pepe heykoop turns waste leather into furniture with skin series

waste leather turned into furniture in pepe heykoop’s skin collection
all images © annemarijne bax

the skin collection by dutch designer pepe heykoop is a reaction to the 25-30 percent waste produced by the furniture industry. being presented at an exhibition two years in the making: heykoop has rebuilt a house in its entirety into a small castle to host an installation during inside design amsterdam. using secondhand or found objects on the street, the series of pieces being showcased are modified and then covered in pieces of leather leftovers. ‘the discarded leather from factories are usually a result of things such the organic shape of the animal, its scratches, damages, scars and faded tones after dying,’ says heykoop. ‘this project is fed by the nature of the scrap pieces – sewn together into random patterns – informed by cell structures and growth in nature.‘ the project ultimately re-appropriates un-used leather remnants and objects and gives them both new life by creating hand made slip-covers that merges various off-cuts and colors together.

the series of pieces being showcased are modified and then covered in pieces of leather leftovers

the collection is a reaction to the 25-30 percent waste produced by the furniture industry

‘the discarded leather from factories are usually a result of things such its scratches, damages, scars…’

the project re-appropriates un-used leather remnants and objects and gives them both new life

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