The VÄXELBRUK collection
Luca Clerici has always known to truly treasure things and to repair rather than throw away. One of Luca’s favourite things about his role at IKEA is getting to investigate new production techniques and materials for future product development. So when the old co-worker clothes were being brought in from across Europe, he jumped at the chance to explore the potential of these textiles. Perhaps the most tangible result of this particular project is VÄXELBRUK: a collection of throws, cushion covers, curtains, and bags made using 300 tonnes of recycled uniforms collected in European markets from 2020 to 2022. Now available at IKEA stores and the IKEA e-shop.
While the VÄXELBRUK products don’t quite reveal their origins at first glance, that’s by design. After all, with the bold, recognisable colours of the IKEA coworker uniform, the collection could have looked very different. Luca chuckles at the thought, noting that a Swedish flag range wasn’t the vision for the collection at all.
Luca lights up as he recounts the marathon sprint and team effort behind the collection – and how it set an example for recycling and repurposing materials within IKEA. “There were so many new learnings, not only about textiles, but also knowledge that we can utilize in everything from the supply chain to product development and design. Many good things have happened because of this project."
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