Li Edelkoort presents WASTE NO MORE

Thu, Nov 8 - Mon, Nov 12  2018

Clothing designer Eileen Fisher‘s DesignWork initiative will present a project curated by Lidewij Edelkoort titled “WASTE NO MORE” at The Salon Art + Design at the Park Avenue Armory from November 8th until 12th. 

Heatmap (2017)

WASTE NO MORE

Following successful exhibitions in Milan and Paris this spring, DesignWork returns to New York this fall to present a special installation in the historic reception rooms of the Park Avenue Armory. Curated by Li Edelkoort, the new show takes places during The Salon Art + Design and critiques consumption while shining a light on the emerging circular economy.

Eileen Fisher has dedicated her career to challenging the ways of the fashion industry. With the announcement of Vision2020 in 2015, the company took a bold step in reaching its ambitious environmental and social goals which include materials, chemistry, water, carbon and conscious business practices. DesignWork is her company’s latest initiative; a creative exchange between artists and makers who transform consumers’ used garments into captivating wall hangings, upholstery and accessories for interiors, hospitality, and public space; such as for the new Dear Mama Café at the soon-to-be-opened Columbia University campus by Renzo Piano. 

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Waste No More (Milan Installation, 2018) – © Photo by Ruy Texeira

The Park Avenue Armory installation confronts visitors with the reality of society’s discarded clothing, while demonstrating the inherent aesthetics of recuperated materials in contemporary design. An imposing tower of industrial recycling crates provides a centerpiece in the Armory entrance, containing 3 tons of used clothing, an immense volume that 100 Americans commonly throw away each year. This same amount is discarded 100 times in a single day in Hong Kong, the majority of which is waste from the fashion industry.

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Lidewij Edelkoort

Li Edelkoort observes that “DesignWork blurs the boundaries between art, design and activism, fueling a new creative momentum for the company. A lifestyle brand found in the debris of overconsumption. When waste becomes wealth and culture, the circle has come around twice, empowering new ventures, gifting the world with true beauty.” Fisher expands upon how fashion’s modus operandi can be disrupted by providing renewable solutions: “What is new is how we’re scaling our systems to create a truly sustainable business model that’s circular by design.”