South African-based designers, Matthew Edwards and Xzavier Kunene, come together to lean into each other’s crafts across fashion and product design. Through their prototype, they explore the possibilities of a sustainable future, and present, by recycling and remanufacturing denim waste material to produce a multiple-use sandal prototype and “one-of-none” footwear outer-sole samples. This is a sole that once placed onto your existing footwear looks to extend its use and life cycle with additional comfort and durability.
The multiple-use sandal prototype was produced from denim waste material. The waste was sourced from thrifted Levi’s jeans from Johannesburg’s inner city donated clothes “overspill”. The duo explored various techniques of upcycling denim. The weaving technique presented by textile recycling and disability empowerment organization, Clothes To Good, became their preferred technique.
As a means of disseminating the “one-of-none” sample, they converted the multiple-use sandal prototype into a 3D model using the Photogrammetry process. This allows it to live within the Metaverse as an AR filter on Snapchat. This gives Snapchat users access to the “one-of-none” digital sample, allowing them to experience it on their own footwear, whilst learning about the process.
by Matthew Edwards and Xzavier Kunene
Format: Augmented Reality
CREDITS
Photography | Andile Buka and Xzavier Kunene
Videography | Andile Buka
Video Editing | Matthew Edwards
Colour Grading | Xzavier Kunene
Sountrack | Licensed music
The Design Futures Lab is a creative economy project, hosted by Electric South, Twyg, and Crossover Labs and supported by the British Council #SouthernAfricaArts. The Design Futures Lab was held in March 2022 and this is one of nine prototypes completed in June 2022.
