The Levi chair is the product of a material study in up-cycling. I wanted to create an eco-conscious chair, using “hand-me-down” blue jeans. I sourced the jeans from people I know; each pair was worn down and not otherwise usable. I cut these blue jeans into various sized strips and began saturating them in EcoPoxy creating a micarta. EcoPoxy is an epoxy with one of the highest bio contents on the market; It is non-toxic and eco-friendly. In combining these materials, I wanted to be able to do things that could not be done using conventional materials. The material has a significant strength, enabling me to create an aesthetically lightweight design. I wanted the user to be drawn by both the design and the material. Using as much of the jeans as possible, there were many visual textures to be discovered. Fully exploring material potential, I used waste from one of the trimming processes for the molding of the seat. Similar to wood shavings, the micarta shavings create a sort of galactic representation. This material has a vast sense of depth and texture, though it's perfectly smooth.
