Project description

Mark Radford, Director of Design and Marketing at Graham and Brown, on a rainy afternoon last November. I was so impressed by his energy and enthusiasm to describe his world of wallpaper that I suddenly felt the bare walls of my office crying for patterns. After a passionate brainstorming session, we decided to work on a new collection of eco-wallpaper to be launched at 100% Design next September. Our commitment to educate designers ready to take up the sustainable challenge, and Graham and Brown's environmentally conscious manufacturing process seemed to good a match to be true. So off we went to visit the factory. We met the designers and were introduced to the set of sustainable practices implemented by the company. There is a very strict environmental policy in place: the use of recycled paper as well as wood grown in managedforests; the use of recycled rain water, working with non-acidic inks and coatings are practices firmly in place at the factory.

from Graham and Brown is well known for its commitment to young designers, but this time, the challenge for our students was to combine highly innovative and original designs with a sustainable outlook. Rachel Kelly, a graduate of the MA Textile Futures course in 2001 and a leader in the field of innovative wallpaper design, has been managing the project. Together with Mark Radford and Janine Dewar, Brand Manager at Graham and Brown, we held the infamous "Mid Crit" in early May to review the design development to date.

Our students presented their final collection at the end of June 2007 with five winners selected by the Graham and Brown team. The best designs were sent to be manufactured and launched at the 100% Design in September 2007. The end product will be made from 100% recycled paper and the packaging will be fully biodegradable.

more info on Inhabitat http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/29/what-walls-want-graham-brown/

image of the winners work manufactured by Graham and Brown presented at 100% Design

We are grateful to Mark, the Graham and Brown and the Camron teams for their support and enthusiasm and for their commitment to young talent.

CaroleCollet, Course Director