Image courtesy of Xavier Loránd
“I try not to use plastic in my life. I make my coffee in an aluminium coffee pot and I recycle and use public transport. Every little counts.”
—Xavier Loránd, Designer
It all started out as an experiment. Xavier Loránd is a native of Mexico City and is making leaps and bounds in the sustainable world. Diving deep into the creative realms of waste, he’s advocating the zero-waste movement.
“It’s easy to truly be eco-friendly, and not just for the likes…I try not to use plastic in my life. I make my coffee in an aluminium coffee pot and I recycle and use public transport. Every little counts,” says Loránd.
His work, which echoes of the beautifully timeless, hand-crafted culture of Mexico, has the effect of a polished mortar and pestle grinding corn maize for mouth-watering tamales.
“The key is experimentation,” says Loránd. “We don’t have access to as many materials or fabrics for interior design as you guys have in London, so this is the main reason why the studio—and a few others here in Mexico—started to develop new materials.”
The artist cleverly creates designs from coffee grounds wastes that are sourced from cafes near his studio in Mexico City, designing for brands like Nero furniture.
“I sent a high res photo of the Nero stool to Francq Colors in Belgium…which apparently is going to be on the latest Color Trend Report for Autumn/Winter 2020-2021. Please follow Francq Colors and their work, its a great guide line,” says Loránd.
Loránd’s smooth-yet-rough creations are aesthetically pleasing, remaining sturdy and sustainable. The colour result, is like that of a frozen Frappuccino or a dark chocolate Mocha, rich in its natural stains. Loránd continues to mold these marvelous sculptures in their natural, earth-defying tones.
So how is it possible for students to also create something dynamic from waste?
“I’m going to give you advise a teacher once gave me,” says Loránd. “Read a book called Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.”
The book, created by the chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough, challenges the status quo by pushing the idea of sustainability with an intriguing manifesto and different angle in the philosophy of environmentalism. According to the authors, instead of minimising waste, we should be striving to create value. Find a copy of the book here.
With this key technique of experimentation, students too can bring awareness into the design world, building from sustainable materials and letting creativity lead the way.
“I think it’s really important to always be on the lookout—someone else’s trash is another’s treasure,” says Loránd.
Follow Loránd on his journey via his Instagram page here.
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