Your great grandmother kept a mending pile and a rag bag. Everybody did. Back in the day, textiles were used and reused—precious materials and handwork went into their making.
During the Depression, American flour companies printed dress patterns onto their cotton packaging as a bonus. And French striped linen grain sacks got repurposed as dish towels, café curtains, and cushions.
The brighter, heavier cereal bags of northeastern Portugal were reused as rugs and blankets, among other things. Fashion designer Annelie Augustin came across these little-known relics at a flea market in Ponte da Lima, Portugal, and was so moved by their beauty and variety, and by the care that went into their making, that she launched the Studio Augustin line of pillows and poufs made of the weavings.
A German fashion designer who trained in Paris and now lives in Porto and Berlin, Annelie is a proponent of circular design, ethical business practices, and of keeping craftsmanship alive. “Every piece created should be a piece of peace,” she says.
Photography by Joe Hunt, courtesy of Studio Augustin.
Annelie embarked on a treasure hunt to gather as many of the sacks as she could, and came away with what is no doubt the world’s largest collection.
They’re €210 for the covers and are offered with a choice of two fillings, eco-friendly cork granules, €75, or a cotton-like synthetic fiber, €35.
More of our favorite pillows and cushions:
- 7 Favorites: Soft, Stylish Throwbeds
- Christina Lundsteen’s Velvet Pillows: “Mixing Colors and Patterns Like Nobody’s Watching”
- Shaggy Cushions to Have and to Hold
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation