Ten leading designers have been commissioned to develop new uses for sustainably grown and harvested materials in order to tell a unique story about the life-cycle of materials and the power of conservation and design.
The featured designers and places include Yves Behar/Costa Rica; Stephen Burks/Australia; Hella Jongerius/Mexico; Maya Lin/Maine; Christien Meindertsma/Idaho; Isaac Mizrahi/Alaska; Abbott Miller/Bolivia; Ted Muehling/Micronesia; Kate Spade/Bolivia; and Ezri Tarazi/China.
This is the debut venue in a national tour of the exhibition, organized by The Nature Conservancy. On view are the prototypes, drawings, and finished product created by the designers.
Design for a Living World
Exhibition from May 14, 2009 to January 4, 2010
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
New York, NY 10128, USA
fsc-certified red maple by Maya Lin/Maine
Raspberry jam wood by Stephen Burks/Australia
Vegetable ivory and black pearls by Ted Muehling/Micronesia
Cocoa by Yves Behar/Costa Rica
Organic wool rug tiles by Christien Meindertsma/Idaho
Bamboo by Ezri Tarazi/China
Chicle latex by Hella Jongerius/Mexico
fsc-certified plywood by Abbott Miller/Bolivia
fsc-certified hardwood and jipijapa by Kate Spade/Bolivia
Salmon leather by Isaac Mizrahi/Alaska
tags: 
Rugs are getting the most unusual forms lately and that is interesting, but are they always safe?