rooting — paulaschulte

7/2023
ROOTING

Rooting is a project that reimagines how natural materials can be used in design, specifically in footwear. Created in collaboration with the Schonenkwartier in Waalwijk and now part of the museum’s permanent collection, the project focuses on the potential of grass as a sustainable and versatile material. Through three experimental shoe designs, Rooting highlights the unique strengths of grass and its possibilities in the context of fashion.

The first shoe (1) shows how the grass and especially its roots can adapt to any shape. The sandal is grown in one piece in a mold and needs only one seam to be connected. The second shoe (2) emphasises the possibility of the raw sheet material. Sheets of grass are treated like textile and are connected by stitching.The third shoe (3) aims to show how the grass adapts to textiles and also show how the foot can define the grass and its roots.