Cristina Palacios is an interdisciplinary researcher and founder of KINKLEID, a design studio working at the crossroads of sustainability, material innovation, and systems thinking. With a background in material science, her work investigates how creative practice can make complex environmental challenges visible — and inspire systemic change.
Transforming Yarn Waste explores the recycling of polyester fibers while questioning the very idea of circular design. Developed from the yarn residues generated during Cristina’s PhD, the project brought together European studios for felting, spinning, and weaving trials that culminated in a fully circular prototype jacket.
But the piece’s sustainability is complicated — while recyclable, the material still sheds microfibers that harm ecosystems. Presented as a statement rather than a product, the jacket reveals the hidden contradictions of “sustainable” materials and calls for deeper systems thinking in design — where every cycle, impact, and connection truly counts.
Special thanks to our co-curators:
@pluralmagazine
@studiosamayam
And to
@sectie_c for giving us the space to exhibit
