baumm turns colorful parachutes into bold jackets handmade in argentina

a photographer and an industrial designer paired up to create baumm in buenos aires, argentina. they believed in integrating design and the environment to create pieces that would be both sustainable and aesthetic. baumm saw potential use for parachutes that become discarded after their maximum hours of flight and gave them a new life by creating functional backpacks and fashionable jackets.

all images courtesy of baumm

on the summer of 2005, baumm founders rodrigo chapero and lucas desimone came across a discarded pvc advertising banner. their curiosity and creativity led them to turn the wasted banner into a book bag for university, giving the material a new purpose and function. the duo noticed the high level of discarded vinyl banners, and agreed that it was an attractive raw material to use for design products.

four years later, baumm started reusing parachutes as a raw material that had interesting stories to tell. the company examines and tests each acquired parachute to produce the optimal quality product and enhance its functionality, making each jacket one of a kind. the parachutes used have seen many landscapes, have traveled over 300 hours and have served for dozens of adventures. the designers attempted to find a new life for them in the bags and jackets used daily by baumm users.

all their products are handmade in argentina and are unique pieces made of a patchwork of parachutes. the material’s bright colors, distinct typography and its placement on the jackets create stunning clothes that remind the users of the material’s past life. each jacket is a windbreaker, ultra lightweight and has three external pockets with zippers. they are all numbered pieces to maintain the authenticity and assure the users of their one-of-a-kind piece.  

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom