The Liaigre ‘Upcrafted' collection is a demonstration of the studio’s considered approach to design. ‘All the Liaigre Collection creations are designed to optimise scraps,’ explain the team at Liaigre studio. But with ‘Upcrafted’, they begin the design process by pre-empting production waste and – refreshingly – catering to it in order to produce more resourceful pieces. ‘[Working with] raw materials from drawings generates waste, so the starting point for the “Upcrafted” collection pieces is the raw material and not the sketch,’ they say.
The resulting collection comprises ‘The Vase’, ‘The Tray’, ‘The Bookend’ and ‘The Door Stopper’, each intended to display the potential of waste materials.
‘The Bookend’ from Liaigre’s ‘Upcrafted’ collection, made from repurposed wood and cast in bronze.
In ‘The Vase’, small circles of leather have been joined together at the edges by hand using vegetable glue. The resulting structure is a 3D mosaic of the material, with each vase having a unique variation of the same shape, depending on the particular placement of its elements. Each vase is made from around 400 petals of leather, with the edges of each piece tinted and waxed, adding a contrasting tone.
Highlighting the worn aspect of repurposed materials, ‘The Bookend’ is made from slabs of waste wood set in textured bronze. Each piece has a unique character due to the ageing and past treatment of the timber.
‘The Tray’ from Liaigre’s ‘Upcrafted’ collection, made from excess leather and brushed chrome or black patina handles.
The scrap metal used to cast and structure the bookends is similarly used in the doorstops; bronze pieces are set in asymmetrical lumps of stone. The doorstops vary depending on material availability, with current models in marble and onyx. The bronze element sits in the smoothly carved-out stone, rather like a cork in a bottle. The appealing organic forms again demonstrate the benefit of repurposing resources that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Fifty per cent of profits from the ‘Upcrafted’ collection are being donated to Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France. In supporting the charity – which funds work-study training in development, craft and engineering professions – the studio is contributing whole-heartedly to innovative revolutions in design.
‘The Door Stopper’ from Liaigre’s ’Upcrafted’ collection, made from excess stone and a bronze handle.
INFORMATION
-
Highlights from the transporting Cruise 2026 showsThe Cruise 2026 season began yesterday with a Chanel show at Lake Como, heralding the start of a series of jet-setting, destination runway shows from fashion’s biggest houses
-
Behind the design of national pavilions in Venice: three studios to knowDesigning the British, Swiss and Mexican national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 are three outstanding studios to know before you go
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spotHeritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
We feel a growing passion for MycoWorks, the company inspiring beauty with fungal-based biomaterialReishi is a Wallpaper* Design Award winner, a new self-growing, biodegradable material by MycoWorks presented in a series of exquisite expressions of earthy and ethereal furniture, lighting and artworks
-
This new all-natural sofa is made with cork leftover from the production of wine stoppersIsomi’s ‘Tejo’ sofa is constructed entirely of natural materials and features a modular, experimental design
-
New Mater tables by Patricia Urquiola are made from recycled coffee beansThe Alder collection of tables by Patricia Urquiola for Mater make their debut at Milan Design Week 2024, and are made of a specially-developed material made from recycled coffee beans
-
Discover Plastic Free: the new online destination for alternative materialsPlastic Free is a new portal for creatives looking to explore alternatives to plastic in their work
-
Shellmet: the helmet made from waste scallop shellsShellmet is a new helmet design by TBWA\Hakuhodo’s creative team and Osaka-based Koushi Chemical Industry Co, made using Hokkaido’s discarded scallop shells
-
Wentz presents innovative furniture incorporating ocean plastic wasteThe ‘Mar’ collection by Guilherme Wentz is informed by the sea and features computerised 3D-weaving techniques to transform ocean-borne plastic
-
Regenerative design: meet the creatives taking a rooting interest in learning from natureRegenerative design: meet the creatives taking a rooting interest in learning from nature
-
No time for waste: Oris’ collaboration with a leather manufacturer recycles deer skinsDeer skins make for sustainable watch straps in a partnership between Oris and Cervo Volante
