GREENGRADS: Design for a Broken Planet: Meet the Innovators Healing Our World at the Surface Design Show - London
GREENGRADS at Surface Design Show: The Future of Sustainable Design
Discover the UK graduates revolutionising design with biomaterials and waste innovation. Meet the GREENGRADS at the Surface Design Show, Feb 3-5 in London.
GREEN GRADS is kindly sponsored in*part by Texintel Global Partners, FESPA and Epson UK
As the industry faces increasing pressure to address carbon footprints, waste, and resource scarcity, the search for truly sustainable solutions has moved from a "nice-to-have" to a commercial imperative. The answers, however, may not come from established giants, but from a rising generation of design activists who refuse to accept the status quo.
For the second consecutive year, the Surface Design Show at the Business Design Centre will host a pivotal gathering of these minds. In the Innovation Gallery, GREENGRADS will present a showcase that is double the size of its previous appearance. This is not merely an exhibition of student work; it is a rigorous presentation of market-ready material innovations, regenerative concepts, and "artivism" designed to heal the planet.
For industry leaders, architects, and specifiers, attendance is not just an opportunity to scout talent—it is a chance to engage with the future of sustainable design before it hits the mainstream.
A Platform for Eco-Action
Founded in 2021 by award-winning design editor Barbara Chandler, GREENGRADS has grown from a concept into a formidable platform representing over 250 UK graduates. Chandler, with half a century of experience promoting the design industry, recognised a gap between academic innovation and commercial reality.
"We are a very broad church," Chandler notes. "Our GREENGRADS have a huge range of environmental concerns, from carbon and climate to new bio-materials, creative use of waste, pollution, circularity, durability, repair, biodiversity, diminishing species and much more."
The initiative operates as a not-for-profit organisation, supported by visionary brands that understand the necessity of nurturing talent. By bridging the gap between universities and the marketplace, GREENGRADS ensures that radical ideas regarding sustainability are given the visibility they require to effect real change.
Redefining Materiality: From Denim to Eggshells
One of the most compelling reasons to visit the Innovation Gallery this February is the focus on material innovation. These are not theoretical experiments; many are viable alternatives to the petrochemical-heavy materials currently dominating the market.
Josh Myers, for example, is tackling the crisis of textile waste. His product, Denimolite, is already on the market. It is a robust, machinable board created from waste denim, featuring a sophisticated blue marbled finish unique to every piece. It offers a circular solution to fashion waste while providing a high-end aesthetic for interiors.
Similarly, the ubiquitous problem of polystyrene—a material notorious for its environmental persistence—is being addressed by Elizabeth Lee and her colleagues. Their solution, Carbon Cell, is a carbon-negative replacement that challenges the industry's reliance on harmful foams.
In the realm of biomaterials, Mobina Rajabimoghadam has developed a material derived principally from food waste, specifically eggshells. This innovation has already been accepted into the library of Material Source, proving that rigorous testing and credible application are at the heart of the GREENGRADS ethos.
The Rise of the 'Artivist'
Sustainability is often discussed in terms of carbon and chemistry, but the emotional and cultural narrative is equally vital in shifting consumer behaviour. This year’s cohort includes designers who blend aesthetics with protest, a practice Ruwanthi Gajadeera terms "artivism."
Gajadeera’s work involves radiant indigo fabrics that lament ocean pollution. Her "S.O.S" (Save Our Seas) installations use poetic motifs to draw attention to the degradation of marine environments. She is joined by Charlette Costin, whose ceramics serve as a protest against the devastation caused by industrial fishing.
This thread of gentle but firm activism runs through the textile presentations. Lydia Hill, calling herself a "gentle activist," uses her print collection Going, Going, Gone to highlight the crisis of diminishing butterfly species in Britain. Her designs for wallpapers and fabrics serve as a beautiful yet stark reminder of what we stand to lose.
Meanwhile, Martha Lawton turns her gaze to our internal waterways. Inspired by her experiences with river swimming, she creates woven woollen paintings using natural dyes, crying out against the pollution choking our rivers.
Regenerative Interiors and Natural Dyes
For interior designers looking to commission work that adds a narrative of sustainability to a space, the show offers ample inspiration. The move towards regenerative materials—those that restore rather than deplete—is evident in the furniture and textiles on display.
Anna Eerdmans champions versatility and circularity with her Vita Onesta furniture. Constructed from regenerative materials such as cork, hemp, and coffee grounds, her modular pieces can function as shelving, desks, or wardrobes, adapting to the user's changing needs and reducing the cycle of "fast furniture" consumption.
In the soft furnishings sector, Mandy Roland-Smith offers needle-felted panels that are wholly sustainable. She works exclusively with wool sourced within a six-mile radius of her home, dyed with locally gathered plants. This hyper-local approach drastically cuts transportation emissions and supports local agriculture.
Amelia Wylam takes a similar approach to light and mood. Her embroidered wall hangings, made from silk and root fabrics coloured with natural dyes, embody the soothing shadows of changing sunlight, designed to elevate mood and connect interiors back to natural rhythms.
The Creative Resurrection of Waste
Perhaps the most immediately applicable innovations come from the graduates finding value in what society discards. The creative use of waste is a recurring and sophisticated theme at this year's show.
Izzy Kelly presents a striking collection titled Fallen Furniture. She rescues the abundant timber felled in local areas—wood that is usually chipped or burned—and suggests a new, high-value life for these resources.
Even the most noxious forms of waste are being reimagined. Salma Garana transforms the cellulose acetate found in cigarette filters. By combining this toxic litter with wool, she creates fresh fibres and acoustic wall panels. Working in parallel, ceramicist Neve Beill uses the ash from discarded cigarette butts to create an idiosyncratic glaze.
Claire Malley completes this narrative by weaving discarded textiles into emotive artworks, proving that the loop can be closed with beauty and intention.
Why You Must Attend
The industry cannot afford to ignore the next generation. These graduates are not just seeking employment; they are offering solutions to the problems that established firms are scrambling to solve.
The GREENGRADS exhibition at the Surface Design Show is a testament to the power of education and the necessity of hope. By attending, you are not just viewing products; you are supporting a movement towards a cleaner, more ethical built environment.
Discover the UK graduates revolutionising design with biomaterials and waste innovation. Meet the GREENGRADS at the Surface Design Show, Feb 3-5 in London.
Event: Surface Design Show (Innovation Gallery)
Location: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 0QH
Dates:·
Tuesday, 3 February: 5pm – 9pm
Wednesday, 4 February: 10am – 8pm
Thursday, 5 February: 10am – 5pm
Admission is free. We urge you to visit, engage with the graduates, and witness the future of sustainable design firsthand.
* GREEN GRADS was founded in 2021 by design editor and curator Barbara Chandler, joined shortly by Michael Czerwinski as codirector/show producer. GREEN GRADS present their own shows – four major annual exhibitions so far - and are invited into numerous other events – such as the GNCCF
There are now 250 GREEN GRADS listed on their website www.greengrads.co.uk, with ongoing news on Instagram @greengradsuk
