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# Project Description Kahawa Collection - Look 2 Mary Mugure Ngigi Summary Final work Awards Nominated | Maison/0 Green Trail College Central Saint Martins Course Graduate Diploma Fashion Graduation year 2025 This project explores my Kenyan identity and a deep nostalgia for my childhood at the Coffee Research Institute, where my father worked as a soil chemist. I grew up among diverse tribes, united by Swahili, and found joy and belonging. As a Kikuyu girl whose best friend was Luo, our bond defied Kenya’s political and tribal divisions. That harmony faded when I moved to a larger town and encountered tribalism first-hand. Watching athletes like Faith Kipyegon became an emotional escape—a symbol of resilience, unity, and home. This project is a tribute to that “happy place,” blending cultural elements such as traditional Kikuyu accessories with sustainable, unconventional materials like discarded coffee cups from the school canteen and used coffee sacks. It honours my roots, my parents, and my belief in slow, handcrafted fashion as a response to Kenya’s fast fashion crisis. Through this work, I weave memory, identity, and material into a deeply personal yet universal story. Final work Kahawa Collection Look 2 The image shows a model wearing an imaginative and sculptural outfit crafted entirely from recycled coffee cups. The design transforms everyday disposable materials into high fashion. The upper part of the outfit features large, circular layers of brown coffee cup pieces, forming a dramatic collar and shoulder structure that fans outward, with bold black stitching creating striking running patterns. The skirt is made from black and white coffee cup segments, cut with hand stitched hessian yarns into curved, overlapping layers that resemble fish scales or armor. The textural contrast between the matte and glossy surfaces creates a dynamic visual effect. The model wears black macrame bangle sleeves and unique, feathery-looking shoes also made from repurposed materials. Braided hair and a coffee cup paper-mache headpiece complete the look. On the far right, a black-and-white photo shows the same model in the outfit, as if stepping into or out of a portrait, adding an artistic and conceptual layer to the image. The overall effect is one of sustainability, creativity, and bold fashion innovation. The image shows a model wearing an innovative, sculptural outfit entirely made from recycled coffee cups and other waste materials. The corset-style bodice is crafted from papermâché made of coffee cups, woven into a structured, basket-like form. The sleeves are created by macraméing the rims of coffee cups using black and gold thread, forming spiraled, textured arm pieces. The skirt features curved black and white coffee cup segments layered in a scale-like formation, creating volume and movement. The shoes are uniquely detailed—covered in hessian waste yarns and adorned with real coffee beans, giving them a richly tactile and organic look. To the left is a black-and-white photograph of the model in the same outfit, posed in front of a background collage of clouds and landscapes. On the right, the garment components are laid flat: the shoulder piece, bodice, macramé sleeves, and layered wrap segments. In the bottom right corner, there are additional swatches and samples of handmade textiles and materials used in the design. This piece exemplifies sustainable fashion at its most artistic—transforming everyday coffee waste into high-concept, wearable art. This black-and-white film features a striking, upward-angled portrait of model wearing an avant-garde outfit crafted from recycled materials. The model gazes calmly past the camera, her expression poised and powerful. She wears a sculptural headpiece made from papier-mâché coffee cups, intricately molded and fitted to the crown of her head, with braided hair interwoven and styled around it. Her shoulder covering is bold and architectural—constructed from layered panels of corrugated coffee cups, stitched with rough black hessian yarn in zigzag hand stitches that evoke movement and texture. The high-contrast lighting highlights the glossy finish of her skin and the tactile qualities of the upcycled materials. Framed like a film still, the image conveys both elegance and raw creativity, celebrating sustainability through fashion. Research and process Share this project This project explores my Kenyan identity and a deep nostalgia for my childhood at the Coffee Research Institute, where my father worked as a soil chemist. I grew up among diverse tribes, united by Swahili, and found joy and belonging. As a Kikuyu girl whose best friend w... A link to this page has been added to your clipboard Browse related work Craft & Process Materiality Nature & Environment Climate Emergency UpcyclingFashion Sustainability CircularDesign Fashion Craft
# Links ## Official page - https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/663474/cover ## External - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marymugure?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_ - https://www.instagram.com/_marymugure_ - mailto:marysmugure@gmail.com - https://forms.arts.ac.uk/client-enquiry-form/ - https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F663474%2Fcover&text=Kahawa+Collection+-+Look+2 - https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F663474%2Fcover&media=https%3A%2F%2Fportfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F06%2F15190505%2FBW-FILM-6-sized-4-insta.jpg&description=Kahawa+Collection+-+Look+2