We're excited to share the winners and finalists in this year's Central Saint Martins MA Design collaboration with conscious luxury fashion pioneer Stella McCartney and technology manufacturer, Lenovo
Stella McCartney and Lenovo collaborated with Central Saint Martins MA Design in May this year. An eight week live classroom brief challenged students to develop new expressions of sustainable fashion and design through technology.
At Stella McCartney’s flagship in London, four finalists were named out of the 38 student submissions. From regenerative seaweed accessories to acoustic panelling made from mycelium, the students championed meaningful and unexpected application and repurposing of materials. Their concern for the earth's resources and species put into action forms of regenerative and non-extractive design and production.
Winner
'A Vision of Our Algal Future’ - Peter Nasielski, MA Furniture Design
Peter’s project explores regenerative kelp farming and its untapped potential in the accessories industry. Inspired by kelp’s natural properties and how the plant can be used to create bioplastics, Peter experimented with the material to develop eyewear design prototypes. He used coding algorithms to mimic the aesthetics and dynamics of natural algae formations, creating the basis of his winning design - using cutting-edge technology powered by Lenovo.
As winner, Peter has been awarded a three-month internship at Stella McCartney in a department of his choice, plus an internship with Lenovo’s design innovation team at their headquarters in North Carolina. The other finalists will also take up internships at Lenovo.
Finalists
Unwrapped and Rewrapped - Vrinda Agrawal
Vrinda explored the potential of repurposing crisp packet waste to make other innovative materials. She was inspired for her project because of the number of animals that die or are injured because they consume plastic waste. She experimented with different ways of manipulating and crafting the waste material to create new forms.
Rewilding Packaging - Estelle Burton, MA Jewellery Design
Estelle’s project focused on product packaging in the luxury market, investigating how packaging could be better designed in order to reduce waste. Her project explored how biodiversity could be improved through rewilding and incorporated into existing packaging.
'In Tune with Nature' - Joseph Clinton, MA Furniture Design
Working with mycelium, Joseph investigated sound pollution and its impact on marine life. He researched how mycelium can act as a sound-dampening material, proposing concepts for more sustainable acoustic panelling.
The winning designs
-
Prototypes by Peter Nasielski. Photo: Dave Bennet at Getty.
-
Prototypes by Peter Nasielski. Photo: Dave Bennet at Getty.
-
Designs by Joseph Clinton. Photo: Dave Bennet at Getty
-
Material forms and designs by Vrinda Agrawal. Photo: Dave Bennet at Getty
-
Packaging concepts by Estelle Burton. Photo: Dave Bennet at Getty
More
-
Woven fabric created using regenerative practices with vibrant colours and silhouettes of birds printed using bio-based dyes for the Rewilding Textiles research project with LVMH and the Future Fabrics Expo 2022