The Padded Chair Series

A chair series with a sustainable twist.

Seoul-based designer Jinyeong Yeon explores the beauty of imperfection in his work, often using reclaimed materials to create products and furniture with a sustainable twist. The Padded Chair series is no exception. Created in a collaboration with South Korean fashion brand shirter, the collection uses recycled materials. More specifically, goose down padded jackets and parkas marked as defective but still high-quality and with only minor flaws that otherwise don’t have an impact on the products’ functionality. To save the materials from becoming waste, the designer transformed them into distinctive chairs. This series follows on the footsteps of the Padded Armchairs, launched in January 2021.

The chair versions feature the padded upholstery made from shirter’s Big Goose Down Jackets. Stitching and pocket details remain, giving a hint to the materials’ original purpose and adding a fun accent to the designs at the same time. The repurposed jackets transform into functional furniture. Thus, they open up a conversation about sustainability in the fashion industry and the responsibility of brands to take action. Furthermore, the choice of material is not random, as padding is one of the biggest polluters and causes a range of environmental problems. The Padded Chair collection highlights these serious issues in a playful way. Eye-catching and imaginative, the chairs have organic silhouettes. Thanks to the extra padding, they also offer optimal seating comfort. For this series, the designer used jackets in different colors to create sculptural designs. The line includes armchairs and benches as well as lounge chairs. Photography© Jinyeong Yeon.