Craftsmanship, a sustainable tradition

CRAFTSMANSHIP, A SUSTAINABLE TRADITION

Craftsmanship is in fashion. Leading designers have decided to recover it for its proximity and respect for the environment. An option that is considered ethical as well as aesthetic, embodying key values for a more sustainable design and society.

Craftsmanship has become a real alternative for leading designers. Slow production and natural materials lead us to an authentic and sustainable society. Although the prices are higher because of the working method and the uniqueness of each piece, the durability is almost unlimited. This is a good strategy against overproduction and unmeasured consumerism, which have no long-term value.

Combining tradition and innovation could be the motto for moving towards sustainable design. Big brands that used to prefer industrial products, mass-produced and on a global scale, are opting to incorporate artisanal techniques. It is a new way of understanding design and generating new strategies that position their product in a unique environment, increasing its value and establishing a link between the user and the object.

This was precisely the philosophy that inspired the Arts & Crafts, an artistic movement driven by William Morris that was born at the end of the 19th century as a response to the Industrial Revolution. Seeing that this exaggerated industrialization had a clear environmental impact, design tried to rescue the care of materials. Art & Crafts undoubtedly proposed an ecological perspective to harmonize society and the environment. However, the high production costs turned it into an elitist alternative, when the intention was for sustainability to cover everyone’s needs.

Perhaps the new generations of designers can retake the ancestral knowledge of craftsmanship to offer objects that meet contemporary daily needs, since the evolution of this part of culture depends on the interest that design pays to it.

Currently, there are crafts supported by state-of-the-art technologies, which can revolutionize industrialization and open the range. In addition, local crafts are booming and there are more and more initiatives to make them known, such as the Talleres Abiertos app. Foundations concerned with preserving these traditional crafts have also made inroads, as is the case of the Michelangelo Foundation. This initiative is responsible for selecting and giving visibility to artisans who share values such as human integrity, economic viability and job growth.

Revolución Limo is the first designer furniture company made only with recycled plastic, an artisanal project that also aims to offer a sustainable alternative in the design and interior design sector.