup. The Dutch creative agency, which works with brands, companies, public institutions, NGOs and research laboratories to promote a sustainable future, has created iconic Vitra second-hand chairs with discarded Levi's denim. I was able to marvel at the series live during the Dutch Design Week at the "Icons Re/Outfitted" exhibition in Eindhoven, a city not far from Rotterdam.

For example, Sarmite Polakova reinterpreted the iconic Panton Chair by covering it in felt. Tim Dekkers also used felt made from discarded denim produced by the social factory I-Did to transform George Nelson's Coconut Chair into what I consider a "flower power chair".

Fashion designer and textile artist Sophie Cagniart, on the other hand, used Levi's 501 denim remnants to redesign the Plywood Group LCW Chair by Charles and Ray Eames. In doing so, she created a tribute to the 150th anniversary of the iconic jeans model. She created the exciting pattern on the seat and backrest by incorporating traditional Japanese embroidery techniques.

With the help of traditional African craftsmanship, Nigerian designer Nkwo Onwuka gave Verner Panton's Amoebe chair an update with the help of traditional African craftsmanship.

Fashion designer Kelly Konings gave the Eames Lounge Chair a new blue look with worn denim. In this way, she succeeded in creating a haptically and visually exciting structure - which in my opinion trumps the original.

The chairs, furnished with old denim, show numerous ways in which we can reuse textile waste. They not only invite you to take a seat, but also to let your imagination run wild.

Pia Seidel

Senior Editor

Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.ch

Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.

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