2018 Role Models Contest Gallery

This past semester, Healthy Materials Lab sponsored the second annual Role Models Contest. The contest is a chance to be a role model to the rest of the design world by sharing your innovative approach to design and to demonstrate how your creative practices have a positive impact on personal health, the health of your neighbors, and the world at large. This year we awarded prizes in two categories:

1. Healthy material innovation in a Model, Prototype, or Artwork

2. Personal advocacy for creating a healthier world by way of storytelling through any type of media

Out of many great submissions, we awarded 5 prizes. Take a closer look at the winning projects in our gallery below!

Xiaoxuan Fu, who merged fashion and Chinese medicine for her project Beyond Herb. She dyed hand knitted garments in herbs such as calendula, albizia flower, eucalyptus, Chinese mugwort and lavender so wearers absorb the herbs into their bodies and benefit from the healing powers of the plants throughout the day. This is a highly inventive approach to the ancient tradition of herbal medicine and brings new meaning to the concept of healthy garments.

Gary Dusek, who added a fourth “prosthetic leg” to a chair using recycled plastic from 3D printing waste. His Chair Rehab Project used the innovative technique of using an extruder to melt down the plastic particulates and push them into a steel mold. The process opens up possibilities for larger scale projects, meaning recycled plastics can be used more frequently as a wood replacement. Gary demonstrated great experimentation and a desire to reduce deforestation and pollution.

Terence Keller, who combines recyclable construction netting with recyclable denim for his project Western Denim. He sees these materials and their potential to be repurposed as inherently tied to our culture’s need to be repurposed with a new sense of resilience and self-reliance. His is an essential and refreshing look at material narrative mirroring our cultural narrative and our ability to redirect history with something deeply tangible.

Tarika Jain, who designed a pair of easy to assemble and customizable modular sneakers made from cork and merino wool for her project, Loop. This merging of consumer involvement and healthy materials is hopefully a glimpse at the future of design.

Katya Fedak, who used stop-motion animation to demonstrate the horrible standards of farm animals and their impact on our environment in her project The Planet Inspector. She created a deeply impactful and sensitive video to target highschoolers in hopes of educating the younger generation. She truly showcased her care for our environment and her desire to change the cruel conditions in which factory farm animals are raised and killed.

Ned Eisenberg, who is laying the groundwork for Bonded, an online browser extension that evaluates fashion retails for issues in sustainability, animal cruelty or outsourcing and brings awareness to the consumers. His desire to spread awareness and bring informed consumption into all aspects of online retail is a true necessity for our world moving forward.