Tel Aviv’s architecture weekend takes note of green spaces and green issues. For the past decade or so, Tel Aviv has been undergoing a type of ‘renaissance’ and as a result it is considered one of the hippest tourism destinations in the Middle East. Alongside its architectural facelift and infusion of stylishness, though, the city […]
Yaniv’s surprisingly colorful dolls are made solely from scraps of newspaper (and no paint!). Israeli artist Liat Yaniv‘s creativity – like that of many before here – was fueled by a shortage of materials and resources. When she was an art student in Denmark she had limited funds, and so she began to find ways […]
Singular upcycled wooden boxes called “Frank” combine to create larger design pieces. Tel Aviv has been fortunate enough to experience a recent influx of sustainable design studios, creating anything from rotary telephone desk lamps to wood veneer light fixtures. These studios are slowly bringing upcycled and sustainable design to the mainstream, and two new girls […]
After ten years in Israel, what is Ikea’s regional legacy? When the Swedish affordable home furnishing company, Ikea, came to Israel ten years ago, it filled a void. The store filled the need for a more approachable, affordable place for Israelis to furnish their homes and experiment with interior design. Former Ikea Israel CEO Dov […]
“When you truly ‘listen’ to the material you will find so many possibilities!” says Aya Tager of her green designs. Lots of designers, including designers living and working in the Middle East, like to play with trash. Lebanese fashion designer Ziad Ghanem likes to play with trashed clothes, and lots of Israeli designers are rethinking […]
MezooMe puts the “zoom” back in organic textile design. Like other designers who have turned their energies towards organic baby product design, Israeli designer Anat Biala’s inspiration for MezooMe Designs – a line of organic linens for babies – was her firstborn son, Jonathan. In 2008, shortly after Jonathan’s birth, Biala had a strong urge […]
“The city is not the problem, but the solution,” says architect Jaime Lerner. Throughout history, philosophers have been dreaming about the utopian city. The current age is faced with environmental challenges, and so many of today’s thinkers are dreaming of the sustainable utopian city. Mayors, visionaries, academics, entrepreneurs, scientists, designers and architects will all gather […]
Yiuco may be the Middle East’s greener Etsy. Etsy, the global online store, has enjoyed great success due to the fact that it enables individuals to buy handmade, unique items from other individuals around the world with the click of a mouse. It has even spurred what some people are calling the “Handmade Revolution” by […]
Colorful, feminine, and elegant, Amit Ayalon’s couture dress upcycles reusable Envirosax bags. Fun, flirty, and stylish, if you looked at the gown above from a distance you may not even know that it was crafted from repurposed reusable Envirosax bags. Normally, upcycled dresses are made out of existing clothing, as in the case of Lebanese […]
MADEO does the leg work for you when it comes to tracking down cool gifts for your eco-trendy friends. You know the scenario: it’s your cool eco-friendly pal’s housewarming/birthday/holiday party/fill-in-the-blank party and you are short one fabulous/original/aesthetic/environmentally-considerate gift. You want something creative yet functional, like a cool hanging wine glass rack or a funky bread […]
Ecoist: an individual that lives a modern, eco-minded lifestyle. (Don’t forget chic.) When it comes to upcycling discarded products or industrial scraps, designers often turn to making fashion or home accessories. They are fun to make, and allow people to feel creative and less wasteful in their accessory choices. Here on Green Prophet we’ve already […]
Galit Begas’ plastic bag shoes Well known for its innovative and high level of forward-thinking in the arts and design, Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design can be proud of its creative students. Proud enough to show their designs off to the world, which is what they will be doing in April when they […]
We’ve seen billboards turned into handbags, now they’re being upcycled into placemats. Chew on that. The ubiquitous billboards that we routinely see during our everyday lives are made out of PVC, some pretty nasty stuff. Due to the nature of billboards being hung outdoors and subjected to weather, they are made of out a fairly […]
Reuse conference brings designers and entrepreneurs together, showing that reusing is eco-friendly, fun, and profitable too. The concept of reuse is not new to Israel. Over the past few years it has seen “Reuse” exhibitions in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as well as the emergence of several upcycling, sustainable designers who have brought fun and […]
Exhibition in Israel brings together sustainable “contemporary cavemen” (and designers). Post Fossil, a current exhibition at the Design Museum in Holon, Israel, asks the question: how to create in a post-fossil-fueled world? As the exhibition description states, “Time has come for extreme change. Society is ready to break away from last century for good. To […]