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The Fair
July 17, 2024

For the exhibit At the Crossroads of American Design: Sustainability in Practice and Spirit, Creative Director David Rockwell, the founder of Rockwell Group, the Rockwell Group team, and editor Pei-Ru Keh co-curated a collection of objects that preserve long-honored craft traditions, push the boundaries of circularity, and consciously re-think the legitimacy of material use. The exhibition was supported by Lead Partners Designtex and Skram, with Partner Loose Parts and Alexis & Ginger, Colony, Liora Manné, Office of Tangible Space, OkaTerra by Common Object Studio, and Talbot & Yoon all Supporting Partners.

Daniel Michalik, Elodie Blanchard, Kamilla Csegzi, Lichen, LikeMindedObjects, Madeline Isakson, MushLume Lighting, Sahra Jajarmikhayat, and thehighkey were among the companies and designers whose work was featured, alongside a mural from the Youth Design Center.

Tiffany Jow, editor-in-chief of the design journal Untapped, hosted daily talks in the space that examined some of the issues raised. Through the lens of sustainability, the talks investigated issues that designers in the United States are problem-solving around, learning from, and overcoming—and how this impacts their output and the industry beyond.

COMMUNITY: How are designers sustaining the people their work touches? 

From the entities where they source materials to their end users, a designer’s work touches innumerable lives—and some are taking steps to make sure their interactions positively impact them all. Jean Lin of the design gallery and studio Colony focuses on removing pain points for independent makers, while Lichen co-founders Ed Be and Jared Blake aim to make design more welcoming and democratic. Output by firms such as LikeMindedObjects, OkaTerra by Common Object Studio, and thehighkey challenge us to imagine new possibilities for existing models of designing and manufacturing. Zeroing in on user experience, Office of Tangible Space prioritizes the connections and conversations sparked by its work. Efforts like these contribute to creating robust communities that not only survive, but flourish.

The Crossroads 2024 Cohort.

The Crossroads billboard, featuring a custom Designtex print made with Digital Studio.

COLONY – Founded and curated by Jean Lin
“For consumers, sustainability in quality and material is a must now. Colony’s investment in its residency program is our way of continuing the tradition of inherent sustainability. Bringing nascent studios into the market, the Colony residency program ushers in the next generation of makers who believe pieces should be created for a lifetime of use rather than consumed and discarded.”

LICHEN – Co-founded by Ed Be and Jared Blake
“We have a concept at our studio: ‘There’s food in the fridge.’ It’s an effort established to curtail some of our wasteful habits. It was originally adopted as a Post-it note reminder to eat what’s in the fridge instead of eating out so often, and has evolved into a statement on looking within instead of out. Often the design industry is influenced by international perspectives, and respectfully so—but we have to think about our rich past and how it influences our own voices.”

LIKEMINDEDOBJECTS- Founded by Elise McMahon
“Our studio thinks of sustainability in terms of our labor, material choices, locale, and what will be left of what we have made after we are gone. While we are never perfect in these pursuits , we take great efforts to develop and uphold systems that we can be proud of. We lean into relationships to continue learning and exploring—at places such as the Healthier Materials Library at Parsons, or programs through the SlowFactory Open Education—or building relationships with other manufacturers and recyclers. Being transparent in our studio’s journey is a part of our purpose: sharing material stories so that others may pursue industry improvements alongside us.”

  • Elise McMahon, LikeMindedObjects

  • LikeMindedObjects

thehighkey

OFFICE OF TANGIBLE SPACE – Founded by Michael Yarinsky and Kelley Perumbeti
“At every stage of a project, we try our best to source and implement the most sustainable materials, methods, and technology possible per its scope. That said, we think the most sustainable long-term approach is to create spaces and objects that will be appreciated for a very long time, and be durable enough to be passed down to the next generation.”

OKATERRA BY COMMON OBJECT STUDIO – Founded by Fernando Ramirez and Justin Beitzel
“Sustainability for our studio goes beyond preservation: It embodies regenerative design principles that aim to rejuvenate ecosystems and communities. That starts with visionary partners with shared sustainability goals, and asking if the act of creating can give back more than it takes.”

thehighkey – Founded by John Vieweg
“Sustainability is a call to action. It is an attempt to lessen the environmental harm that is externalized by the design professions. By moving beyond the design of objects and instead designing ‘systems,’ we can create an environmental safety net. Through the exploration of alternative modes of manufacturing, shipping, disposing, reusing, and recycling, we can unlock new possibilities for our material reality.”

  • Office of Tangible Space

  • Office of Tangible Space

ENDURANCE: What does it mean to make an object that lasts? 

The concept of owning fewer, better things is hardly new—but is, in many ways, more urgent than ever. Contemporary objects made to stand the test of time come in a variety of forms, shaped by their makers’ distinct perspective on longevity. Design studios such as Alexis & Ginger, Skram, and Talbot & Yoon create modern heirlooms, a goal shared by Daniel Michalik’s cork-based furniture. Jennifer June of Loose Parts offers objects that adapt to their users’ lives, and that break down for recycling when no longer needed. Work by Madeline Isakson challenges the notion of consumerism itself, recontextualizing mass-produced materials into everyday objects and questioning what we deem valuable in the process—something worth considering in any purchase.

ALEXIS & GINGER – Founded by Alexis Tingey and Ginger Gordon
“One key value of sustainability in our studio is to create work that can be cherished, celebrated, and passed down. As designers and artisans, we are aware of the responsibility that our creative practice holds. In the context of American design, we believe that we are in collaboration with the community around us, and that we all have a responsibility to each other to find solutions to create beauty and connections in innovative, resourceful ways.”

DANIEL MICHALIK
“I’m not a fan of the word sustainability, as it implies the ability to continue doing what we have already done. Instead, I prefer the term regeneration, or resetting the human relationship to the material systems of nature. As we extract materials from nature to serve our needs, we must also foster health and life in those very systems, and immediately shift towards regenerative, healthy materials in our objects and built environment. In doing so, we ensure the ongoing health of our complex planet, and we reinvent the objects we live with and the buildings we live in.”

LOOSE PARTS – Founded by Jennifer June
“Sustainability requires rethinking our entire approach to products and systems through creative, circular design solutions that prioritize reducing over consumption and waste. The linear take-make-waste model is unsustainable, depleting finite resources and polluting the planet. Through modular, intuitive designs that facilitate repair, reconfiguration and creative reuse, we empower people to reshape their environments more consciously.”

  • Daniel Michalik

  • Loose Parts

Alexis and Ginger

MADELINE ISAKSON – Founded by Madeline Isakson
“My practice exists within the contexts of discursive design and consumer critique. I’m interested in exploring how to make the objects we discard and deem valueless visible again in a new light. Sustainability isn’t just about making things with ‘eco’ materials. It’s also about shifting our mindset as designers and consumers. The goal of my work is to raise awareness around the trash generated by our culture by rethinking the possibilities of what we consider trash.”

SKRAM – Founded by A. Jacob Marks
“Longevity—in design and in craftsmanship—is holistic. True sustainability encompasses every aspect of the life of a product. It includes and accounts for the people who make it, the materials that go into it, and how they are used in fabrication. And it extends to the ways that they function in their space and the length of time that the products are in service, treasured, and used.”

TALBOT & YOON – Founded by Mark Talbot and Youngjin Yoon
“Our studio believes that the sustainability of an object has to do with its ability to resist being discarded when the whims of fashion change; to make everything with materials and methods that have an eye towards their longevity. While the techniques may sound contemporary; LED’s, 3D-printed lost wax casting, parametrically defined b-reps; we aim to produce objects that are composed from parts that are timeless; vaults, tubes, spheres.”

Skram

Madeline Isakson

MATERIAL INNOVATION: How are designers rethinking the fabric of an object? 

New materials derived from science, nature, or ingenuity (and sometimes, all three) are increasingly commonplace in the design world. Among their champions are Kamilla Csegzi and MushLume Lighting’s Danielle Trofe, who collaborate with mycelium, the matter in the root structure of mushrooms, to make their designs, along with Elodie Blanchard and Liora Manné, who work with recycled substances. Sahra Jajarmikhayat leans into science for her concept-driven investigations, as does Designtex, which views materials as a tool for problem-solving. The resulting textiles and objects exude beauty, intrigue, and an inventiveness that benefits people and the planet.

ELODIE BLANCHARD – Founded by Elodie Blanchard
“Most of my work is created using repurposed fabrics. I find joy in exploring materials through techniques such as sewing, knotting, and weaving, transforming discarded textiles into fantastical objects and playful environments. The knowledge that these materials already carry a rich history adds a unique depth to the final product. My aim is to make, but also to inspire, viewers toward a more sustainable lifestyle.”

DESIGNTEX – Co-founded by Harry Paley and Ralph Saltzman
“We’re always asking ourselves, ‘Does the world need another product?’ The values that inform our research, development, and design work are guided by responsible choices. With the knowledge that 80 percent of a product’s impact can be locked in at the design phase, we carefully consider a product’s lifecycle, utility, and wellbeing to the user in our practice. We continue to experiment with the most effective ways to design beautiful, useful, sustainable products of lasting value.”

Elodie Blanchard

KAMILLA CSEGZI – Founded by Kamilla Csegzi
“As a designer and artist, my journey with mycelium intertwines cultural and environmental sustainability, navigating the delicate balance between living and non-living matter. My work seeks to dissolve boundaries and bring people closer to nature. In the context of American design’s evolving priorities, I advocate for a holistic approach that encompasses social and economic sustainability, focusing on inclusivity and resilience.”

SAHRA JAJARMIKHAYAT – Founded by Sahra Jajarmikhayat
“I think that taking into consideration the complete life cycle of materials in every design phase is the most critical aspect of a sustainable design practice today. The more we re-use, re-purpose, and re-imagine, the more we are able to shift the narrative and reduce waste.”

Kamilla Csegzi

LIORA MANNÉ – Founded by Liora Manné
“We introduced the REvolution Collection, in 2022, which is a collection of rugs, wall, and ceiling coverings and upholstery made from recycled polyester fibers. The line uses a circular process that blends grounding neutrals to create an array of idyllic colors and contemporary patterns, ranging from 70 to 100 percent recycled polyester. Since everything is handmade to order, we can really minimize waste: Any colored fibers that are leftover are re-used. We also buy recycled materials, and work with brands to take their discarded apparel and upcycle them into rugs and wall coverings.”

MUSHLUME LIGHTING – Founded by Danielle Trofe
“We grow lampshades from mycelium, or the roots of mushrooms. The lampshades are grown using sustainably sourced hemp that is combined with mycelium. In just a few days, the mycelium cultivates a thick network of hyphae that binds to the hemp substrate, solidifying into a structure to create a stable, natural lampshade that is 100 percent biodegradable. By tapping into this unique material science, we can begin to reimagine a more sustainable future, one in which natural resources are not extracted from nature, but rather are grown in a lab.”

 

Photo by Alice Gao, Courtesy of Rockwell Group

Photo by Alice Gao, Courtesy of Rockwell Group.