Make and Remake

Design duo Rens collaborated with global flooring brand Tarkett to produce Re-vive, an innovative collection of recycled rugs. Obsolete carpet from the manufacturer was manually recoloured with red dye, which picked up on uneven colouring, giving each rug unique shades – and new life. Through the dyeing process, the collection celebrates inconsistencies in products originally created to be uniform, and it changes perceptions of mass-produced goods.

Upcycling is fundamental to Polcha, the studio of French designers Charlotte Tarbouriech and Pauline Leyravaud. For their artwork Evolution 00005, they collaborated with Pinton, renowned maker of rugs and Aubusson tapestry. Using the manufacturer’s archive, they created a piece made of fragments of Pinton textiles, an expression of sustainability recycling in multiple textures, colours and patterns. The work was exhibited during Milan Design Week 2022.

Helen Kirkum upcycles worn-out sneakers, some of them sourced from recycling centres, some of them clients’ own cherished pieces. She takes the shoes apart, then cleans and reassembles the components, using a variety of techniques that play with texture and colour. The result is unique, desirable, and beautiful “new” sneakers that still retain a sense of their previous history. Some of her most intriguing repurposings come from collaborations with well-known brands, and her intricate, joyful work has appeared in exhibitions as well as on clients’ feet.