Home products made from waste fats, to purses fashioned out of shedded snake skins. Our 2019 show saw new designers working towards the future to tackle global concerns by exploring bizarrely brilliant new materials.
‘Shedding Matters’
An often overlooked material: shedded snakes skin, using this fragile matter, Molly has created a series of fashion accessories that highlights the potential of this unique, but also wasted material.
Sustainability is obviously very important to you and your focus. What is it about sustainability that resonates with you as a designer?
Many new products today are made without exploring existing material properties completely.
I enjoy exploring material properties, looking at them in a different ways to which they are usually intended. Often, materials are categorised, I enjoy taking materials out of these categories and exploring them in alternative ways. I have worked previously with natural waste, as well as food waste and have found unique properties by experimenting with both light and heat to preserve the material.
What is your goal as a designer?
My goal as a designer is to create functional products using unusual, sustainable materials. I want to show others the possibilities of a material and how most materials can have an alternative purpose. I believe the consumer would be more appreciative with a product if the product had a stronger story. This may mean the product is more respected and would be kept for a longer period of time.
Who or what is your biggest influence/inspiration?
Stella McCartney’s work using sustainable materials has influenced me within my current project. I researched her practice throughout my final year of university, and also included her work within my dissertation. I knew I wanted to explore a new, sustainable material, so I explored many. These included wax, seaweed and wool. However snake shedding excited me the most.
How do you push through a creative block?
I believe talking to people is the best way to overcome a creative block. Having other people’s experiences, perspectives and idea’s usually help me. Otherwise, experimentation also helps me as it allows the project to go in another direction.
What’s next for you, where will you focus your next project?
I am still continuing to develop my ‘Shedding Matters’ collection. As well as this, I would like to explore shedding from other animals such as bearded dragons or lizards. The different colours, textures and patterns intrigue me.
Hypothetically, if your studio was a blaze and you could save one thing, what would it be?
I would have to save my collection of snake sheds. The sheds are the time consuming aspect within my current project as I have to wait until each snake sheds naturally. Without a substantial amount of shedding, it is hard to make anything due to the volume I need in order to layer the shedding together.