These Circular Creatives Are Finding Synergy Within the World of Repurposed Materials

As Rio Kobayashi and Aaron Kudi begin to tackle their Discarded Spirits Co. art piece, three miles away in a Haggerston-based workshop, product designer Andu Masebo and fashion upcycler Charley Keighley are rummaging through their assortment of scrap materials in search of their next source of inspiration.

Although Keighley and Masebo are familiar with each other’s practices through the work of mutual friends, the new Discarded Spirits Co. campaign marks the first time that the duo are marrying their distinctly different practices in a single art piece. Produced by Hypebeast, the two-part project aims to push the boundaries of design, inviting creatives to redefine the art of utilizing disused materials by drawing inspiration from the brand’s unique production processes of reusing waste to craft complex spirits.

“We both work in a circular way, repurposing things that don’t yet have a purpose or have outlived that purpose,” explains Keighley on how their practices align with Discarded Spirits Co.’s core values. Her fashion studio KITTEN uses on-trend alterations to deliver reworked deadstock garments – giving them a new lease of life. For Masebo, his portfolio of accessible products and designs are predominately made from disused materials or products. An example is his acclaimed 2023 “Part Exchange” furniture collection, inspired by the second-hand automotive market, that repurposed a scrap Alfa Romeo car into an exhibited range.

“I let the material lead the process,” reflects Masebo on his approach to the art piece. Similar to the invention of Discarded Spirits’ flavor-forward drinks such as Sweet Cascara Vermouth and Grape Skin Vodka, his creation is initiated by the material, discovering the potential of surplus metals and disused fixings left over from past projects. “A lot of my design is based on what I have already and how I could maximize it in the product so I just started making.” Meanwhile, Keighley chops up pieces of cotton fabric taken from old pin-striped shirts and lays them flat against Masebo’s material discovery. “Collaborating with someone that works with hard materials and bringing in my soft materials is an exciting thing that neither of us have done before,” she shares. As well as understanding each other’s practices, this hands-on experimentation allows them to design around the materials and make them the star focus of the art piece.

After exploring how they can resurrect waste through the lens of Discarded Spirits Co., the duo lock in a design for a bar divider. “When we went to learn about the brand in a small east London bar, we became fascinated by the social experience of drinking and wanted to look into the spaces where you would typically enjoy drinks and find a cozy corner with your friends.” Masebo adds, “I guess bars are homes from home, and this divider allows you to create that environment wherever you find yourself.”

Confident with their final design, the creatives start making the proposed piece by combining the different elements they had earlier curated. “As we were designing, we flowed through what logically made sense. The end result is going to be a marriage of all of our ideas coming together,” concludes Keighley, perfectly capturing the nature of their collaboration.

Stay tuned to Hypebeast to find out more about the new Discarded Spirits Co. art series. For more information on Discarded Spirits Co., head to the website or Instagram page now.

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