What if old becomes new – and new old becomes cool and transparent? Simply by re-thinking…
This is exactly the vision behind the collaboration between Design Preowned & SPOOR presenting the pre-owned furniture upholstered in honest Scandinavian traceable leather at Øksnehallen. A wish and order from Mandatory – Copenhagen Fashion Week.
“For us it is important to demonstrate and support conscious interior choices. Previously, we have chosen new interior but this year with the possibility to make use of Design Preowned we want to underline the importance of these cool opportunities. With SPOOR we also emphasize the importance of conscious and local raw materials – and brands exhibiting at Mandatory also present new styles in traceable SPOOR leather” says Mads M. Petersen, founder of Mandatory
At the heart of the partnership is a unique collection of chairs originally sourced from a Danish hotel – timeless designs brought back to life through expert craftsmanship and traceable materials. Each chair has been restored and reupholstered by hand in the workshop using SPOOR’s second-quality leather. The hides are locally sourced from Scandinavian farms, processed in Danish and Italian tanneries, and laser-marked with an individual ID, allowing each piece to be traced back to the animal of origin.
Through blockchain integration, the entire product journey – from farm to finish – is now permanently recorded on-chain. This ensures a tamperproof sustainability profile that documents animal welfare, sourcing, material origin, processing, emissions, and lifecycle extension. In doing so, Design Preowned and SPOOR have jointly created what is likely the first second-hand furniture product to meet upcoming EU product passport regulations – until now, designed only for new products.
“We met at 3daysofdesign and got to talk about quality, sustainability and honest materials. It was clear that our sustainability take and values connected very well, and I suggested to join forces to demonstrate how new ways of thinking can lead to change. I really found it cool to work with 2nd quality leather – fully traceable to the individual Scandinavian animal – and tanned in Denmark! I mean – natural materials like leather with a little scar or mark is just natural and should in my opinion be used with respect and not just discarded. Just like how I think working as a chef with valuable raw materials”. Edward Gubi – founder of Design Preowned.
“I love the fact that the new generation see future business models being built on respect for design, quality raw materials and conscious consumption in general. Design Preowned enters the furniture stage with new visions and takes on how to create such a model, and I am more than happy to join forces at Copenhagen Fashion Week demonstrating how that could look like”. Birgitte Holgaard Langer – Businesss Development Director, SPOOR.
“Why cut down more trees or produce new materials when we already have beautifully made furniture that just needs a second life?” says Edward Gubi. “
This partnership with SPOOR shows that recrafted doesn’t have to mean second-best – in fact, it can lead the way in transparency and climate action. Thank you to Birgitte H. Langer and the team at SPOOR for pushing this vision forward with us.”
