How do designers transform “waste” into everyday objects of desire?
In recent years, the global design landscape has shifted its perspective on recycled materials—moving beyond mere environmental advocacy towards a rigorous exploration of material possibilities and craftsmanship.
Moderated by “ArchDaily” contributor Jonathan Yeung, this session brings together deTour 2026 co-creators, IAMMI and Ripple Chen Studio, for a deep dive into material transformation. From turning industrial foam scrap into chic, durable furniture, to sculpting discarded balloons into exquisite craft objects, the speakers will unpack their journeys from global R&D standards to local experimentation. Join us to discover how urban waste sheds its stigma to emerge as functional, beautiful, and enduring design.
Founded in 2020 by designer Nicolau dos Santos and art director Stephanie Blanchard, IAMMI is an Italy-based studio operating at the intersection of the classic and the contemporary. “Where timeless ideas find their home” is more than a motto: it reflects an approach rooted in meaning rather than surface, where storytelling shapes form, and modern manufacturing techniques meet traditional craftsmanship.
Working across products, collectible items, spatial design, installations, art direction, and consultancy, IAMMI develops original research alongside commissioned projects for brands, institutions, and private clients. Guided by a distinctive visual language that balances irony, intuition, and discipline, the studio challenges conventions through unexpected combinations, creating work that is both authored and tangible, where tradition is reinterpreted with emotional depth and contemporary relevance.
Ripple Chen (Ripple Chen Studio) is a material scientist and contemporary craft artist who graduated from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Textiles. She transforms discarded resources into new material and cultural narratives. Inspired by nature, her practice examines how systems emerge from chaos into structure, combining unconventional methods, machinery, and textile processes to rethink craftsmanship, cultural inheritance, women’s labour, and our relationship with technology.
Ripple invented lokaReboon, a material made from 100% recycled coloured natural-rubber balloons produced without secondary dyeing or industrial wastewater. The material has entered the MATERFAD permanent collection at the Design Museum of Barcelona and was featured at the Future Fabrics Expo. Named a VOGUE Business Innovator in China (2024), Ripple has also held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai.