Human hair

Wiggy

The biodegradable Wiggy project reacts to global political changes, in particular, the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and the uncertain future of leaving the single market in terms of socio-economic and ecological impact, through investigating the prospects of vernacular production.

The designer studied local raw material extraction, tapped into urban waste streams and explored potential material recovery, which led her to identify human hair clippings as an abundant and valuable but neglected fibre. Through material experimentation, it was discovered that hair can be wet felted and formed into solid shapes by laminating it with PLA bioplastic.

In order to demonstrate the material’s structural capabilities, the designer chose to create a dressing table stool. The minimum offcuts fabrication process guides the shape of Wiggy and its narrative aspires to challenge people’s perception of the aesthetics of objects through their lifecycles.

Wiggy seeks to showcase the opportunities for design to add value to waste utilisation by creating a circular flow of materials. The project’s framework allowed Oksana to experience the concept of designers being farmers of material, which is predicted to be an important part of the future society.

Making process

The stool is made by felting human hair waste with PLA fibres after which the mat is shaped through compression moulding.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.