About
In 2012 Ema returned from LA, from working in costume design. In search of bright colourful menswear, she noticed a gap in the market and began to create menswear pieces with prints by local artists. HEW launched in 2014, has continued to grow into an extensive range of clothing and accessories.
"The idea of working with bottle lids came from a conversation within my co-working space. As a designer working towards a more circular design practice, I have been searching for an alternative to the traditional plastic button. Every milk bottle lid that can be repurposed into a button results in one less plastic button being produced. There is an abundance of plastic on the planet, let’s stop producing more and work with what we have. "
— Ema 2021
Waste material
I chose milk bottle lids (type 2 and type 4) for it’s low temperature melting properties, making it a considerably safe plastic to melt in your home. Other beneficial properties of these lids are the bright colours which have become a feature in the design. These bright colours could be melted together using different techniques to achieve variable patterns