Showerthought: I was at a fabric market in Bangkok and saw a tailor using old rice sacks for a jacket lining.

It was a tiny stall, and the guy was piecing together these printed plastic bags with a straight stitch. That got me thinking about using 'found' materials versus buying new, purpose-made textiles. Do you think using unconventional materials is a clever design choice or just a gimmick that won't last?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbyk1022d agoMost Upvoted

Saw a friend make a wallet from old tire inner tubes once. Thing lasted longer than any store-bought one he ever had.

king.lisa11d ago

That tire wallet @abbyk10 mentioned is a novelty, not a real product. Most people don't want to carry around trash, even if it's durable. It's a fun art project that gets old fast.

spencer_ellis22d ago

Man, that's actually pretty smart... reminds me of what @abbyk10 said about the tire wallet. If it works and it's tough, it's not a gimmick, it's just good sense. Some of that stuff outlasts the fancy new things anyway.