MODA Full Circle: Design Without End Exhibit Highlights Innovative Products Made with ECONYL® Nylon
Imagine that every landfill across the world closes today. There is no more waste, no more pollution—we move forward with space and time to strengthen and replenish the earth, rather than struggling against rapid degradation.
This is the world imagined by the Museum of Design Atlanta in their current exhibit, “Full Circle: Design Without End.” The exhibit calls attention to circular design, a process of restoring, renewing, or revitalizing a product’s energy and materials. Regeneration goes beyond sustainability. Rather than just maintaining the environment, circular design repairs it.
Aquafil is honored to have our practices on display at MODA’s exhibit with pieces made from ECONYL® nylon. We recycle carpet waste, old fishing nets, fabric scraps, and industrial plastic to recover their nylon, then regenerate and purify the nylon waste to its original state. ECONYL® nylon is then processed into yarns and polymers for the fashion and interiors industries. The nylon can be infinitely recycled while maintaining the same quality as nylon made from raw materials.
At the MODA exhibit, you can view a beautiful selection of designs created with ECONYL® fibers, including the award winning noho move™ chair, Napapijri circular jackets, Delos’ Mantra Rug from its Technicolor Collection, Karün sunglasses, swimwear from Botanical Beach Babes, a silk roll bag by Aoife, and WAO low top sneakers.
ECONYL® Nylon on Display
The noho move™ chair integrates ergonomic comfort with sustainable design, encouraging healthy movement as it flexes and flows with your body. Manufactured predominantly from ECONYL® nylon, the 2021 Best of NeoCon design not only can last a lifetime, but can be infinitely recycled and repurposed.
Premium casualwear brand Napapijri has fully embraced circularity, designing a jacket made from ECONYL® nylon as well as a process to return and recycle the garments. Napapijri’s circular jackets use a mono-material composition, which allows the jackets to be fully recyclable. Through their unique digital take-back program, customers can return their Napapijri circular jacket within two years of purchase, sending the jacket to be recycled while receiving a voucher to purchase another circular garment.
Delos is proof that commercially rated, stain-free rugs don’t have to be designed at the expense of the environment. Offering ECONYL® yarn exclusively for custom rugs in the United States, Delos combines quality craftsmanship with eco-friendly design to create beautiful, custom rugs and carpets. The rug on display at MODA is from their Technicolor Collection, which was developed in honor of the 10th anniversary of Aquafil’s ECONYL® nylon.
Between swimwear from Botanical Beach Babes and Karűn’s sunglasses, the future of sustainable fashion looks bright. Thomas Kimber, the founder behind Karűn, was inspired to literally connect people with nature by using ECONYL® nylon in the making of his Pacific Collection of sunglasses. Botanical Beach Babes also uses ECONYL® nylon in their swimsuits and resort wear, proving that eco-friendly design does not minimize luxury or quality.
ECONYL® nylon extends its role in fashion to accessories, as seen in the Aoife silk roll bag and WAO low top sneakers. The elegant Aoife cross-body roll bag is lined inside and out with lightweight, water-resistant ECONYL® fibers. WAO’s sneakers bring sustainability to streetwear. Their “everyday style” sneakers significantly reduce environmental impact through the use of ECONYL® nylon, organic cotton, cork, and coconut fiber.
A Showcase of Circularity in Design
Just as the exhibit is titled, the opportunities for circular design are “without end.” I am excited to see such an incredible variety of design talents on display at MODA, all doing their part to improve the circular economy and spread awareness. The designs range from Living Building architecture and regenerative landscaping to sneakers made from waste, educational toys, and video games.
Design without end is a true dream for Aquafil. We are thrilled to be included in MODA’s exhibit alongside these inspirational designers, architects, and product manufacturers, and feel hopeful for the impact the showcase will have on those who attend.
“Full Circle: Design Without End” will be on display at MODA in Atlanta, Georgia, until September 25, 2022. If you find yourself in Atlanta, check it out.
Author: Gaëlle Merlin, Design & Development Manager - Aquafil Group
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