Fabric waste is a huge contributor to landfill and, while textiles can be recycled, it doesn’t happen as much as it could or should. Enter Adam Lynch and Dale Hardiman of Melbourne design studio Dowel Jones and their concept, New Model, a zero-waste approach to design. The first project for New Model, the 1 Hour Bag designed by Soft Serve Studio, utilises surplus, remnant and waste materials.
The 1 Hour Bag is made from pieces of upholstery fabric that are too small to be used for upholstery and would otherwise go to waste. The majority of the bag is made from this recycled material, with any small parts made from new material coloured bright green to provide maximum transparency on which parts of the bag are recycled.
The marketing for the 1 Hour Bag takes a different approach too. Models for the photo shoot were sourced through social media – the first 14 people to confirm their involvement were photographed alongside the bag. “I felt really uncomfortable with the prospect of selecting models based on their appearances for the photo shoot,” says Dale Hardiman. “Doing it this way meant we ended up with an incredibly diverse group of people who are representative of the project, as they’re actively involved in what we do as Dowel Jones.”
Later this month, you can sign up to watch a selection of 1 Hour Bags being made live at 9 Hour Factory, a special one-day-only live making installation that is part of Melbourne Design Week and is supported by Kvadrat Maharam. Participants will be guided through fabric selection and fitting, then watch as their bag or accessory is made before their eyes from remnant and waste Kvadrat Maharam textiles. Anyone can sign up now for the one-day event on 21 March.
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