Considering sustainability in Mugler’s Body Space

Pop-ups can pose a problem. Due to their temporary nature we are often pushed towards irresponsible choices that favour cheap and disposable solutions over sustainable ones.

When we started working on a retail installation for Mugler at the Cornershop in London’s Selfridges, we had recently become a B Corp. Our official commitment to centre sustainability in our work as a studio means that each project we now take on is an exercise in action. A problem like a pop-up can become a chance to critically rethink our processes — and hopefully come up with better solutions.

For Mugler, we had dreamt up Body Space; a giant sculptural installation of a woman reclining, fragments of her body parts breaking the space up into a cluster of retail experiences. Amplifying the brand’s surreal fascination with the female body, the hyper-feminised curves, crevices and folds of the installation were to be accentuated by a futuristic reflective material.

Many retail build partners we initially approached suggested fiberglass, a material often used to create the organically curved shapes we were after. A material that is near-impossible to recycle — which while practically fulfills our needs makes it a highly unsustainable choice for a temporary installation.

Challenging ourselves to use another material that was locally and ethically produced as well as recyclable, we began to search for expertise outside of the retail zone and find a unique way to build Body Space. We researched the possibility of using 3D printing, cardboard and Papier-mâché, eventually landing on timber as the best option.

We sourced a specialist in this sustainably-produced, recyclable material — Xylotek, a Bristol-based construction company that offers bespoke design and delivery of advanced timber structures that might usually be built out of concrete or metal. Instead of using a highly-toxic substance like chrome for the reflective surface, we chose a paint finish with a metal effect that can be stripped off afterwards.

We have a long way to go in recognising how far our influence spreads, being accountable every step of the way and building new processes, but this project helped us enact the domino effect at the heart of the B Corp vision.

Find the final Mugler project here.