A stylish range of furniture and tableware made from upcycled denim, paper and cotton
Perhaps upcycling’s only shortcoming is that more often that not there are a few telltale signs that the new product is the sum of its parts, which is to say, made of waste. Admittedly, the principle of up-cycling is not so much about the product as it is the practise, but maybe if the products were slightly more premium, the practise would be more widely embraced.

For London Design Festival, London designers Matteo Fogaleand Laetitia de Allegri have created -ISH, a range of furniture and tableware made from three up-cycled composite materials - Slate-ish, Denimite and Marblus – that look just like premium stone goods. Slate-ish is made by laminating recycled and reclaimed black paper, giving the material a dark colouring, Denimite is made from post-consumer and post-industrial denim scrap while Marblus is made from scraps of white cotton and polyester from sheets, clothing, and other fabric products. The end products are quite remarkable, considering their origins.

Earlier this week we featured another up-cycling product created again for London Design Festival. The Junk Mail Press repurposes unwanted post, creating a range of bowls, plates, lunch-boxes, lamp shades and cups.

The collection is on show at the Herrick Gallery, 1 & 3 French Place, E1 6JB until 21st September.