Eugenia Morpurgo

Department: Social Design
Website: www.eumo.it

Repair it Yourself

In our modern era, fuelled by mass production and consumption, many things are designed to be disposable. Patching, darning and felting were last done by our grandmothers. We have forgotten the art of repairing and no longer have the tools. In the face of this situation, Eugenia Morpurgo aims to empower consumers to be more sustainable by helping them to make products last longer. The best way to achieve this? By fixing things yourself. “Wear and tear is a natural part of a product’s lifespan, so as a designer you need to include repair in the design process,” Morpurgo believes.
Her Repair It Yourself shoes have been designed with their eventual repair in mind. Made from separate rubber elements, the soles can easily be snapped on or off. Also, decorative details such as patches are already incorporated in the style from the start, so that when the cloth is worn through, sewing on a patch will complement the look of the shoe. The shoes have an added benefit. They come with a repair kit, “to bring the tools of the trade back into the house,” Morpurgo says. “Once you have the tools at hand, you’ll be more likely to start repairing other things”.