Danish brand Mater is known for their strong design philosophy, exquisite craftsmanship as well as sustainable and ethical production methods. Their latest launch is a collection of of chairs and tables designed in 1958 by the renowned Danish furniture designer and architect Børge Mogensen. What makes this unique, is that it is the first time a collection from Børge Mogensen has been relaunched in a different material than the original. A new sustainable and circular material made from waste and developed by Mater forms the seat and backrest of the chair. Keep reading to find out more...
The development of the innovative new material finishes is the result of a close collaboration with two of Børge Mogensen's grandchildren, Emilie Ventujol Mogensen and Sarah Alexandra Moutouh. The visual campaign also bears a unique Mogensen mark, as Emilie Ventujol Mogensen and her brother Rasmus Mogensen act as creative director and photographer.
It is no coincidence that the three grandchildren are deeply involved in this collection. Emilie Ventujol Mogensen and Sarah Alexandra Moutouh are both designers, and together with the other four grandchildren, they are now more involved in the design legacy from their grandfather. A task they approach in a very humble way because, as they say, " It is not just our family's heritage, but Denmark's.”
"Our family shares the understanding that just because you can produce some of Børge's designs, it does not mean that you have to. It needs to make sense in ways that cannot necessarily be measured. It must be driven by visionaries who do not accept the world's status quo. This is how we perceive Mater. They are on an important mission working with circular production. The future calls for companies that take that responsibility and manage to make it into a solid and lucrative business. We would like to support that with our family's name and values."—Grand daughter of Børge Mogensen, Emilie Ventujol Mogensen
"Working with the Mogensen family has been a fantastic opportunity for Mater. It has been very motivating to put a collection from the 1950s into production in new circular materials. It gives the furniture a completely new expression and materiality.” —Founder of Mater and Head of Circular Transformation, Henrik Marstrand
Launching Mater Circular Material //— A circular waste composite
The seat and the backrest of the new chair are made from upcycled fibre-based waste materials and plastic waste mixed with sawdust from the FSC wooden base of the chair, in short, Mater Circular Material.
Mater has developed this innovative technology for press moulding many kinds of furniture. The technique allows efficient upcycling of industrial waste and, at the same time, reduces carbon emissions. For this collection, industrial waste from Grohe and BKI Kaffe get mixed with sawdust.
Henrik Marstrand is also responsible for the product development of the collection and the cooperation with Emilie and Sarah. He says; "When launching a new collection, we always make sure that it supports our vision to use upcycled plastic and other waste materials. We are confident that The Børge Mogensen Conscious collection will make a significant positive impression in our industry.”
The new composite material is designed to be reprocessed again and again. Anything made with Mater Circular Material can be recycled and made into new furniture up to five times. This is an essential step towards Mater's vision of becoming one hundred percent circular.
The chair is available in three editions, each with a different combination of finish and material. Find out more here. All wood is 100% FSC certified oak or beech, and the dining table is produced in 100% FSC soaped certified oak.
Credits
Creative Direction by Emilie Ventujol Mogensen
Photography by Rasmus Mogensen