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

Rheon labs, Decathlon to launch performance-enhancing running shorts

A London-based materials technology company, Rheon Labs, has introduced its second product in collaboration with Decathlon under its Kiprun brand.

19 hours ago

Hyosung TNC to build biobased spandex production system

Hyosung TNC, the world’s largest producer of spandex, has announced an investment of $1 billion to develop a fully integrated…

19 hours ago

FarmRaise, Avalo advance AI-driven cotton innovation programs

FarmRaise has announced a partnership with Avalo, Inc. to support the growth and execution of its cotton innovation programme.

4 days ago

LifeLabs, Shinhan to scale temperature-regulating fabric

LifeLabs has partnered with Shinhan, a woven fabric mill known for producing technical textiles used in outdoor and activewear.

4 days ago

Outlast introduces innovative Bailey cooling textile

Outlast Technologies GmbH has launched Bailey, a new textile designed to provide an instant cooling effect when touched.

4 days ago

Re&Up collaborates to turn old jeans into recycled collection

Re&Up Recycling Technologies has partnered with Madewell and ISKO to recycle around pairs of used jeans into raw material for…

5 days ago