New Skin
Name(s) of graduate(s):Yixuan Li
2026
Webseite
Description
New Skin examines how non-recyclable textile waste can be given a new life through material recombination. The starting point is materials such as discarded wool felt and denim fibers, which are often excluded from existing recycling systems. Instead of just cutting up or reassembling the fabrics, the project reactivates them at the fiber level: through wet felting, wool and denim fibers combine to form a new, seamless, and tactile material surface. This “new skin” can be used as a flexible surface for products such as lamps or furniture, giving them a new sensory and material identity. The project understands circular design not just as recycling, but as a creative transformation: waste becomes an independent material with a new structure, expressiveness, and value.
Yixuan Li
2026
Description
New Skin examines how non-recyclable textile waste can be given a new life through material recombination. The starting point is materials such as discarded wool felt and denim fibers, which are often excluded from existing recycling systems. Instead of just cutting up or reassembling the fabrics, the project reactivates them at the fiber level: through wet felting, wool and denim fibers combine to form a new, seamless, and tactile material surface. This “new skin” can be used as a flexible surface for products such as lamps or furniture, giving them a new sensory and material identity. The project understands circular design not just as recycling, but as a creative transformation: waste becomes an independent material with a new structure, expressiveness, and value.