EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/
At High Point, North Carolina, NYC designer Laurence Carr showcases circular design, highlights expert trend forecasting on sustainability and discusses responsible design with manufacturers.
About Chez Laurence:
Designer Laurence Carr meets manufacturers and brands who are employing circular, regenerative, and sustainable practices. See how they're seeking to change the end-of-life concept with eco-friendly techniques.
EarthX
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About Us:
At EarthX, we believe our planet is a pretty special place. The people, landscapes, and critters are likely unique to the entire universe, so we consider ourselves lucky to be here. We are committed to protecting the environment by inspiring conservation and sustainability, and our programming along with our range of expert hosts support this mission. We’re glad you’re with us.
EarthX is a media company dedicated to inspiring people to care about the planet. We take an omni channel approach to reach audiences of every age through its robust 24/7 linear channel distributed across cable and FAST outlets, along with dynamic, solution oriented short form content on social and digital platforms. EarthX is home to original series, documentaries and snackable content that offer sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. EarthX is the only network that delivers entertaining and inspiring topics that impact and inspire our lives on climate and sustainability.
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At High Point, North Carolina, NYC designer Laurence Carr showcases circular design, highlights expert trend forecasting on sustainability and discusses responsible design with manufacturers.
About Chez Laurence:
Designer Laurence Carr meets manufacturers and brands who are employing circular, regenerative, and sustainable practices. See how they're seeking to change the end-of-life concept with eco-friendly techniques.
EarthX
Love Our Planet.
The Official Network of Earth Day.
About Us:
At EarthX, we believe our planet is a pretty special place. The people, landscapes, and critters are likely unique to the entire universe, so we consider ourselves lucky to be here. We are committed to protecting the environment by inspiring conservation and sustainability, and our programming along with our range of expert hosts support this mission. We’re glad you’re with us.
EarthX is a media company dedicated to inspiring people to care about the planet. We take an omni channel approach to reach audiences of every age through its robust 24/7 linear channel distributed across cable and FAST outlets, along with dynamic, solution oriented short form content on social and digital platforms. EarthX is home to original series, documentaries and snackable content that offer sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. EarthX is the only network that delivers entertaining and inspiring topics that impact and inspire our lives on climate and sustainability.
EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/
Follow Us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthxmedia/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthxmedia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarthXMedia/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@earthxmedia
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EarthXMedia
How to watch:
United States:
- Spectrum
- AT&T U-verse (1267)
- DIRECTV (267)
- Philo
- FuboTV
- Plex
- Fire TV
#EarthDay #Environment #Sustainability #Ecofriendly #Conservation #EarthX
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00🎵
00:29🎵
00:38Twice a year, interior designers, makers, manufacturers, and press
00:43come together at High Point Market, North Carolina, to share new products.
00:48This market is just for the design industry,
00:51but months later, the items will appear in stores
00:55and eventually in businesses, hotels, and homes.
00:59I'm here to talk about sustainable materials and practices
01:03and how important they are for the earth and for people.
01:07High Point Market is the largest trade show in the U.S.
01:11and potentially globally because it attracts clients from all over the world.
01:15About 80,000 visitors per year.
01:19Designer collaborations with furniture launchers,
01:23brands and new collections of furnishings, and, of course, plenty of parties.
01:28Because we're here all together to be together and celebrate our industry.
01:32🎵
01:35I was invited to speak on panels as well as demonstrate
01:38how sustainable and circular materials and practices can be implemented in design.
01:44The largest opportunity across the economy is, in fact, our industry.
01:48The furnishing industry and the housing industry,
01:52which is a massive contributor for carbon emissions.
01:55It is simply no longer true that there is a trade-off
01:58between sustainability and quality, or beauty and elegance.
02:03I have been espousing this for quite some time in my own design practice
02:08and in my advocacy for a circular economy.
02:11But it is truer today than ever before.
02:14So, how does circularity fit in?
02:18The circular business model is not just a means of tackling
02:22the excessive and unsustainable consumption of natural resources,
02:27which is incredibly important.
02:29It is also a solution to climate change,
02:32as well as a huge economic opportunity for businesses.
02:36That is, you can call it, a win-win-win.
02:40We are a 163-year-old mill,
02:44producing linen, linen blends,
02:47and doing one thing very, very well.
02:50We are completely carbon neutral.
02:53We feel it's an innate part of our DNA.
02:56It's something that's extremely important for the future of the planet
03:00and for our organization's health.
03:03But also, it's financially smart to do so.
03:09The one thing that, when I started the company,
03:13I was always curious where goods were coming from.
03:17And the one thing that we knew we were using a lot of was wood.
03:22So, my first mission for my company and the sustainability side
03:28was to plant a tree for every piece of furniture that we've made.
03:32And that was, you know, 1991, so that's a long time ago.
03:36That was way before sustainability.
03:39Since then, we've moved along quite a bit the needle.
03:44Sustainable materials are good for the Earth and its citizens,
03:48but how do consumers know which products to invest in?
03:52And when it comes to furniture, fashion, and style,
03:56who establishes trends?
03:58Julie Smith-Vicenti has a finger on the pulse of the market.
04:03Julie Smith-Vicenti has a finger on the pulse of the market.
04:06Julie Smith-Vicenti has a finger on the pulse of the market.
04:10I don't see a time in the near term
04:13where we aren't bombarded with scary headlines
04:16about the changes that are happening to our planet.
04:19So, who establishes the sustainable trends
04:22that ultimately, we're hoping, make its way to the consumer, to the homeowner?
04:26Well, it begins with the designer making decisions about the materials they'll use.
04:30It begins with the company contracting with that designer
04:34and making a decision about where that product will go.
04:37It then carries on to the retailer seeing that new product at a trade show
04:42and making a decision one way or another
04:45about whether or not they believe that their customers
04:48will respond to that sustainable message,
04:51as well as interior designers.
04:54If you imagine a consumer who's sitting in front of their laptop
04:57and they're about to click buy,
04:59or they're standing in a retail store and they're about to say,
05:02or they're standing in a retail store and they're about to say,
05:05I want that one.
05:06With a small change to the conversation at that point of sale,
05:10I believe that we'll get consumers even more interested
05:13and more likely to choose the sustainable product.
05:16It's about conversation on the health attributes of sustainable furniture.
05:22That messaging can be as simple as,
05:24your child is going to set up their toys on this area rug.
05:28Wouldn't you like to know that this design has no harmful chemicals?
05:33You're going to be sitting at that dining room table
05:36and eating food off that dining room table.
05:38Wouldn't you like to know that the finish on the product that you've selected
05:42has no harmful VOCs?
05:44As an industry, we just need to be better storytellers.
05:49IMC is also very committed to conservation,
05:52and so they were one of the first trade show producers in home furnishings
05:56to start implementing water preservation technology
06:01in all of the public bathrooms.
06:03Now, what's next?
06:05And I think that IMC's educational programming this market
06:08really can help to teach buyers and suppliers and manufacturers
06:14and interior designers how to take that next step.
06:18In an activation program called Sustainable Stories,
06:22I designed a vignette that represents a huge step
06:25towards responsible sustainability and circularity in the design industry.
06:31My vignette is called the Salon de la Circularité,
06:34which is Lounge of Circularity.
06:37So I partnered with different brands that all push the understanding
06:43So I partnered with different brands that all push the envelope
06:47with circularity in their supply chain.
06:49So today we have this vignette, currently it's empty.
06:52We have six hours, so we start from zero,
06:55an empty trailer, and we have to design a lounge.
07:00So I have to get started,
07:02but my first problem is that nothing is here right now.
07:13Put them on the side because, yeah, the carpet needs to be laid first.
07:17The challenge was really, as things arrived a couple of hours later
07:21than what we planned, to really fix the back wall.
07:25The back wall was made of a very thin structure.
07:28It was a challenge to actually hang some of these 10 pounds, 20 pounds,
07:33beautiful wall art.
07:35Some of them are covers of barrels.
07:38Some of them are covers of barrels.
07:40We want to make no waste and minimal damage to what we are creating.
07:44This was the first challenge.
07:45And the second challenge was just working around time.
07:49So suddenly everybody turned up, delivering the sofa and the chair.
07:53And we had the rug, the side tables,
07:56and the beautiful console made of chamcha wood.
08:00So it's just been amazing and really fast.
08:03I really design for wellness and sustainability.
08:07What I do is really to emphasize how interiors should be circular,
08:13full of regenerative materials.
08:15So it really contributes to our health and wellness.
08:19The circular economy goes away from the take, make, and waste,
08:25linear thinking.
08:27But it rather goes into take, use, reuse, recycle, upcycle,
08:34transform, and use it into a new product.
08:40Creative bakers from all over bring their work to High Pond Market.
08:45One of my favorites is Milk Collective,
08:48a group of impeccable artisans who are focused on sustainability.
08:54Tell me about Milk Collective.
08:56We are a collective of like-minded individuals with similar values.
09:03Artists, creatives, makers.
09:06About 70 companies we have in our network so far.
09:10Thankfully, wellness is becoming increasingly more important for people.
09:18So they're looking for healthy interiors.
09:21They design and make the pieces here in the USA.
09:25Sourcing sustainable materials, sometimes upcycled.
09:30They imagine how they can make their furniture pieces long-lasting,
09:35sustainable, healthy, sometimes multifunctional.
09:39Does sustainability or circularity play a role in these choices?
09:44We prefer designs with materials that can be reused, can be upcycled.
09:50Some of these pieces are considered modern heirlooms.
09:55We know now that not a lot of kids want to have their parents' old furniture.
10:00So these pieces will be reused, or in the worst-case scenario, the materials will be reused.
10:07Our makers are committed to creating good products
10:13that will not bring any health risks to your home.
10:16Natural finishes, certified hardwoods,
10:20their logistics and packaging materials.
10:24Not all of the companies are there yet, 100%, but it's a process.
10:29And because we have similar values, we're always reinforcing these practices.
10:35Do you offer any guidance to artisans to implement more sustainable practices?
10:41Anytime you get a few makers in the same room,
10:43they're sharing their techniques, their sources for purchasing reclaimed or certified hardwoods.
10:50So they're consistently improving on their techniques and processes.
10:57Heirlooms, the special handmade items that are passed down for generations,
11:02are often discarded nowadays.
11:04And in India, that includes the beautiful garments called saris.
11:10Amy Fleury and her partners rescue these items and refashion them
11:16to make them more sustainable.
11:19Our product is sourced in India.
11:21My partners, they were visiting family.
11:25Their mother and grandmother happened upon a material,
11:29a quilt that has existed for a long time, but still has a lot of potential,
11:33and reached out to me and said, what do you think?
11:35And I said, it's gorgeous, I agree.
11:38And they said, well, let's make a quilt.
11:40And I said, well, let's make a quilt.
11:42And they said, well, let's make a quilt.
11:44And they reached out to me and said, what do you think?
11:46And I said, it's gorgeous, I agree.
11:50It was as simple as that.
11:51That was the start.
11:53So speaking of your product, can you show us?
11:55This is one of the quilts, and one side is very expressive.
11:59One side may be, well, a beautiful color, you know, bright color.
12:03The other side, a carnival, you know, or like a…
12:07Love it, a carnival of colors.
12:09Carnival of colors.
12:10The materials that make up the quilts as we buy them
12:14are layers and layers of retired saris.
12:18Over time, you might retire clothes.
12:20The mindset at the time that they were made
12:22was not to throw that material away, but to make something with it,
12:26because these are beautiful cottons, sometimes silks.
12:30Anywhere from 8 to 15 saris hand-stitched 60 to 80 years ago.
12:36So we do go through and, you know, pick these blankets and quilts
12:40in good condition already, but they have a lot of life left in them,
12:44strong enough to upholster with.
12:46If you unravel the edges just a little bit, you can see the layers.
12:50That stitch is called a kantha stitch, which creates the durability,
12:54because when something is stitched that tightly, it's very hard to rupture,
12:58but we're talking over many, many decades.
13:01Some may be worn in places, and so when that area would wear out,
13:05somebody stitches a patch on top of that.
13:08It would be hard to replicate that kind of serendipity
13:11in the placement of the patches.
13:14We started to cut pillows, we call them pillow families,
13:18from the same quilt.
13:20This is a great example of one of the more time-worn.
13:23It kind of has a more textured, worn, vintage appeal.
13:26It's very soft.
13:28The sari underneath and the color from that one layer underneath
13:31is starting to show through.
13:33And give it another hundred years,
13:35and you would see the other color of the next layer.
13:39If you look at it, there are thousands of stitches
13:42in that one piece of scrap that somebody put together by hand.
13:45We're mapping the quilts both in terms of their beauty,
13:49but also so that we have as little waste as possible.
13:52These are like fraternal twins.
13:55They're not exactly alike, but they're definitely from the same quilt.
13:59And we, again, try to be very sensitive in the mapping
14:02so that you can decorate easily with them.
14:05We have designers who are really focused on sustainable living,
14:09and that is the niche that they carry through.
14:13It used to be, if you bought pre-owned,
14:16you were trying to get a value.
14:18Now it's a point of pride.
14:20It's more like, I'm buying something that has lasted all these years
14:25and is so beautiful,
14:27and now this company has made it even more beautiful.
14:30You have to consider A to Z in how you will deliver it,
14:35and then what will they do with it after.
14:38When you think of how these things were made,
14:41sitting together, sewing, sharing stories,
14:44that takes a lot of time, and it takes people.
14:48And so I think about that, of what you bring into your home,
14:52that there's so much that radiates from one pillow or one quilt,
14:57and especially the quilts, because when you wrap yourself in them,
15:00it's heavy, it's got that beautiful weight,
15:03but it just feels like a universal hug.
15:07I just don't know how you can not sense the connection over time
15:11to things made by hand, by people,
15:14that were made well enough to continue for so long.
15:17You see and you feel the connection.
15:20Leather is a sturdy, useful item that can last generations.
15:25It's also something that people think of an expensive luxury,
15:29but with a massive global beef industry that is only expected to grow,
15:34leather is abundant and needs to be kept out of landfills.
15:38Enter my friend, Saket Wood, to turn waste into utility.
15:44Let's get into leather.
15:46Many people fall under the misconception
15:48that leather is not sustainable.
15:50Leather is the original sustainable solution.
15:53Leather has been around since about fire,
15:56and the same thing that made leather essential to early humans
15:59is the same thing that makes it a luxury material today.
16:02And the fact that we can take something like this
16:04and convert it into something beautiful and luxurious and long-lasting,
16:08that you can invest in for a lifetime,
16:10that you can invest in over time,
16:12it's an important story to tell.
16:14And I do think it's very important
16:16because you're basically taking waste out of a landfill
16:19and you are actually upcycling it.
16:21The definition of leather is the skin of an animal that's been tanned.
16:25If something is called leather and it's a synthetic,
16:28it's not really leather.
16:30You hear things today about pineapple leather
16:33and other plant-based leather, and all those are fine.
16:36But what they don't do is take away that hide
16:39that's going to be available.
16:41And if you think about 285 million hives, landfilling those,
16:45it would be a real environmental catastrophe.
16:48It's important to us that the last hide that's available
16:51be used before you make something synthetic.
16:54I'm inspired by your company's adaptability.
16:57What products do Moore & Giles
16:59specifically create for the interiors industry?
17:02After being in the footwear business for 50 years after 1933,
17:06as that footwear business left,
17:08we branched out into upholstery leather.
17:10And really what the company evolved into is, I think,
17:13a design company that went out and made beautiful leathers
17:16from really artisan tanneries from all over the world,
17:19and we bring them into Lynchburg, Virginia,
17:21and warehouse them at two distribution centers.
17:24And so we are selling furniture manufacturers,
17:26designers and architects, residential designers,
17:29aviation designers,
17:31and then we have our own bag and accessory company.
17:34Everything you see in this room is pretty much a natural leather.
17:37We make leathers that you can sit in, that you can wear,
17:40and that you can walk in, and that you can carry.
17:43We spent a lot of our time in the tanneries
17:46working on that artistic side
17:48because there's just really endless possibilities
17:50with what you can do with a hide,
17:52and it's really a way for us to express
17:54what we love about leather on really classic silhouettes
17:57on bags and accessories and furniture.
18:00What is your company's approach to waste management?
18:03And what is your biggest challenge?
18:05The company is committed to both education and sustainability,
18:09and it's something that we have to invest in on a regular basis.
18:12We have someone leading it.
18:14We have a conservation team at the company that meets weekly
18:16to talk about different ways that we can improve.
18:19It's really an expectation on all of our employees' part
18:22to do what we can, and it's really basic stuff right now
18:25to just know what we can and cannot recycle.
18:28But we're also looking at ways to reduce our waste.
18:31One of the things that we have a lot of is scrap leather.
18:34We do try and sell our scrap by the pound
18:37to people who are making sort of crafts and keychains
18:40and different things, but we also are working with a company now
18:43who's figured out how to take our scraps and grind them up
18:46in a way to create sort of a leather substrate
18:49that we'll be introducing in sort of our finished goods.
18:52We have these sort of fiber blankets that are padded
18:55that come in with the leather.
18:57We've been throwing away, and we've found a nonprofit
19:00who can use them for making sleeping bags for refugees,
19:03humane society centers.
19:06We're taking our campus and planting natural grasses and shrubs
19:10that sort of have deep roots that create a carbon sink
19:13on our campus that reduce our carbon footprint.
19:16The most important tanning ingredient in leather is water,
19:20and most of these tanneries are in small towns
19:23with rivers coming through the town.
19:25We have a tanner in Germany who has done such a good job
19:28with his water effluent treatment that he has a holding pond
19:31that can release back into the river,
19:34and you can test the water 24-7 anytime you want.
19:37We've got a lot to do, but it's something that we're committed to
19:40for the long term.
19:42You have to be a good corporate citizen, or you'll not be in business.
19:45What is the future of the tanning industry?
19:48There's been 2 ways of tanning in the history of mankind.
19:51Vegetable tanning, which uses the extracts of bark
19:54and trees like mimosa and chestnut.
19:57It's sort of the ancient way of tanning.
19:59It takes a long time to do.
20:01There's still great vegetable tanners all around the world
20:03that work that medium.
20:05The modern form of tanning is chrome tanning.
20:07Chrome is a mineral.
20:09It really preserves the leather.
20:11Chrome tanning has been around since 1875.
20:13We've looked at alternative forms of tanning for quite some time.
20:16The one we've sort of settled on is olive tanning,
20:19and we met with a group from Germany,
20:21and they were looking at the olive leaves in the Mediterranean,
20:23which are abundant.
20:25They treat it like a tea.
20:27There's enough of these leaves to tan 30-40% of the world's leather.
20:31Leather is really the original sustainable solution.
20:34We are completely controlled by the global demand for beef consumption.
20:39The farmers go to great lengths to raise the animals
20:42in good environments, in an ethical manner.
20:45Our duty is to take those hives and use them
20:50in a way that you can create things that last for a lifetime.
20:55So I'm just about done,
21:02and I'm just putting a few finishing touches.
21:05I'm really excited about tomorrow.
21:08I can't wait to show it to the world.
21:10I invited Cisco Home, Lansing, Libeco,
21:15Philips Collection, and Naturals Legacy
21:18because they prioritize circularity
21:20and use certified healthy materials.
21:23I also invited Curie & Co. and, of course, Bill Collective
21:27because they demonstrate transparency
21:30through their affiliations and accreditations.
21:33I am thrilled to be able to amplify the messages
21:36of conscious, forward-thinking brands.
21:39So we partnered and worked for a few months
21:43on creating a circular sofa and chair from Cisco Home.
21:48Some of the feeling is made of tensile fibers,
21:52which are tree pulp fibers that are 100% recyclable.
21:58When people come to the Salon de la Circularité,
22:01I really want them to experience wellness, calm,
22:06a sense of really great comfort,
22:09and really by experiencing the space,
22:12feeling the textures, the colors.
22:15My design was inspired by nature,
22:18particularly the biodiversity of the ocean
22:21that I once witnessed while diving.
22:24The fluidity in water, textures, colors, and marine life
22:30inspired me to capture the physicality and emotions of nature
22:34and foster an indoor connection to the outside environment
22:38through the color palette and finishes.
22:41Materiality and texture are sensory experiences,
22:45not simply visual, and my space was a feast for the senses.
22:51Until next time, I am Laurence Gare,
22:54designing a more circular future.