balenciaga made a see-through couch and stuffed it with old clothes

balenciaga has collaborated with new york-based russian furniture designer harry nuriev to create a clear couch for design miami/ 2019. stuffed with offcuts and unsellable garments from the brand, the ‘balenciaga sofa’ is a piece of art intended to work as an advocate for environmental accountability.

images courtesy of balenciaga

‘the balenciaga sofa reimagines a sofa as an example of environmentally conscious design, giving generations of garments and other materials another life,’ a press release from balenciaga reads. ‘the oblong sofa—inspired by typical overstuffed recliners—is upholstered with damaged or otherwise unsellable garments and off-cuts from obsolete stocks of balenciaga clothing, encased by scrapped transparent vinyl. patterns, cuts, and tags within the stuffing are recognizably balenciaga, a mix of past seasons and ideas.’

unveiling the sofa, balenciaga explained that it was ‘intended to encourage sustainable practices within design and elsewhere’ whilst reflecting the luxury fashion house’s ‘recognition of the responsibility designers have to counterbalance their environmental impact, and dedication to implementing programs that upcycle waste and contribute to a circular economy.’

the core of the couch is a mannequin base wrapped with clothing as well as other materials upcycled from nuriev’s previous works. this is not the first time nuriev has worked with the brand. last year he created the office – a sculptural installation featuring a classic swivel chair, a bulky air conditioning unit, and a photocopier, all punctuated with the balenciaga logo.

balenciaga and nuriev will unveil the piece during design miami/ 2019, which runs from december 3 through to december 8. check out our definitive guide which details the latest must-see exhibitions and events to take place during the week. 

project info

company: balenciaga
artist: harry nuriev
project: balenciaga sofa
event: design miami 2019