Designer Rahat Rai turns dust into slippers

The Done & Dusted project by Rahat Rai offers a fresh take on household waste by using vacuum cleaner dust to create a soft, felt-like fabric. This fabric is then used to make comfortable slippers, showing how something usually seen as useless can be turned into a meaningful product.

After the dust is collected, it goes through a process where it is heated, cleaned, and tightly pressed using felting techniques. This transforms the dust into a usable material that feels soft but holds its shape.

Once the fabric is formed, it is strengthened with a stitched grid pattern and finished with latex along the edges. The final result is a pair of slippers, ironically made from the very dust they usually protect against.

Done & Dusted also invites us to think more deeply about how we use materials. It shows how even waste that often goes unnoticed can be turned into something both useful and beautiful. Rai hopes the idea can grow beyond slippers, with possible uses in home decor or product packaging. The project reflects personal habits through the use of household dust and questions common ideas about what is considered valuable or attractive in today’s design world.

Recent Posts

HandMadeStone, CleanKore to advance denim production

HandMadeStone and CleanKore have formed a partnership to promote sustainable practices throughout denim manufacturing, from fibre production to final finishing.

3 days ago

ICT Mumbai opens sustainable textile lab with Archroma

ICT, Mumbai, has opened its newly renovated sustainable textile laboratory, upgraded with support from Archroma India Pvt. Ltd. under its…

3 days ago

Kiabi joins Denim Deal to boost circular denim practices in France

Denim Deal, focused on standardizing circular methods in denim production, announced that French retailer Kiabi has joined the group.

3 days ago

UBC scientists create cleaner method to produce rayon fibers

A research team at the UBC has created a cleaner way to make rayon that could reduce chemical use and…

4 days ago

Oritain expands leather traceability for ethical sourcing

Oritain, a global expert in origin verification, has extended its scientific tracing methods to leather, a material often harder to…

4 days ago

Aunde, PreZero to build polyester recycling plant

Aunde has formed a partnership with PreZero to set up a plant that will recycle polyester-based textile waste into new,…

4 days ago