The Maison/0 Green Trail highlights projects that champion and innovate for nature by our graduating students across design disciplines at Central Saint Martins.
Five winners and two commendations are celebrated in 2024, out of sixty students nominated by course teams across fashion, fashion communication, jewellery, textiles, material futures, biodesign, narrative environments, industrial design, product design, ceramics, architecture and graphic communication design.
2024 winners
Beibei Tang MA Biodesign
Mikala Katia Nsika Nkaya MA Design, Jewellery
Rehan Petit MA Industrial Design
Pia Marktl MA Graphic Communication Design
Sofia Ortmann BA Textile Design
Beibei's customisable hand-made garment collection uses biotechnology to transform ramie fibre and ramie waste. Rehan's device for canalboat fenders cleans the water of oil spills, using coconut coir and bioremediation agents. Mikala's luxury jewellery collection remodels the humble palm nut kernel, revealing the beauty and value of discarded food waste. Pia makes local agriculture visible wherever people come to the table in a project honouring small-scale farmers; and Sofia's material exploration brings soft furnishings in wool and hemp inspired by remnants of extinct species.
Highly commended
Felix McCrossen-Sadler BA Ceramic Design
Laura Middlehurst MA Regenerative Design
2024 jury
Alexandre Capelli, Deputy Director LVMH Environment
Manuela Brini, Director of Creative Talent Acquisition and Development, LVMH Millie de la Valette, Head of Creative Talent Acquisition, Louis Vuitton
Asli Ozbek, Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding Manager, Loro Piana
Carole Collet, Director Maison/0, Central Saint Martins, UAL
The winners
Beibei Tang, MA Biodesign
RamMix, Playful Ramie Wear
@t_beibei_ @mabiodesign
Ramie, a crop unique to the southwest of China (which accounts for 90% of global ramie fibre production) is mainly used for textiles. In recent years, unstable climate and resource scarcity have led to a reduction in the production of ramie, with the threat of cultural loss and economic decline in the local agriculture industry.
RamMix is made entirely of ramie and ramie waste. The fibers are extracted from ramie by new biotechnology. And all final fabric is made by the table loom, all materials are biodegradable.
RamMix aims to design a bio-degradable denim jacket system using ramie plants, allowing users to mix and match different elements daily. Biotechnology is replacing traditional chemical extraction methods for fibres and pigments. More eco-friendly materials are then combined with the production techniques of Shu brocade (traditional Chinese fabric) to design weaving patterns and apply them to different clothing pieces.
Additionally, surplus waste from ramie is used to synthesise biodegradable materials for making buttons of various shapes and colours."
-
Ram-Mix: Playful Ramie Wear, Beibei Tang, MA Biodesign
-
Ram-Mix: Playful Ramie Wear, Beibei Tang, MA Biodesign
Mikala Katia Nsika Nkaya, MA Design, Jewellery
Palms
@m.kala_jewellery @csm_madesign
The Palms jewellery collection introduces the palm nut as a valuable creative medium, celebrating the versatility inherent in its discarded seedcase.
As an almost unseen yet omnipresent element of modern times, the palm nut underpins food cultures across the globe. The collection celebrates the dark woody beauty of the kernel, using recycled precious metals to elevate it to its true worth. Each piece blends artisanship with cutting-edge technology and weaves together symbols from the modern west with those of the ancient Kongo kingdoms. Together they propose luxurious collectables which interplay between craft, design and environment.
-
Palms, Makila Nsika Nkaya, MA Design: Jewellery
-
Palms, Makila Nsika Nkaya, MA Design: Jewellery
Pia Marktl, MA Graphic Communication Design
A farmers‘ language
@piamariapink @csmgraphics
Using graphic communication design as a catalyst for ongoing knowledge exchange, A farmers‘ language highlights the visual identity of small-scale farmers in Tyrol (Austria), addressing their underrepresentation and undervaluation in society. It uses the language of vernacular graphics collected through personal field research in Tyrol.
"Having grown up in the countryside myself, I am familiar with the quality of food produced by such farmers and the important work they do daily. Nonetheless, through exchanges with many international people here in London and elsewhere, I have realised that this knowledge about the procurement of food, the closeness and love for animals and nature is not self-evident. In my country, too, I have noticed an increasing alienation between consumers and the food production process, as many are unable to distinguish between mass-produced and sustainably produced products.
Small-scale farmers are an important part of Austria‘s identity and I have endeavoured to offer them an appropriate stage through my projects. I found ways of communication and visualisation that summarise their role and significance by encouraging discussion and knowledge transfer.
-
A farmers‘ language, Pia Marktl, MA Graphic Communication Design
-
A farmers‘ language, Pia Marktl, BA Graphic Communication Design
Sophia Ortmann, BA Textile Design
Gone with the Dodo
@sofiastudiodesign
@csm_ba_textile_design
The collection explores the intersection of wellness, material exploration, and environmental stewardship. Inspired by remnants of extinct species displayed throughout London, wool and hemp are used to create high-textured, whimsical, and animalistic soft furnishings and upholstery textiles. This collection serves as a tribute to recently lost biodiversity and aims to prompt reflection on human environmental impact.
Beyond the biophilic aesthetics of natural materials and organic forms, ‘Gone with the Dodo’ invites users to interact with the textiles, tapping into the therapeutic benefits of soft, textured sensations reminiscent of plush childhood toys, fostering comfort and safety. Through techniques like felting, re-dyeing, and reweaving, I transformed woven offcut wool textiles that are difficult to recycle, experimenting with stiffness and volume. By combining traditional crafts with modern sustainability practices, this collection challenges conventional aesthetics and functions, offering a holistic solution to contemporary environmental challenges."
-
Gone with the Dodo, Sofia Ortmann, installation view at CSM Shows: 2024. Photo: Paul Cochrane
-
Gone with the Dodo, Sofia Ortmanns, BA Textile Design
Rehan Petit, MA Industrial Design
Bio-Fender
@rehanpetit @csm_maid
Bio-Fender combines bioremediation with British canal culture, incorporating oil spill cleanup capabilities into boat fenders used by narrowboats. Given the prevalence of fuel oil spills in canal waters, there is a pressing need for solutions that align with the ecological ethos while maintaining the functionality for boat protection.
"By embedding biodegradable materials and bioremediation agents into the Bio-Fender, the project aims to offer a dual purpose – sustainable intervention that actively mitigates pollution without disrupting the daily rhythm of canal life, thereby fostering an environmentally conscious community of canal users.
The beauty of bioremediation in the Bio-Fender is its simplicity and efficiency. It harnesses the power of nature to fight pollution, reflecting a sustainable approach to environmental management. We turn what could be a harmful pollution event into an opportunity for cleansing and restoration."
-
Bio-Fender, Rehan Petit, MA Industrial Design
-
Bio-Fender, Rehan Petit, MA Industrial Design
Highly commended
-
Commoning with the Good Companions, Laura Middlehurst
-
RE-Roasted, Felix McCrossan-Sadler, BA Ceramic Design
Explore the shortlist on the UAL Showcase
The Green Trail and its sister award, Maison/0 This Earth, celebrate exceptional nature-positive and thought-provoking graduating student projects, bringing together work that responds to the climate and biodiversity emergencies.
Maison/0 is the Central Saint Martins-LVMH creative platform for regenerative luxury. Our partnership is committed to leveraging the agency of creativity and education to help regenerate our climate and biodiversity and to empower emerging talents to design a better future.
-
Lucas Parfitt, Tim Huckle, Rafi Elmahal,
