human hair spins into yarn in studio sanne visser's installation for london design festival

studio sanne visser explores human hair as sustainable material

Material design research practice Studio Sanne Visser introduces Locally Grown, an interactive installation exploring human hair as an innovative, sustainable material. Presented at the Material Matters Fair during the London Design Festival, the project invites visitors to experience the complete process, from live haircuts to demonstrations of hair spinning and rope-making, resulting in an exhibition of design objects made from hair. The installation emphasizes collaboration and circular economy, with several other designers contributing their vision. Nine studios, including Helen Kirkum Studio, Lauren MacDonald, and Wilkinson & Rivera, integrate Visser’s hair-based materials into a variety of products, ranging from high-quality interior objects to unique accessories.

Focusing on collaboration in her work, Sanne Visser states, ‘I work independently, but I would never say I work alone.’ This ethos is at the heart of the installation, with innovative design and ecological responsibility coming together through collective creativity and sustainable material innovation.

Hat by Rein Reitsma | all images by Rocio Chacon, unless stated otherwise

Locally Grown shows hair’s potential in adDressing challenges

Building on Studio Sanne Visser’s previous work, including its debut at London’s Design Museum in 2022, the Locally Grown installation transforms hair from waste to resource. As part of an ongoing evolution, the London-based studio’s new pilot recycling hub, HairCycle in Stratford, has been collecting hair from salons and barbershops in Newham since February 2024. The goal is to repurpose this material, which would otherwise harm the environment, into bio-based fibers, ropes, and cords. The exhibition also highlights the potential of hair beyond consumer products. Designers such as Urban Radicals, Biocrafted x Coral Gardeners, and R-Urban are using hair in research projects aimed at addressing environmental challenges. Applications range from creating fertilizers for urban parks to developing materials that can help restore coral reefs.

Homewares by Helen Kirkum Studio, A Suit To Remember Me By by Lauren MacDonald

Textile Art by Mia Rodney

Locally Grown explores human hair as an innovative, sustainable material

presented at the Material Matters Fair during the London Design Festival

emphasizing collaboration and circular economy | image by Max Colson

the project invites visitors to experience the complete process | image by Max Colson

an exhibition of design objects made from hair | image by Max Colson

innovative design and ecological responsibility come together through collective creativity

HairCycle in Stratford has been collecting hair from salons and barbershops in Newham since February 2024

project info:

name: Locally Grown
designer: Studio Sanne Visser | @studiosannevisser
collaborators: Helen Kirkum Studio | @helenkirkumstudio, Lauren MacDonald, Mia Rodney, Rein Reitsma | @reinreitsma, Tŷ Syml, Wilkinson & Rivera | @wilkinson_rivera, R-Urban | @rurban_poplar_london, Urban Radicals | @urbanradicals and Biocrafted x Coral Gardeners
photography: Rocio Chacon |@rocio_chacon_studio, Max Colson

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: thomai tsimpou | designboom