Editor’s Note
Last month was an exciting one for the design industry as many returned to Milan for the
60th edition of Salone del Mobile – a great time to reconnect with colleagues in person, and, of course, discover all the novelties from great minds the world over.
And while being surrounded by so many new ideas and objects is on one hand extremely inspiring, it also makes one conscious of the enormous quantity of items being produced every day – many of which, after only a short lifespan, become discarded, contributing to the increasingly dangerous waste problem facing the world today. Sustainability and environmental consciousness have been topics prevalent to the design industry – and many take this responsibility seriously. Yet it often feels like a lot of the effort is being made through acts such as recycling, upcycling or using waste materials (all of which are important), whereas perhaps going back to basics is sometimes the longer-term answer.
One such answer is longevity, which is a topic that came up in a lot of conversations with designers and brands alike. That is, ensuring that a product is made to last: in the way that it’s built, in its materiality, adaptability and design concept. There is a reason why some designs made over 100 years ago are still functional and relevant even today. ‘Timeless’ may be a cliché when describing a design object, but it is also its most sustainable trait, safeguarding it from being discarded, and ensuring it is valued enough to be mended and repaired when (or if) damaged, and passed on to a newer generation to care for.
Loewe’s ‘Weave, Restore, Renew’ project touched upon just that, focusing on amplifying the beauty of restoring and mending, instead of discarding, as a means to restore the value of objects. In this project, artisans from Galicia in Spain were tasked to repair 240 different baskets using an ancient technique native to their region.
“Acts of manual labour give new meaning to each object, honouring [its] history and value and preserving it for the future. Such a way of approaching the artisanal process sits right at the crossroad of respect for the environment and respect for the product,” said Jonathan Anderson, the creative director behind the Spanish luxury house. “It is the opposite of senseless consumption, and an acknowledgement that things done with love and attention retain a human quality that lasts over time.”
And while it is understandable that we don’t all have the skills to mend objects in this way, the exhibition prompts a rethinking not only in the way we approach our objects but also in the way we make them.