Up-cycling: Rising material value by Seung Keol Woo

Up-cycling into the weave

My practice is linked to Up-cycling. The purpose of Up-cycling is to elevate material value and to reduce waste at the same time. In addition, by giving them a new function, use and beauty, this practice can propose a developmental direction for environmentally friendly design and a rise of material status.

In this project, the aspect of material is very important, because, with regard to Up-cycling, with low-grade materials, especially plastic bags, which are wasted from shops and households, creating higher quality goods is a good way to show changing material status.

Thus, this study focuses on a balance between plastic yarns and tradition ones. Furthermore, as making valuable and luxury fashion accessories with the woven fabrics, my practice highlights the notion of Up-cycling.

To sum up, there is a need for designers to have social role and responsibility. Therefore, my practice can be a way that a designer can convey certain social messages, which suggest and encourage how to tackle the environment problems, to the public through the individual design work.


s.woo1@arts.ac.uk