Surface Design Show

Yesterday I had the privilege of being an undercover judge for the New Talent Award at The Surface Design Show. Curated by Jennifer Castoldi, New Talent is a selection of creative and innovative designers working in a diverse range of media. It was such a pleasure talking to everyone and hearing all about their exciting projects.

I was asked to choose my top three talents, so here they are:

1. Studio Mafa who have developed a new material called Erth that is made from cow manure! It’s strong and beautiful and of course wonderfully sustainable. [Top right] This is what they say about their product:

“Erth is an innovative material made from cow manure, dedicated to transforming the agricultural industry by repurposing the way manure is used . Inspired by the way nature works, we harnessed this waste product, combined it with creative thinking and we made Erth . With cow manure, we’re creating valuable resources, reducing waste, and repurposing natural materials . Our indicative tests have shown the versatility of Erth and its multi -purpose use, with it also being compared to existing materials like MDF.​”

 You can read more on their website

2. Mia Rowe who has designed a collection of textiles inspired by lichen and made using reclaimed textiles. [Bottom left] Her work is tactile, luxurious and sustainable. You can read more about Mia and her work on her website

3. Nowshin Prenon whose textiles and in particular artworks woven from silk thread absolutely blew me away with their beauty. [Bottom right] Her textile collection is inspired by the Bengali seasons. You can see more of her work on her website

I’m delighted to say that I wasn’t alone in my admiration of Studio Mafa and they won the award. [Top left] I look forward to seeing how they develop their fantastic innovation. 

Huge thanks to Jennifer for this opportunity and to The House of Upcycling for the introduction!

For more posts on interior design events check out the events section of our blog and for a list of interior design events in 2024 take a look at this blog post